+34
Those who unknowingly bought 2025-built BYDs have had their compensation increased by $2400, with the young brand determined to get on the front foot.
Those who unknowingly bought 2025-built BYDs have had their compensation increased by $2400, with the young brand determined to get on the front foot. BYD Australia has more than tripled its initial compensation offer after it was found that over 1200 vehicles had beenAffected buyers were initially given the option to take $1100 after it was found these vehicles – made up of the– had actually been made in 2025.
The company also gave the option for owners to hand the cars back for a full refund, or exchange them for a brand-new equivalent. CarExpert can exclusively reveal that approximately 3800 vehicles were incorrectly listed on BYD’s internal systems as 2026 builds, though only 1200 of those had been sold or allocated to customers.
Following independent consultation, BYD Australia decided to increase compensation to $3500 to those who kept their cars – with the decision being retroactive and applying to those who already accepted the original offer.
“As the situation evolved we conducted further analysis, comparing similar models in industry reputable valuation guides, where the data shows the implied reduction in value movement from one year to the next with vehicles of the same specification,” a spokesperson for BYD Australia told CarExpert. “Those customers that were accepting of the $1100 payment are in the process of being recontacted and informed that the payment will now be $3500. This remedy will be convenient for most customers.
“Customers that do not wish to accept the payment have the option of either a full refund of the purchase price and associated costs, or a like-for-like vehicle replacement with a 2026-built vehicle. ” The automaker says it will also cover any costs incurred by the customer if they decide to hand their vehicle back or swap it for a 2026-built model.
With an estimated 2850 vehicles now being reclassified as being built in 2025, BYD was asked whether there was a concern the influx could accelerate depreciation.
“Any returned vehicles will be carefully managed through our dealers, many activated as company cars and service loan vehicles and the like,” the spokesperson said. It’s understood the company is now manually sifting through data to ensure any affected customers aren’t ignored.
"I would like to think that our level of transparency and our swiftness to respond and offer customers a full refund on a vehicle that has no defect is an honourable one, and is the right thing to do," the spokesperson told CarExpert earlier. "We're owning it – this was not an act of deceit – this was not deceitful behaviour, this was an administrative error we were quick to jump on.
"At the end of the day, we're a relatively new brand in Australia and the only way we're going to build on our success is by being a trusted brand, and to do that we'll be making the right decisions for our customers. " Though BYD would no doubt prefer that this never happened, it's not all bad news for the Chinese brand: with more than 350 owners choosing the option to receive a refund or a replacement vehicle, BYD will get to count new deliveries towards its monthly VFACTS sales reporting, with newly imported vehicles also adding to its credits under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard .
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
F1 Belgium Grand Prix LIVE: Mercedes teen on pole; Can Piastri recover from P6?Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli starts on pole at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Can a sixth-placed Oscar Piastri recreate his 2025 win here? Follow along for the action.
Read more »
Brisbane MP says tax figures show 'AirTrain's foreign owners are ripping us all off'Financial reports from a company that owns the Brisbane AirTrain service show it paid zero income tax between 2015 and 2025 financial years.
Read more »
Record Winter Decline Resumes Arctic Ice Melt After Temporary Slowdown, Study FindsA new study reveals that a two-decade slowdown in Arctic sea ice melt, driven by natural ocean variations, was temporary. The largest recorded wintertime ice loss occurred between 2024 and 2025, signaling a likely return to accelerated melting at double the long-term rate within the next decade.
Read more »
Major milestone for citizen science as part of nationwide Bug HuntMore than 1 million observations of insects, spiders, snails and other invertebrates have been recorded by citizen scientists as part of Bug Hunt Australia since October 2025.
Read more »