More than 1,200 Australians bought BYDs described in their paperwork as 2026 models.
The cars were actually built in 2025 — correctly built, but wrongly labelled, after someone recorded the date each vehicle left the factory instead of its actual manufacture date.
According to the ABC, Australia’s national public broadcaster, the error affected 1,265 buyers nationwide.
Nothing about the vehicles themselves was wrong: same specifications, same safety features, same performance. Only the description on the sales paperwork was incorrect.
BYD Australia spokesman Paul Ellis told the ABC there was “no deceit” involved.
The company has offered every affected customer a full refund, with the option to buy another BYD instead. It’s not yet clear how many customers have taken up the offer.
One buyer said he only learned of the mix-up weeks after taking delivery, when BYD called to explain.
He’s happy with the car itself, but worried about how the 2025 build date might affect resale value down the track — a reasonable concern, since model year can matter more to buyers than to the car’s actual performance.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission noted that, under Australian Consumer Law, customers are entitled to products matching their description at sale. This is general guidance on consumer rights, not a ruling on this specific case.
