Vehicle Recalls VS Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was created by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 and is dedicated to achieving the highest standards in automobile and road safety. Its main goal is to prevent crashes and the human and financial costs associated with them. The NHTSA website offers a vast amount of information where consumers can find recalls specific to their automobile through the vehicle identification number (VIN) or search for recalls, investigations, complaints and TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) by make, model and year. While it is important to know of recalls and get them fixed, TSB can also be helpful to owners and those looking to buy a vehicle.

A major difference between recalls and TSBs is that a recall evolves from a safety issue that is repaired at no charge to the owner, regardless of the warranty status. With TSBs, dealers are under no obligation to notify owners or do the repairs for free or at a reduced charge. TSBs are only recommended repair procedures for vehicles experiencing similar repeated problems. TSBs can affect specific vehicles or cover an entire product line. Because certain problems could have more than one cause or repair, it is not uncommon for there to be more than one TSB for the same problem.

The information in TSBs is useful in vehicle repair because the car maker has already done the research, found the cause, and how to fix it. They are circulated among dealership service departments and mechanics, giving an engineering level description and solution to problems common to type, year, make and model. TSBs can save technicians troubleshooting time and costs by providing organized, itemized and standardized repair procedures.

If you are having trouble with your vehicle...do some research. Use the NHTSA website to investigate common issues affecting your vehicle by year, make, and model. Do you think your vehicle is a “Lemon”? Contact an experienced lemon law attorney from your state. They can help you determine if your vehicle is a lemon and get it bought back!