Fix Bulletin For Free

To find a TSB, go to NTHSA's Safety Issues & Recalls page. Type in either your vehicle's unique 17-character vehicle identification number or its year, make, and model. The site will display recalls, investigations, and complaints.

A new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration database allows you to search your vehicle's make, model, and year to find technical service bulletins, or TSBs, that are created by the manufacturer and shared with dealers about how to repair recurring problems.

To find a TSB, go to NTHSA's Safety Issues & Recalls page. Type in either your vehicle's unique 17-character vehicle identification number or its year, make, and model. The site will display recalls, investigations, and complaints.

The auto manufacturers had no legal obligation to repair the cars. Technical Service Bulletins are issued by manufacturers when there is a problem found in a number of cars which does not have an obvious fix. The TSB is a guide for mechanics to fix the problem but it is not a free fix by itself.

Paying for TSB Repairs That's different from recalls, which are performed for free. Sometimes, however, TSB repairs are done free of charge. This is always the case when a car is under warranty, and sometimes even if the car is out of warranty.

It never expires, so regardless of when you find out that your VIN is affected, you can still take it in for a free repair.

What's The Difference Between a TSB and a Recall? Sometimes a TSB is confused with a recall. The main difference is that a recall is issued by a vehicle manufacturer for issues that are safety-related, while a TSB covers components that may be malfunctioning but don't compromise the safety of the vehicle.