Hidden Threat in Your Wheels: Tire Pressure Sensors Can Be Used to Track Drivers

A new study from IMDEA Networks Institute has uncovered a serious vulnerability in Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS).

The research suggests that these devices — mandatory in most vehicles sold since the late 2000s — can potentially be exploited to remotely track vehicles without the owner’s knowledge.

The core issue lies in the way TPMS works. Each sensor installed inside a wheel transmits a fixed, unique identification code via radio signal. Because running wires to rotating wheels is impractical, the system relies entirely on wireless communication. Anyone equipped with a compatible radio receiver can intercept the signal, identify a specific vehicle, and monitor its location.

To demonstrate the concept, researchers deployed a network of low-cost radio receivers priced at around $100 each. The experiment showed that even in dense urban environments, the devices could detect vehicles within a 160-foot (50-meter) radius — whether the car was moving or parked in a garage.

Over a ten-week testing period, the team collected data on more than 6 million vehicle “visits” involving roughly 20,000 individual cars.

Strategically placed receivers could allow malicious actors not only to trace routes but also to predict drivers’ daily routines. Even more concerning, researchers found that changes in tire pressure readings can reveal shifts in vehicle weight. In theory, this could indicate whether a car is carrying heavy cargo or multiple passengers — and even pinpoint where along a route unloading occurred.

The researchers warn that this method may be more invasive than traditional surveillance cameras, since radio receivers do not require a direct line of sight and can be concealed in discreet locations. That creates potential risks for everyday drivers as well as logistics companies, whose trucks could become targets if criminals combine tracking data with fake tire puncture signals.

Because privacy protections were never a primary consideration in early TPMS design, these vulnerabilities remain present in millions of vehicles currently on the road.