Let
πi:Ei→M,
i=1,2, be oriented, smooth vector bundles of rank
k over a closed, oriented
n-manifold with zero sections
si:M→Ei. Suppose that
U is an open neighborhood of
s1(M) in
E1 and
F:U→E2 a smooth embedding so that
π2
F
s1:M→M is homotopic to a diffeomorphism
f. We show that if
k>[(n+1)/2]+1 then
E1 and the induced bundle
f*E2 are isomorphic as oriented bundles provided that
f have degree
+1; the same conclusion holds if
f has degree
−1 except in the case where
k is even and one of the bundles does not have a nowhere-zero cross-section. For
n≡0(4) and
[(n+1)/2]+1<k≤n we give examples of nonisomorphic oriented bundles
E1 and
E2 of rank
k over a homotopy
n-sphere with total spaces diffeomorphic with orientation preserved, but such that
E1 and
f*E2 are not isomorphic oriented bundles. We obtain similar results and counterexamples in the more difficult limiting case where
k=[(n+1)/2]+1 and
M is a homotopy
n-sphere.