What makes a service bulletin different than a recall?

[LD1]

But at least they could better publicise the issue, since not fixing the problem destroys the engine. I caught mine just barely in time.

That is my whole gripe with TSB's and recalls.

I wish there was a database the average joe could access. I know they send out memos for recalls, but if you own a used vehicle and didnt buy it new, and the recall happend before you owned it, it would be nice to know about. Check and see if the previous owner did anything about it. As it is now, we are clueless

 

[ultrarunner]

Land Rover had a lots of problems with steering column tilt failures and issued several service bulletins and redesigned the part twice.

Driving down the road and the column would drop into your lap... Never been a recall... so if you are out of warranty it's 6k for the part and another $600 to $800 for labor...

 

[3930dave]

Land Rover had a lots of problems with steering column tilt failures and issued several service bulletins and redesigned the part twice.

Driving down the road and the column would drop into your lap... Never been a recall... so if you are out of warranty it's 6k for the part and another $600 to $800 for labor...

I do scratch my head at times, re. what gets classed as a safety recall, and what doesn't.

Even if the steering linkage stayed attached, that would be enough of an event to panic plenty of people into crashing.

Rgds, D.

 

[jerrybob]

I do scratch my head at times, re. what gets classed as a safety recall, and what doesn't.

Even if the steering linkage stayed attached, that would be enough of an event to panic plenty of people into crashing.

Rgds, D.

Unfortunately.......the auto companies will do everything they can to avoid repair costs. A safety recall occurs after big law suits......lots of people need to die or be severely hurt before they call a safety recall.

 

[prichard]

I was having a horrible time finding issue on my old (out of warranty) Ranger losing power. Talked to dealership and private mechanics, they all scratched their head. One day I was talking about it at work and one of techs was a former Ford mechanic. He says that sounds familiar. He called a buddy at the dealership and sure enough TSB says bad intake manifold gasket. $50 and 4 hours later running like new.

 

[ultrarunner]

New equipment is very complex with all systems interconnected... can make it very difficult to troubleshoot and expensive!

 

[PILOON]

Had Jimmy that I really liked until it started stalling whenever it felt like it. Usually at street corners, stops and then on exit and access ramps.
Dealers wanted scary costs, like basically a blank check to even look at it.*
I self diagnosed and changed the ignition switch which partially cured the problem and promptly traded it off.
Later come the infamous GM safety recall.
What I did not know was that the air bags would never have inflated had I suffered a collision.

*Now in my opinion had a dealer simply said that they were aware of frequent (or even occasional) similar events and that the 'fix' was in the XX$ range I probably would still have that car today. But sign a blank check?

 

[Capricious]

New equipment is very complex with all systems interconnected... can make it very difficult to troubleshoot and expensive!

The Nissan I bought did not come with the trailer lights wiring- I had to buy a kit which includes (3) relays installed @ the dash, and the actual connector @ the rear bumper.
There are existing wires running in between those two places for the trailer lights and for electric trailer brakes.

Problem is, according to the seller of the kit, some Nissans are wired with the wires supplying power to the trailer breakaway battery and the trailer brakes switched- if they are switched, the electric trailer brakes lock-up as soon as you plug-in the 7-way connector.

Apparently there is no way to tell (short of testing with a meter, or plugging in the trailer) which way any particular vehicle is wired. Just "some are this way, and some are that way..."

 

[ultrarunner]

At one time I installed a lot of Kelsey Brake Controllers where the hydraulic brake line was tapped with a Tee and I line run into the car under the dash... every time the brake pedal was depressed the little arm on the controller moved.

With the advent of ABS in trucks everything changed...

 

[crashz]

I ran into a similar event last week with my 2012 Chevy truck. Two weekends ago, I drove it to NY and hear a rattling. When I opened the hood, I found the transmission dipstick tube broken and hanging. Was it safety related? Well, it could have puke transmission fluid all over the hot catalytic converter.

There are two separate TSBs on this. But the dealer would not fix it, even under "powertrain warranty". The tube was not much money, but the trans flush was.

New tube has a foam cushion pad zip-tied on.

Very ticked about it.