TPMS Sensor in Spare Tire

I can't find anything conclusive. Is there, or is there not, a TPMS sensor in the spare?

 

There is not.

 

Those ended during the 2009 production year. So some '09's do, some don't.

But none from '10 on.

Whatever sources you saw that claim any 3rd gen has one you might want to be wary of for other things.

 

IMO, the only TPMS sensor that should be installed... the spare.

 

For off-roading, the spare should be completely deflated to maximize cut resistance. Pump it up when you need to install it.

 

I replaced my factory spare with a wheel and tire that are identical to the 4 road wheels, so that I can do a 5-wheel tire rotation. This 5th wheel has a sensor, but the truck's computer can only handle 4 sensors at a time. So the system has to be reprogrammed whenever a 5-wheel rotation is done. Tire shops are equipped to do this.

The bad part about the TPMS is the limited battery life of the sensors. When the batteries go dead (typically after 5 to 10 years), they can't be replaced separately. The whole sensor has to be replaced. So at that point you can either shell out up to $100 for a sensor (each), or learn to live with warnings on your dash. My wife's 2011 Corolla has had the low-pressure warning light on the dash lit for years. The tire pressures are OK. It's just not worth replacing the sensors on an older car.

I frankly wish that I didn't have this system in my truck.