You absolutely do not lose control. If that were true, you'd be reading about horrendous crashes every time this happened, hundreds of times per day. And you can be sure there would be lots of lawsuits. What you lose is power steering assist, and power brakes after two or three pedal applications. When you lose power steering, you won't even notice that at highway speeds. As the vehicle slows down, it becomes gradually harder and harder to steer. That gradual loss of assist as you slow down has nothing to do with the power steering system itself. It is a result of the design of the suspension system geometry and alignment angles. You'll find steering without power assist is hardest when the vehicle is standing still.
When you have the common type of power brakes used since the 1950s, engine vacuum provides the power, but that vacuum stops being produced when the engine stops running. All of this type of power booster has built-in vacuum storage good for a minimum of two pedal presses, and often three, before power assist is lost. On newer vehicles with optional anti-lock brakes, some systems, such as those used on early '90s Chrysler products use pressurized brake fluid for the anti-lock function, and those can provide over 40 pedal applications after the ignition switch is turned off, and unlimited pedal applications after the engine stalls, until the battery runs down. It is assumed with any of those power brake systems, you should be able to safely stop the vehicle with the reserve power assist. After that, in most cars, GM products in particular, you might have to use both feet to push the brake pedal, but the main brake system is still there and working. If you practice that emergency stopping in a parking lot, you'll typically find as you push harder and harder on the brake pedal, it goes from no stopping to hard stopping very quickly. Without the power assist working, you lose the fine control over the braking power, so don't be surprised if the vehicle suddenly locks up the brakes and skids the tires.
Too often we read about people who never were taught that the steering and brake systems still work when the engine stalls, so they don't even try to control the vehicle, and drive into the ditch or oncoming traffic. People run out of gas every day, and have to coast to the side of the road, but they don't crash.
There's four different engines available in your model, including a gas / electric hybrid. Those use very different fuel and ignition systems. Without knowing any details or history leading up to this problem, the only thing we have to go on is the low mileage you listed. Based on that, there's a good possibility the vehicle is still under warranty, so get the dealer involved. Until some diagnostics are done, there is no way to know where to start the troubleshooting. There's an Engine Computer that runs the fuel supply and ignition systems. It uses signals from a minimum of two sensors to know when to fire the injectors and spark plugs. The electric fuel pump motor typically is powered through a relay that is also run by the Engine Computer. Any of those sensors or other parts can develop intermittent problems. The two sensors often fail by becoming heat-sensitive. They often work fine as long as you're driving and natural air flow keeps them cool, then, when you stop with a hot engine for a short time, such as when stopping for gas, heat migrates up to the sensors and causes one to fail. The huge clue to this type of failure is the engine will start normally after cooling down for about an hour. This sensor failure is fairly common on all brands of cars.
The age and mileage of the vehicle is rather low for the sensors to be good suspects, but the place to start is by reading and recording the diagnostic fault codes. The people at most auto parts stores will do that for you for free, but it's important to understand fault codes never say to replace a part or that one is bad. They only indicate the circuit or system that needs further diagnosis, or the unacceptable operating condition. When a part is referenced in a fault code, that part is responsible for the code only about half of the time. First we have to rule out wiring and connector terminal problems, and mechanical problems associated with that part. If you want to see what those fault codes look like, here's a list that pertains to most 1996 and newer models:
https://www.2carpros.com/trouble_codes/obd2/p0300
Also be aware it is important now to not disconnect the battery or run it dead as doing that will erase any diagnostic fault codes, then that valuable information will be lost. If you do come up with a related fault code, post the exact code number in your reply, then if necessary, I can interpret it for you.
Look for any clues or observations when the stalling occurs. If there is a tachometer in the instrument cluster, observe if that drops to "0" as soon as the stalling occurs, or if it goes down slowly as the vehicle slows down. It is normal operation for the Check Engine light to turn on once the engine has come to a complete stop, but if possible, watch if that light turns on the instant the engine stops running but is still coasting. That can be hard to tell, but if you do see it come on first, that is proof the Engine Computer has detected a defect related to the problem, then there will be a code to be read.
Also please understand these types of intermittent problems are by far the hardest to diagnose and repair. One tool your mechanic has is a scanner with "record" capabilities. With that, he can go on a test-drive with the scanner connected, then, when the problem acts up, he presses the "record" button to make a recording a few seconds long. That can be replayed slowly, later, to see what changed during the event. This becomes even more useful when there is no fault code set to direct him to the suspect circuit.
If the problem rarely acts up, it is not practical to leave the vehicle with the mechanic and expect him to drive it for days or weeks. In those instances you may have to keep driving until the problem gets worse. When it comes to being under warranty, Chrysler, for example, says as long as the problem is documented by the dealer while the car is under warranty, they will still take care of it when the car goes out of warranty, if that's how long it takes to find the cause. Most other manufacturers have a similar policy, but be sure you keep your copy of the repair order where that symptom is listed.
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Thursday, September 26th, 2019 AT 6:09 PM
