ASAGOT,
Relax - ?this happens quite often. GM doesn't stockpile thousands of part numbers, they have them built on demand - just like the Assembly Division tries to keep minimal stock on hand. Each part has a "history" - how often it was ordered, the type of order ( Overnight, special, stock, etc. ) that was required, and other factors. Since the '02 cladding isn't used in production anymore, they might have cut the onhand balances to a point where they have occasionally "run out" of a given part ( ever heard the term "It's on Backorder" ? - I think GM invented the phrase ), and have to wait until the supplier makes another batch, packages, and ships them out. Since the Av is only 2 model years old, they will keep the light cladding for a while, at least. However, in the future, you might expect to see the '03 numbers replacing the '02 ones and the phrase "Paint to Match" will become the most bitter statement any '02 owner can expect to hear......... ( I have no special insider knowledge about this - I just spent 20 years of my life as a "Parts Guy" for a Chevy dealer, and I'm working from memory about this.....)
Hope this helps,
Jake
I just re-read your post and realized that you have an '03 - same difference. "Supply on Demand" warehousing has been used for quite some time with all the major manufacturers, and in this case, since production has slowed some, they merely got caught with more demand than stock.......Of course, this doesn't make your situation any easier, but it might help to understand why this happens in the first place. They might even instruct your dealer to use '02 pieces and have them painted darker! ( I hope that's not the case......
)
J