Incorrect spec on delivery

[Rifleman]

My dealer called me today to say my new car had arrived at their local compound unexpectedly . He was as surprised as I was because it’s 3 months earlier than expected!
Given some of the reports I’ve seen recently about missing parts I asked him to check that all of the options I had specified are on the car.

Sadly, it has been built as a FWD even though the order placed was for the AWD (I have a copy of the original order and can confirm that the order that went in to Volvo was for an AWD). He could not confirm that it had the 360deg camera either. The salesman went off to investigate. He got back to me a few hours later to confirm it’s definitely a FWD, no answer on the 360.
I was offered a discount to accept the car as built but I firmly rejected that. The dealer is working with Volvo to see if they can expedite a build and delivery of a car of the correct spec but that is a long shot. Otherwise it would be a re-order to MY22 spec and an estimated 8 month wait. Emphatically declined the re-order option (the new specification is totally unacceptable, it has the Google software system for a start! ).

So unless Volvo pull something out of the bag the order is cancelled and I’ll hang on to the FE. It only has 13k miles on the clock and looks as good as new anyway so why not?

I wonder if it has the under bonnet insulation fitted

[JFDIT]

Sounds like they have delivered the right car to the wrong person.

[Bocca70]

I wonder if this is an issue with other manufacturers as well. Stresses me out to think I have waited nearly 9 months and may not even get what I ordered. And the MY23 equivalent to mine is £40000! You are in a good position to insist on your order or cancel.

[Cevoli21]

This seems to be a familiar theme recently. My Twin motor Pro was delivered with the wrong seats. Like you I have refused to accept it. Volvo are "still working on a solution" seven days on with at the last conversation nothing likely before the end of the week. Today my wife's car needed the passenger seat removing to fit a new seat base and occupancy sensor. It took 30 minutes to remove and refit it. So to change all the seats would take half a day at most. Much easier than changing FWD to AWD. I suspect yours is actually somebody else's car. Here's hoping they find you a solution.

[jamie307]

Seems bizarre that the factory can make mistakes when it's all automated, I'm not sure I buy it. Either they simply run out of the correct parts at the factory, build what they can and let the dealer deal with it, and/or the dealers are trying to fob people off with an existing stock car that has the closest matching spec to an order which is then deleted from the build queue.

[Deleted User 3629]

If it were me I would hang onto the FE, at 13K miles its only just run-in, and cancel the car - seem like they are building what they can and hoping the customer has little choice but to accept, and if they don't, well its an easy sell to someone else - bet it is a nightmare at the factory trying to keep the plant flowing with all the issues.

[Leodis]

As Oldie mentioned, Volvo have the customer over a barrel. You wait 9-12 months, build what they can and ship, if you reject they will sell it within a day or two and the customer is back to square one.

Not that its related to this thread, but the new "xc20" (not named yet) is to be built in China, all components- are been put out to tender in China only. Kinda says something really about the direction Volvo are taking.

[Bocca70]

I just hope the issue of incorrect spec is only happening to a very small minority of people, though that doesn’t help them at all and it’s not right. One thing about forums is that these issues stand out. It gives the buyer the ammunition needed to sort problems out. I just hope these issues remain a rarity. It’s a lot of money and waiting time only to be disappointed.

[JFDIT]

Interestingly there is currently only one AWD Hybrid version offered in the UK on MY23. I wonder if there are drive train issues since the swap to the Geely 7 speed DCT box?

[Rifleman]

Interestingly there is currently only one AWD Hybrid version offered in the UK on MY23. I wonder if there are drive train issues since the swap to the Geely 7 speed DCT box?

Yes, it’s so frustrating! I’m very happy with my FE, quite willing to pay a few grand more to replace it with a new vehicle to the same spec but impossible to do so because of the changes Volvo have made to the options available. All the options are there but you can’t specify the correct combination