I've read through the archives on problems with these monitors and haven't seen anything since last year, so I'm starting it up again. In the past 6 months my dealer has replaced 3 of the monitors on my 2008, telling me that the batteries for the monitor are dead. Costs me $150 each time, and a near heart-attack when the alarm goes off while I'm 300 miles from home in the middle of nowhere. Never had an actual air problem, just the dag-nab-it stupid monitor. Anyone have any input?

 

Very possible that your monitor batteries have died after 8 years. Not really sure why you went to the high priced dealer. Any decent tire shop could perform this service for you and probably a lot cheaper.

An FYI. There was a TSB regarding the 2008's and some computer software issues in regards to the tire monitoring system.
You may want to look into that. It should be somewhere in this sites thread about recalls and TSB's.

 

Imagine that! An 8 year old 1.5 volt battery in constant use dies. I have to replace my cordless mouse batteries every other month.

What alarm?

 

I think he was probably talking about the alarming feeling he had when the monitor light came on, at the thought of having tire problems a long way from home. I know it is a little startling to myself when it happens until I figure out it is not a tire problem.
So far I have only had to replace one of them on my 08 Panel.