Here's a strange event. When I got my newly acquired 97 V90, I noticed it was missing the rear passenger driver's side) assist handle. There were OEM plugs there in it's place, but wanting the car to be 'perfect' I ordered one. The interior color is a medium/light grey. The part that came was a dark grey. In fact all the floor trays, cargo tray and cargo cover are also dark grey. There is only one color code showing for grey, and it's dark. Volvo NA says that is not unusual for colors to be discontinued like that, even as soon as a year! Can you imagine spending 35K (or much more) on a car and not being able to get a replacement trim piece? I'd be furious!

Relevant to this is the replacement door panels I was going to order next spring to replace the puckered ones. Now I fear all I'd get are dark grey ones. This is absolutely astonishing!
--
John Shatzer, '92 965 @105K; one of a few still in captivity.

Shatz,
I had the exact same thought when I bought my 97 965 so I ordered the missing "sissy bar" and when it came in, it matched exactly! Also I had the door panels replaced under factory warranty - I had a very helpful service writer at the dealership I bought the car from. I have been told that those panels are over $400 each - ouch. I have also been warned that my replacement panels will do the same thing - but so far after 2+ years no sign of any wrinkling. The tech that told me that also said that tinting the windows to filter out the UV would greatly extend the life of these panels. Good luck.
Don

I might try to contact some ot the larger dealers in the US to see what they can determine. Somewhere there may be some light grey stock that hasn't been sold yet.

BTW, my dealer parts manager said the kits (both doors) to replace the panels were only $175 for the fronts and $225 for the rears. This is why I was anxious to replace them! He may have mad a mistake, but I'd sure like to try...

You can probably match the color with some SEM brand vinyl dye that is available in spray cans. Just clean the part well and consider using an adhesion promoter, also available from SEM. The stuff works exceptionally well.

Manufacturers are supposed to supply parts for 10 years, but since the replacements will function despite color differences, that probably covers them.

I have experience with VW discontinuing essential parts well before 10 years by claiming that the parts were "sub-assemblies" and that entire assemblies were still available and would fix the problem. When a $7 air flap in the heater of a Jetta broke (all plastic part), VW said that the flaps were no longer available, but that since an entire heater box (with new flaps) was still available (at $1100+), they met the letter of the law.

Bob