Fixing the Ford F-150 tire pressure sensor fault

The “Tire Pressure Fault” or “Tire Pressure Monitor System Fault” message on a Ford F-150 means the truck has lost communication with one or more wheel-mounted sensors. Common causes in order of likelihood:

1. One or more tires actually low (check this first; the message sometimes says fault when it means low)
2. A TPMS sensor battery has died (5 to 10 year life; common on 2010 to 2015 F-150s in 2026)
3. Sensor IDs not relearned after a tire rotation or sensor swap
4. Spare tire sensor not paired (some trim levels)
5. Weak truck 12V battery (low voltage interferes with TPMS module)
6. Module / receiver fault (rare)

The fix order: check pressures first, run the TPMS relearn procedure second, replace the dead sensor third.

Step 1: Check all four (or five) tires

Take a tire pressure gauge ($10 to $25; digital is more accurate, but a quality dial works). Door jamb sticker on the driver side shows the correct cold pressure for your tire size. Typical F-150 is 35 psi front and rear, but it varies by tire size and load.

• Check cold (the truck hasn’t been driven in 3+ hours)
• Include the spare on SuperCrew and Lariat+ trims; the spare often has a sensor too
• A tire 7+ psi low triggers the low pressure warning, not necessarily a fault
• A tire that drops to 0 or shows nonsense numbers is the failed sensor (or a dead battery in the sensor)

Top off any low tires before doing anything else. Sometimes “fault” is just the system not finding one because the tire is too flat to register.

Step 2: Run the TPMS relearn

Ford F-150 TPMS relearn procedure (works on most 2003+ trucks; refer to owner’s manual for the exact sequence on your year):

1. Park the truck. Engine off, key out.
2. Turn the key to RUN (not start), or push START twice without pressing brake on push-button start trucks.
3. Press and release the brake pedal once.
4. Cycle the headlight switch from off to parking lights three times within 5 seconds, ending in OFF.
5. Press and release the brake pedal one more time.
6. The horn should beep once and the message center will say “TIRE TRAINING MODE.”
7. Stand at the driver-side front tire. Use a TPMS relearn tool (about $60) or let air out then add it back (some trucks accept pressure change as a learn trigger).
8. Wait for the horn to beep.
9. Move to passenger front, beep, passenger rear, beep, driver rear, beep.
10. If a spare sensor is included, do that last.
11. Engine off, light goes out after a short drive.

If the truck doesn’t enter learn mode (no message, no horn), the procedure differs for your year. Look up your model year-specific procedure or use FORScan on a laptop with an MS-CAN adapter ($25) to enter training mode from the laptop.

A handheld TPMS tool ($60 to $150 for a Foxwell or Autel Maxi-TPMS) makes this much faster: hold the tool to each tire, it sends a wake-up signal to the sensor, sensor wakes and broadcasts ID, you save the IDs to the truck via OBD2.

Step 3: Check for dead sensors

F-150 TPMS sensors run on a non-replaceable internal battery rated for 5 to 10 years. On a 2015 F-150 in 2026, that’s right at end of life. A sensor with a dead battery cannot communicate, so you get a permanent fault on that wheel.

To confirm:

1. Use a TPMS tool to wake each sensor.
2. The tool reports each sensor’s battery status (OK, low, or no response).
3. The dead sensor is the one that won’t wake.

Replacement cost:

• OEM Ford sensor: $50 to $90 each
• Quality aftermarket (Autel MX, Schrader, ATEQ): $30 to $60 each
• Tire shop labor to dismount, install sensor, remount, balance: $20 to $40 per wheel

Total typical: $40 to $90 per wheel installed. Most tire shops will sell you sensors and install at the same time. If only one is dead, just replace the dead one.

When buying tires, replacing all four sensors at the same time is good practice if the sensors are 6+ years old.

Step 4: Check the truck battery

Low 12V battery voltage in the truck can cause the TPMS module to flag a fault when the actual sensors are fine. If your battery is over 4 years old and the truck has been showing other small electrical quirks, get it load-tested.

A battery that reads 12.6V at rest but 9V under crank load is bad. Most parts stores test for free.

What “Service TPMS” vs “Low Pressure” vs “Tire Pressure Fault” mean

After tire rotation

A four-tire rotation moves sensors around the truck. The TPMS module remembers which sensor is at which position. After rotation, the module reads the same sensors but at different positions. Two outcomes:

1. The module figures it out automatically after a few minutes of driving. (Most current F-150s.)
2. The module shows a fault and needs a manual relearn.

If you get a fault after a rotation, run the relearn procedure. The tire shop should do this for you; many don’t, especially the discount shops.

After installing winter tires on separate wheels

The winter wheels need their own sensors. Either:

• Move the summer sensors to the winter wheels each season (tire shop work, expensive over years)
• Have a second set of sensors permanently installed in the winter wheels and relearn each season
• Install Schrader EZ-Sensor or Autel programmable sensors that can be cloned to match the summer sensors’ IDs (no relearn needed, but requires a TPMS tool to program)

Most owners with two sets of wheels go with permanent sensors in each set plus a yearly relearn.

What this is not

Not a recall issue on the F-150 (TPMS isn’t covered by a current Ford recall for the F-150).

Separate note for 2021+ F-150 (and Super Duty 2022+, Ranger 2024+, Expedition 2022+, Maverick 2022+, Transit 2026, Lincoln Navigator) owners who also see trailer-related faults: check whether Ford recall 26C10 / NHTSA 26V104000 applies. The recall covers an Integrated Trailer Module software fault, OTA fix March 2026. Not TPMS-related, but worth ruling out if your truck is throwing a stack of unrelated warnings.

When to call the dealer

If you’ve checked tire pressures, run the relearn procedure, replaced any dead sensors, and the fault still won’t clear, the TPMS module itself (a small receiver, usually mounted near the rear axle or in the chassis) may have failed. Replacement is $200 to $400 in parts plus programming. Independent shops with FORScan or dealer tools can handle it; you don’t have to go to the dealer specifically.