
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL.POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CLUTCHES/BANDS:ACTUATORS/SOLENOIDS.POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE.POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM).POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM).POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:DOGS/SYNCHROS.FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY.FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP.ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL.ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN.ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER.ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL.SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT.SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE.SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC:SOFTWARE/PROGRAMMING.law to make their TSBs available to the public. He also has a podcast where he talks about these things.Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 F-150 are official communications between Ford & their dealerships that describe processes for troubleshooting or fixing certain common problems.Īll vehicle manufacturers are required by U.S. His most recent books include Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow, and Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird: Design, Development, Production and Competition. He specializes in Lemon Law and frequently writes about cars and the law. Steve Lehto is a writer and attorney from Michigan. And unlike that talking fox, NHTSA won't charge you to look up the data on a car you are thinking of buying. If you see that a hundred people have complained about the harsh shifting transmission in the car you are looking at, you will know to pay particularly close attention to how the car shifts during the test drive. And then look for those problems on the test drive. Look at the TSBs to see what kinds of problems other cars like it have had. Your car is acting up? Look up the TSBs for your car – maybe the manufacturer found a fix for it since the last time you were in the shop.Ĭar shopping? Punch the VIN of the car you are looking at into the website. See You can even run the Vehicle Identification Number of your car and find out if there are any outstanding recalls for it. The good thing about Recalls and TSBs is that they are tracked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
#FORD TSB HOW TO#
No, the TSB just means they probably know how to fix the problem-but you will get charged for the repair.
#FORD TSB FREE#
Or, they have a car that is outside of warranty and they hope the existence of a TSB means they get a free fix. But I have heard from many consumers who have had problems with their cars which stymied the mechanics – only to have a TSB issued after the warranty expired. Obviously, if the car is still under warranty and the TSB applies to a warranted problem, then the fix can be done under warranty. The TSB is a guide for mechanics to fix the problem but it is not a free fix by itself. 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 auto manufacturers had no legal obligation to repair the cars. Do you remember the paint delamination problem in the 1990s? Several auto manufacturers had issues with the paint on their cars peeling off in sheets, usually around the time the warranties on the cars had expired. The confusion arises when there is a widespread problem with a car that is not deemed a safety risk and the cars are out of warranty. (I know fire is serious but who doesn't know how to turn off their cruise?)
#FORD TSB FOR FREE#
Ford came up with some sort of fix and made it available for free to anyone who had one of the Explorers at the time of the recall.
#FORD TSB DRIVER#
I got one for a Ford Explorer that indicated some Ford Explorer cruise control systems were subject to fire if the driver didn't disengage it properly. There have been all kinds of recalls over the years, many less serious than these. As such, the manufacturer will have to make the repair at no charge to the car owner regardless of whether or not the car is still under a manufacturer's warranty. Both the problems mentioned above affect safety and are the subject of recalls.

Recalls are mandated by the government when a problem is found with an automobile which is safety related. If nothing else, you can use this information next time you buy a used car. But when does the manufacturer have to fix something at no charge for the consumer? Follow along. Ignition switches that shut off randomly? Airbags that blast projectiles into the driver? We've seen it all by now. Other times, the problems are safety-related and not so easy to fix. Automobile manufacturers often put cars on the road with defects which become apparent long after the cars are sold.
