by 
The Curious Bag
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No vehicle ever produced by any manufacturer was perfect. Technical Service Bulletins are issued by a manufacturer to address the shortcomings and failures common among vehicles in a particular model line, and can be very helpful when diagnosing and repairing these issues.
TSB vs. Recall
In general, recalls are only issued when a vehicle has been known to fail in some safety or emissions capacity. TSBs are meant to address all other issues.
Issuance
Manufacturers issue TSBs primarily to assist dealership mechanics in diagnosing and repairing vehicles that are still covered by warranty.
Repair
The other way in which TSBs differ from recalls is that the owner must pay to repair the vehicle if its warranty has expired.
Finding TSBs
Whether you purchased the vehicle there or not, the most reliable source for TSBs is the service desk at a manufacturer dealership.
TSB Examples
GM recently issued a TSB regarding intake manifold gasket failure on its 3.4L V6s, and BMW issued TSB #2888 to cover rear brake overheating issues encountered by some 650F models.
Source:
FAQ.F650.com: Service Bulletins
Resource:
Video: TSB Search
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