EV manufacturer offers full refunds after mislabeling 1265 vehicles as 2026 models
BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, admitted that it made a mistake by selling vehicles to an estimated 1,265 Australian customers as a 2026 model when they were produced the previous year.
The Chinese manufacturer, which is poised to become one of Australia’s top brands, agreed on Saturday to pay customers a full refund or $1,100 in damages.
Paul Ellis, BYD’s director of public relations in Australia, told the ABC: He said it was a mistake.
“What occurred was an administrative error. There was no fraud,” he said. Ellis said BYD mistakenly used the dates the cars left the factory instead of the date they were built.
BYD electric and hybrid car owners said BYD’s compensation offer was grossly inadequate.
On Saturday, BYD apologized to customers and offered a full refund.
“We will offer customers a full refund. They will receive that refund and if they want to make a new transaction, they can purchase another BYD from us,” Ellis said.
He assured customers that the cars were not materially different, but admitted that the build date was incorrect.
Ellis told the ABC: “This does not affect the car’s compliance with Australian design rules. It does not affect the warranty or performance of the car. It is just a production date.”
car site Which Car?Help with confusion as to the model year recorded in the sales documents rather than any mechanical or specification differences. Customers received 2025-built vehicles instead of those identified as 2026 models, but otherwise the cars are believed to be identical.
BYD will call, email and text all affected customers to provide the updated offer.
Customers can still get a $1,100 refund, and Ellis said many are happy with that.
However, some BYD vehicle owners on social media were angry.
“I’m seriously pissed,” one said. Other users said $1,100 was insufficient.
Some customers were concerned that owning an older vehicle would reduce their vehicle’s resale value or increase the cost of insurance.
“Every BYD owner should be frantically checking their car’s production date/compatibility plate by now,” one Reddit commenter wrote.
BYD customer Zoheb Khan told ABC consumer correspondent Michael Atkin that the compensation was not enough and said he wanted the manufacturer to replace his car with a 2026 model.
Roadside assistance group RACV has reported that BYD will become one of the top three car brands in Australia by 2026, with plans to eventually become the market leader.
“Just four years after arriving in Australia, BYD became one best selling car brands with a rapidly expanding EV and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) model lineup and no plans to slow down until it rolls over toyota for complete market leadership.”
When asked about the issues, Deputy Competition Minister Andrew Leigh told the ABC he wanted to strengthen the effectiveness of the consumer guarantee so people have a fair way forward if something goes wrong. This included proposing new penalties for suppliers and manufacturers who fail to meet their obligations to offer repairs, replacements or refunds to consumers.
BYD has been contacted for comment.
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Julie Power is senior reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
