Can I still drive with a bad throttle position sensor?
A bad throttle position sensor is something you never want to have in your car. The purpose of the throttle position sensor is to keep your car running normally by controlling the throttle.
If you have a mix of these throttle position sensor symptoms, you should have the TPS tested and replaced if it’s not working properly. If you need to replace the throttle position sensor, the cost will vary depending on the vehicle model. However, the average cost of this replacement is not very high.
The average for a job is $50 to $100. Labor costs range from $150 to $300, depending on the mechanic’s hourly rate and the amount of labor required to access the throttle position sensor. Overall, you can expect to pay between $250 and $400 to replace the throttle position sensor. Replacing a TPS is relatively easy in most cases (depending on your location), so you might save time by doing it yourself. A quick YouTube search is often all you need.
Going to a dealer is more expensive, so for most jobs (like this one), we recommend finding a trusted independent mechanic through recommendations from family and friends or by reading online reviews.
And of course, depending on where you live, there might be taxes and fees on these costs. But it’s still not too expensive when you consider everything else that can go wrong with your car. The simple answer is when the computer no longer detects a signal from the throttle position sensor.
This is a safety feature enforced by the computer to prevent major damage to the engine. Throttle position sensors usually fail due to wear and tear from years of driving the vehicle.
