A TPMS sensor in Melbourne costs roughly $90 to $180 fitted and programmed using a quality aftermarket unit, and $180 to $450 a corner if the car needs a genuine sensor. A full set of four is usually $450 to $900.
The gap between those numbers is the whole story, and most of it comes down to one decision: genuine or aftermarket. This guide covers what each buys you, and when the warning light isn’t a sensor at all.
TPMS prices in Melbourne, 2026
These are estimates only, a guide rather than a quote. What you pay depends on the make, whether the sensors are clamp-in or snap-in, and whether your car will accept a programmable aftermarket sensor. We confirm the price before fitting anything.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| TPMS scan and fault diagnosis | $60 – $120 |
| Service kit, valve, seal and cap | $25 – $45 per wheel |
| Aftermarket sensor, fitted and programmed | $90 – $180 per wheel |
| Genuine sensor, fitted and programmed | $180 – $450 per wheel |
| Full set of four, aftermarket | $450 – $700 |
| Full set of four, genuine European | $700 – $1,600 |
| Relearn or reprogram after a tyre change | $40 – $90 |
Most Japanese and Korean cars take a programmable aftermarket sensor without complaint. Some European models, and a few with advanced systems that report individual tyre temperature, will only work properly with the genuine part. We check yours before quoting rather than after.
The light is on. Is it actually a sensor?
Usually not, and this is worth checking before spending anything.
Light on after a cold snap. The most common cause by a mile. Air contracts, pressure drops, the system notices. Melbourne mornings in June do this to half the cars on the road. Check and adjust the pressures first, it’s free.
Light on after a tyre change or rotation. The system often needs a relearn so it knows which sensor is at which corner. Quick job, not a new sensor.
Light flashing for a minute, then staying solid. That pattern generally means a system fault rather than low pressure. A dead sensor battery, or a sensor that was damaged during a tyre fit.
One tyre losing pressure slowly and genuinely. The sensor is doing its job. What you need is a puncture repair, not a sensor.
So the order is: check the pressures, then scan the system, then replace a sensor only if the scan says so. A workshop that goes straight to selling you four sensors has skipped the two steps that usually solve it.
Why sensors die
TPMS sensors have a sealed battery inside that can’t be replaced. They last roughly 5 to 10 years, and they tend to fail in clusters because they were all fitted on the same day. If one has gone at eight years old and the others are original, expect the rest within a year or two.
The other common killer is fitting damage. The sensor sits on the valve stem inside the tyre, and a tyre machine used carelessly breaks them. This is a decent argument for having tyres fitted somewhere that checks the sensor as part of the job rather than discovering it when the light comes on in the driveway.
Corrosion matters too. The alloy stems on many sensors react with the wheel over time, especially where the service kit has never been replaced. Renewing the valve, seal and cap at every tyre change is cheap and it’s what stops that.
What moves the price up or down
Genuine versus aftermarket. The single biggest factor. Quality programmable aftermarket sensors are excellent on most cars and cost a fraction of the genuine part. On some European models we’ll only fit genuine, because the aftermarket units drop out of the system intermittently and you end up paying twice.
Whether the tyre has to come off anyway. If you’re replacing tyres, the labour to fit sensors is nearly free because the tyre is already off the rim. Doing it as a separate visit costs more for the same part. If your sensors are near the end of their life and you’re due for tyres, do them together.
How many at once. Four at a time is cheaper per corner than one at a time, and it resets the clock on all of them.
Programming. Aftermarket sensors need programming to your car’s protocol, then the car needs a relearn. Both are quick with the right equipment and impossible without it.
Worth knowing before you book
If your car is a European model, tell us the make and model when you call. That determines whether an aftermarket sensor is an option at all, which is the difference between a $450 set and a $1,200 set, and it’s not a question we can answer generically.
If the light came on this week and the weather just turned cold, put air in the tyres first and give it a day. We would rather tell you that on the phone than charge you for a scan that finds nothing wrong.
The table above is for budgeting. Your number depends on your exact car and the parts choice.
Call 03 9763 0100 or book through our TPMS sensor service page. We’re at 5/1644 Ferntree Gully Road, Knoxfield, and we’re open Saturdays.