Tire Pressure Sensor

A yellow or amber symbol shaped like a horseshoe or a cross-section of a tire, with an exclamation mark in the center, on the instrument cluster. Some vehicles also display per-tire pressure readouts in the driver information screen, which tells you exactly which tire is low.

Check all four tires with a gauge as soon as you can do so safely. Add air to any tire below the pressure listed on your door jamb sticker. Then drive a short distance to let the system re-read. If the light stays on after correcting pressure, or if any tire shows visible damage, get to an authorized dealer immediately or call roadside assistance.

Only far enough to reach a safe place to check the tires or a station to add air. The light means at least one tire is significantly below specification, which affects handling and braking and risks heat-related failure at speed. Drive at reduced speed, avoid highway travel, and address it as soon as possible.

Air contracts as temperature drops, so a tire correctly inflated in warm weather reads lower on a cold morning. This is the most common reason the light appears seasonally. Add air to bring the tires back to your door placard specification. It is a real drop in pressure, not a false alarm, and it needs correcting.

Not necessarily. It can be natural pressure loss over time, a cold weather drop, a leaking valve stem, or a slow puncture. If the tire keeps losing pressure after you refill it, that indicates an actual leak needing professional inspection. If it holds pressure after refilling, it was likely natural loss or temperature-related.

No. TPMS typically only triggers when pressure has dropped well below specification, often around 25 percent low. A tire can be meaningfully underinflated, hurting fuel economy, handling, and tread life, without ever triggering the light. Monthly manual checks with a gauge catch what the system does not.