u/MediaMinded256

Currently aboard the Norwegian Bliss and I collect a model of every cruise ship I sail on. Unfortunately, the onboard shop told me they’ve been sold out of Bliss models for about six sailings due to a production/supply issue.

There doesn’t appear to be an NCL online store where you can buy these afterward. When I asked the shop associate what I could do, I was basically told I’d have to sail on the Bliss again and hope they have one next time.

I’ve reached out to the Haven Concierge and offered to pay for the model and shipping now, while I’m still onboard, and simply have NCL ship it to me whenever they come back in stock.

Has anyone encountered this before and successfully gotten an out-of-stock ship model later? Or does anyone know of another legitimate way to purchase one directly from NCL?

I’d really like to find a solution before we disembark Saturday.

I was at the Tesla store in Kennesaw, GA, and the sales manager told me Tesla was opening a new sales and delivery location in Wetumpka, Alabama. I later found out it actually opened last week, and it's now listed on Tesla's website:

https://www.tesla.com/findus/location/store/435454

The manager also told me Tesla had spent years trying to work with Alabama lawmakers to allow direct-to-consumer sales, but those efforts never resulted in a change to the law. I haven't seen that detailed publicly, but it certainly fits with Alabama's long-standing dealer franchise restrictions.

For those outside Alabama, our state still doesn't allow manufacturers like Tesla to sell vehicles directly to consumers. For years, Alabama buyers have had to travel to Georgia, Tennessee, or another state just to take delivery.

What's interesting is that this new location is at Wind Creek Wetumpka, on tribal land. It appears Tesla found a legal path to finally establish a sales and delivery location in Alabama without waiting for the law to change.

As an Alabama resident, I have to admit it's kind of ironic. Instead of modernizing an outdated direct-sales law, Tesla now has a location practically in the backyard of the state capitol.

Personally, I've never understood the policy. Tesla doesn't have independently owned franchise dealerships to protect—the company sells directly to consumers wherever it's allowed. Preventing that in Alabama doesn't create more competition or give consumers more choices; it simply forces buyers to spend their money in neighboring states or find workarounds like this.

Whether you're a Tesla fan or not, it's hard not to appreciate the creativity. If the laws won't change, Tesla found another way.

Today we officially returned our 2025 Volvo EX90 to the dealership and closed the chapter on what has easily been the worst vehicle ownership experience our family has ever had.

I’ve posted several updates over the past few months, so I wanted to provide one final recap for those who followed along or are researching the EX90 experience.

We took delivery of the EX90 excited about Volvo’s flagship EV. Unfortunately, the experience quickly turned into a revolving door of software bugs, charging issues, safety concerns, dealership frustration, and corporate escalation.

The issues we experienced included:

- Persistent Bluetooth and infotainment instability
- CarPlay and hands-free calling failures
- Digital key / phone unlock issues
- Random radio playback while the vehicle was locked and parked
- Significant battery drain while parked and unused
- Seat memory/profile synchronization problems
- Random headlight and vehicle fault warnings
- Charging inconsistencies and overnight charging failures
- General software instability throughout ownership

The vehicle spent over two months in service while Volvo replaced major components including the VCU and onboard charging hardware, performed software updates, and addressed multiple concerns. Even after all of that, problems still remained after the vehicle was returned to us.

But the biggest issue in this entire ordeal, in my opinion, involved the liftgate safety recall.

After delivery, I discovered that Volvo had already reported a liftgate recall issue to NHTSA prior to us taking possession of the vehicle. Despite this, the vehicle was delivered to us without disclosure of the recall and without the repair being completed. I repeatedly raised concerns with Volvo corporate regarding what I believed was a serious issue involving the delivery of a recalled vehicle, but those concerns were largely dismissed or ignored.

Eventually, I escalated the matter to my Congressman’s office, who contacted NHTSA on our behalf.

The response that came back was shocking.

According to information relayed through the investigation, the dealership reportedly told NHTSA that the EX90 had been sold to us as a demo/used vehicle and therefore the recall disclosure and repair requirements did not apply prior to delivery.

The problem with that explanation is our paperwork and lease contract clearly identify the vehicle as NEW.

Once I provided Volvo corporate with documentation showing this discrepancy, the tone and urgency from Volvo changed dramatically. After months of slow communication and delays, Volvo suddenly wanted the vehicle returned almost immediately and quickly moved to terminate the lease.

I can’t say exactly what happened behind the scenes, but it was very obvious something changed internally once the NHTSA response and documentation contradiction surfaced.

At this point, I have requested additional investigation into the dealership for what I believe were false statements made to a federal agency.

To Volvo’s credit, Volvo Cars USA ultimately agreed to terminate the lease, waive disposition-related charges, and bring the situation to a close. But the process required constant follow-up, documentation, escalation, and persistence every step of the way.

What disappointed me most wasn’t simply that the EX90 had bugs. Every manufacturer struggles with first-generation technology. What disappointed me was the overall handling of the situation surrounding an $80k+ flagship luxury EV. Communication was inconsistent, reimbursements were slow and frustrating, concerns were minimized, and confidence in both the vehicle and the support process steadily eroded.

The frustrating part is that when the EX90 worked, it showed real promise. It was quiet, comfortable, spacious, and had moments where you could see what Volvo was trying to achieve.

But in my opinion, this vehicle was released before the software, support structure, and ownership experience were truly ready for customers.

As for what’s next, we’ve already placed an order for a new Tesla Model Y.

No, it’s not the same size class as the EX90, but we already have another Tesla in the household and have other family members who own them as well. One of those vehicles was involved in a very serious automobile accident, and the occupants walked away without major injury. That experience alone built a tremendous amount of confidence in the platform from a safety standpoint.

Beyond that, Tesla simply appears to better understand what a software-defined vehicle needs to be. Like Elon Musk or not, his team has engineered a strong EV platform paired with a mature and cohesive software stack — and after this EX90 experience, I’ve come to believe the software side of these vehicles is every bit as important as the mechanical engineering.

The Volvo EX90 had moments where it showed incredible promise, but the ownership experience ultimately demonstrated what happens when the software ecosystem, support infrastructure, and product maturity are not fully ready for customers.

At this point, I’m looking forward to getting back into something that feels stable, refined, and dependable on the software side of the equation.

Thanks to everyone here who shared advice, similar experiences, and support throughout the process.

When I got my vehicle back from the VCU replacement, I was running 2.1.24. Soon after I received a notice that 2.1.26 was ready to be downloaded. So, I took the download and installed it.

Since then, I’ve noticed that vampire drain has returned. Also Bluetooth connectivity issues and radio playing at all hours while the vehicle is locked.

Anyone else experienced this?

Anyone else seen the headlight fault error message after the VCU replacement? I've been getting it intermittently since getting my vehicle back from service/VCU replacement about 2 weeks ago.

Today, a family member noticed that one of the headlights was non-functional when I pulled up when this error was present. After parking for a bit and starting a new drive, the error was gone and the headlights were functioning correctly.

I am sick and tired of the unreliable software in this vehicle.

I wanted to share an update on my experience with my 2025 Volvo EX90 after finally getting it back from the dealership.
For context, the vehicle was in service for about 2.5 months. During that time, multiple components were replaced (including the onboard charger and VCU), a recall was addressed, and several issues were supposedly resolved.
Now that I’ve had it back, I’m still seeing some pretty frustrating (and honestly concerning) problems:
Seat memory tied to profiles isn’t working correctly
When switching profiles, the seat doesn’t return to the saved position.
Phone key / walk-up unlock is unreliable
Intermittently, the car won’t unlock when approaching with my phone. This isn’t device-specific.
Audio randomly playing after the vehicle is locked
The radio will randomly start playing after the car is locked — including overnight in my garage. This is causing unnecessary battery drain.
Random headlight fault warnings
I’ve had headlight fault errors pop up while driving that disappear on the next drive. No clear pattern.
After being without the vehicle for over two months, I expected these issues to be fully resolved. Instead, I’m still dealing with what feel like core software/electrical problems on an $80k+ flagship EV.
Honestly, even going back to the initial issues, I’ve had the sense this vehicle was brought to market before it was truly ready—and nothing I’ve experienced since getting it back has changed that impression.
Has anyone else with an EX90 seen similar issues post-service? Curious if this is isolated or more widespread.