Technical Service Bulletin (TSB)

A technical service bulletin is actually an advisory issued by a manufacturer for use by dealership service departments.

These bulletins differ from recalls: they are not considered safety or emissions issues, and they usually apply only when your vehicle is in its warranty period, or have mileage and time restrictions - these may extend beyond the warranty period; whereas a recall is "open" until the work has been performed.

The best thing about finding a TSB that seems to cover a persistent problem in your vehicle is that dealerships will make the repair for free, provided that: (1) Your vehicle is under warranty; (2) Your service advisor and/or technicians are able to confirm that the problem exists.

The second mandate is not to be taken lightly. Even if your vehicle is within the warranty period, "the dealership is not going to do anything about it, if [technicians] cannot verify the concern.... The manufacturer pays for the repair, not the dealership, and the dealership has to treat the manufacturer like a customer.... The service writer can't write up an invoice with just the TSB number and expect the manufacturer to pay for the procedure. The manufacturer wants to know that the car is legitimately broken."

Rather than going into the dealer with the TSB number in hand, it is more effective to come to the dealer with a complete description of your vehicle's particular problem - what are the exact symptoms, and when and where did/do they occur.

If the technicians and your service writer seem to be having trouble resolving a problem with your vehicle and you've already given them the most complete deion possible, then you might say politely, "Someone suggested that this TSB might cover it." "Did anyone try this TSB?" A customer who makes an effort to sound intelligent (that is, provides a full description of the problem and demonstrates a history of regularly maintaining the vehicle) and to treat service writers (and technicians) with respect is more likely to find resolution for her vehicle's problems.

A further option is to arrange a meeting with the service manager and then, calmly discuss the matter (bring applicable service receipts).
Dealers don't make any money off of TSB repairs. They are reimbursed for only a percentage of the actual cost by the manufacturer. It's like an HMO. If a person walks in there and doesn't know about a service bulletin, they would just not tell the customer. They're not making any money, so they would just as soon nobody knows.

The Bat Auto site (www.batauto.com) offers several forums. If you fill in the site's online request form with the details of a TSB summary, they will gladly send you the full text of the TSB at no charge. One thing to keep in mind, particularly if you're the owner of a rare vehicle, is that you may be able to find enthusiast sites that attempt to provide all relevant TSBs.