Lotus bulletin 131-25015
What it saysNew VBF headers and Bootloader SW available for the TCU (Transmission Control Unit). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lotus filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 27, 2025, received Aug 5, 2025, about the power train. It names 2 model years (2024–2025). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationNew VBF headers and Bootloader SW available for the TCU (Transmission Control Unit). The new VBF headers and Bootloader software will allow for future SW updates of the TCU using EmiraDS. ACTION - Check and identify any affected Emira vehicles from your inventory stock, dealer demonstrators and customer vehicles to ensure that this campaign action is performed at the first opportunity. - Any affected vehicle’s campaign status will be displayed on the Lotus Commercial Management System (LCMS). NOTE: Please inform the vehicle owner that this TCU bootloader SW update will not affect current vehicle functionality. Procedure Using the Lotus Insight tool*, the Emira Diagnostic System will show the availability of a new software version for the TCU. *Note: This MUST be done using the Lotus Insight Tool.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 131-25015 | Service bulletin | Jul 27, 2025 | 11021415 | PDF, 143 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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A weekly email, sent only in a week when Lotus files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA since 2015.
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group5 other manufacturer communications filed against the Lotus Emira under the same component group (power train), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 131-26021 | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | Installation of the latest combined CPC (Controller Central Powertrain) and TCU (Transmission Control Unit) software for Emira 4-cylinder ve… |
| 131-25019 | Service bulletin | Nov 3, 2025 | Updating the TCM (Transmission Control Module) to the latest level software. REASON - A new TCM SW update is available on EmiraDS to resolve… |
| 131-25003 | Service bulletin | Mar 12, 2025 | Generation of P0507 DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) when selecting ‘Sport’ or ‘Track’ mode. For Emira 4-cylinder 2024/2025 model year vehicles… |
| TSB-131-24030 | Service bulletin | Oct 28, 2024 | Inspection of transmission driveshaft fitment/security if specific faults are reported. Lotus has received reports from the dealer network o… |
| TSB-131-24024 | Service bulletin | Aug 29, 2024 | Important information for a temporary recovery procedure for the Central Powertrain Controller (CPC Module). Updated software was recently r… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Lotus, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Lotus 131-25015 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 131-25015 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does 131-25015 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2025 Lotus Emira, 2024 Lotus Emira. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.