More TSBs out there than I thought for my car
- Thread starter Atari2600
- Start date
It is confusing because Tesla calls them service bulletins and NHTSA calls it manufacturer communications.
They really need to go the extra mile and have companies include the entire list of affected VIN numbers so when you look your VIN up you also get a list of service bulletins that apply to you and not just recalls.
Open the drivers door and look for the sticker with the VIN printed on the bottom. The upper left had corner has the date this was printed which should be the month/year the car rolled off the line.
It's a huge step forward as it is. TSB's have been around forever and they never had to share them. They do tie to VIN's or at least most manufacturers do because VIN's are clearly tied to specific vins with little to no changes within a year. Obviously as we know with Tesla changes are at will within a year, so it might be harder to tie individual VINs to the TSBs but who knows. With Audi service they just pulled up my VIN and had a list of TSBs that applied to my "specific" car and if the TSB service was already done or not.
DDotJ
Member
I had this addressed by Tesla, even after the TSB was applied the thunk sound is definitely still there. It's a tad bit quieter and less jarring but it still makes the sound.
It actually took three visits to actually apply the TSB.I complained about the noise twice and they said it was normal/couldn't reproduce it. To be fair, I don't think there was even a TSB out for the first time. The third time a took a screenshot of the TSB PDF document from the NHTSA website and submitted it on the app with the service request, and gave the the TSB document information when dropping off the car. They changed the HV battery breathers after that.
HAWX 12
Member
Remember this peeps. A TSB isn't a "recall" or a statement that your car has a problem. It is a "Tech Service Bulletin", which is basically a list of common problems that they have been seeing and ways to fix them. It helps the repair technicians quickly solve a problem they may encounter. Some people think they can take car in and get the entire list of TSB 'fixes' to their cars. You don't need that.
These can sometimes develop into "recalls" if they feel it's a safety issue.
Just an FYI.
These can sometimes develop into "recalls" if they feel it's a safety issue.
Just an FYI.
DDotJ
Member
Tesla has done this for me too when I dropped off the car for service. They checked my VIN for any outstanding TSBs that applied to my vehicle and proactively changed my charge port insulator pins. But the TSBs for battery breathers weren't automatically applied. I suspect some of the bulletins are only applied upon request or if it becomes a problem which makes sense just as @HAWX 12 mentioned.
rothstmd
Member
My M3 delivered Aug 2019 was missing 4 underbody panel fasteners. Home service call w/ tech cleaned out the holes and installed fastener pins.
ElectricTravel
Member
I can speak to this; I was previously on the team creating these documents. For Tesla specifically, look at the "classification" at the top of the document. If it's a "repair" bulletin, the Service Center will only perform it if the customer has a complaint that matches the symptom(s) listed on the bulletin. If it's a "campaign" bulletin, they will perform it on every affected vehicle the next time the vehicle is repaired by Tesla for any reason, assuming the vehicle is still covered by the relevant warranty. For a "recall", they will proactively notify the customer through an official letter, and repair it regardless of warranty status.
Some manufacturers call them tech notes, some call them service bulletins, some call them technical service bulletins, and different manufacturers separate these types of documents based on different criteria. So NHTSA just uses the most generic term.
The manufacturers have only been required to provide this feature on their websites (for recalls) for a few years. For other bulletins, the dealer--or, in this case, Service Center--has this information. Early Tesla service bulletins (Roadster and early Model S days) actually listed every single VIN at the end of the document, which quickly became unsustainable. Even changing to VIN ranges was ugly, because they don't start at 1 and count up sequentially, so 20+ VIN ranges were shown in some cases.
After that, we changed to a date range in the "Affected VIN(s)" section at the bottom of the document specifically to help owners, 3rd party repairers, and technicians who didn't have immediate access to the VIN database--my idea was that someone could look at the approximate affected build dates shown there and immediately realize that the bulletin didn't apply to their vehicle that was built outside of that timeframe. It looks like this feature has been removed from newer documents for some reason.
I should also point out that it's likely that not every bulletin that affects your vehicle is on NHTSA's site, yet. The manufacturers send these documents to NHTSA regularly, but it takes them a while to process them and post them on their website. You can always see an up-to-date list on Tesla's official service information site, but of course you'll need to pay for access to that site. Alternatively, check back on NHTSA's site from time to time to see what has been added.
That has decidedly NOT been my experience. Tesla service here has been applying the TSBs even without complaint from me. I even came across a Tesla Mobile Service Tech charging at a Supercharger, who proactively informed a third Tesla owner of the charge port improvement, and performed the service on the spot at the SC!
Didn’t say it wouldn’t or doesn’t happen or that there is a conspiracy. There are always people willing to do right by customers.
But as I eluded to and another member spelled out. With a typical dealership they get paid by the manufacturer when they do the TSB. So there is some incentive.
SB-19-16-002 Replace High Voltage (HV) Battery
Condition
Certain Model 3 vehicles with the Long Range HV battery might have fasteners within the HV battery platter that are not torqued to Tesla’s internal specifications, which might affect HV battery reliability.
Correction
Replace the HV battery.
Affected certain Model 3 vehicles built between approximately June 24, 2018 and September 30, 2018.
Are you concerned about this service bulletin. What do you do if your Model 3 was manufactured between these dates?
Condition
Certain Model 3 vehicles with the Long Range HV battery might have fasteners within the HV battery platter that are not torqued to Tesla’s internal specifications, which might affect HV battery reliability.
Correction
Replace the HV battery.
Affected certain Model 3 vehicles built between approximately June 24, 2018 and September 30, 2018.
Are you concerned about this service bulletin. What do you do if your Model 3 was manufactured between these dates?
Mine was actually built 6/30/2018 so it’s in the range but I’m not even sure what “symptoms” I would be looking out for? Maybe I’ll reference the TSB at some point before my warranty ends...
Hi, @jeremymc7,
I can see you've been a Tesla guy for a long time, which in my book means you're earned your opinions.
FYI, wanted to offer a counter data-point: across my experiences with 4 Teslas (2 MS, 2M3) since '13, I've found Tesla service to be extraordinarily friendly and willing to undertake any and all repairs, TSBs, recalls and so on. Almost always they are the ones to initiate the repair (including TSB), and when I have been the one to initiate, they have always agreed and taken it on.
But, as I say, just one data-point from one guy.
Regards,
Alan
@Atari2600,
Just wanted to say thanks for doing this work and posting it. I'll be comparing my M3 VINs against this list sometime very soon.
Thanks!
Alan
Hi, @jeremymc7,
I can see you've been a Tesla guy for a long time, which in my book means you're earned your opinions.
FYI, wanted to offer a counter data-point: across my experiences with 4 Teslas (2 MS, 2M3) since '13, I've found Tesla service to be extraordinarily friendly and willing to undertake any and all repairs, TSBs, recalls and so on. Almost always they are the ones to initiate the repair (including TSB), and when I have been the one to initiate, they have always agreed and taken it on.
But, as I say, just one data-point from one guy.
Regards,
Alan
Hi hi.
Yes, been around Tesla for a long time. Like Roadster time. And purchasing two new Tesla’s just in the last six months alone.
As I responded to another poster with similar comes I never said they wouldn’t be “friendly and willing to undertake any and all repairs,“
What I did say though was that since there isn’t a business separation between Tesla Service and Tesla Sales like a typical dealer the customer looses the financial incentive of a traditional dealer to TSB (and warranty work) where a traditional dealer gets paid for this work by the manufacturer. I’m just talking about the financial incentive, not good old customer service, of which money is a big motivator. Of course not the only motivator. But I’m just speaking to that additional benefit.
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