Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
Most reported: 2015 Chrysler 200 with 615 reports. Across the 893 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 41,539.
- 41,539owner reports
- 893model years affected
- 50,000median miles
- 549involved a crash
- 601involved a fire
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of stalling reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 12015 Chrysler 20019 crashes2 fires61531% of its complaints47k mi
- 22014 Ford Focus17 crashes4 firesrecall56523% of its complaints61k mi
- 32014 Jeep Cherokee4 crashes1 fire56223% of its complaints43k mi
- 42019 Jeep Cherokee7 crashes2 firesrecall47029% of its complaints22k mi
- 52016 Honda Pilot1 firerecall41224% of its complaints64k mi
- 62017 Chrysler Pacifica5 crashes3 fires38425% of its complaints20k mi
- 72018 Jeep Compass4 crashes1 firerecall37640% of its complaints21k mi
- 82014 Ford Escape3 crashes23 firesrecall30415% of its complaints80k mi
- 92017 Ford Escape2 crashes2 firesrecall29411% of its complaints77k mi
- 102017 Honda Pilot2 fires29031% of its complaints49k mi
- 112016 Ford Focus4 crashesrecall28624% of its complaints65k mi
- 122024 Jeep Wrangler2 crashes2 fires27938% of its complaints13k mi
- 132016 Jeep Cherokee1 fire25818% of its complaints42k mi
- 142015 Jeep Cherokee7 crashesrecall25715% of its complaints31k mi
- 152015 Kia Optima4 crashes21 fires25625% of its complaints82k mi
- 162015 Hyundai Sonata1 crash14 fires25022% of its complaints65k mi
- 172018 Honda Accord4 crashes25013% of its complaints81k mi
- 182018 Ford F-1501 crash1 firerecall24911% of its complaints52k mi
- 192017 Hyundai Tucson1 crash5 firesrecall24823% of its complaints47k mi
- 202017 Hyundai Santa Fe4 firesrecall23925% of its complaints78k mi
- 212018 Ford Escape2 crashesrecall23113% of its complaints80k mi
- 222017 Jeep Cherokee2 crashes1 fire22717% of its complaints39k mi
- 232018 Chrysler Pacifica4 crashes22125% of its complaints14k mi
- 242015 Ford Focus5 crashesrecall22022% of its complaints70k mi
- 252018 Honda CR-V6 crashes1 fire21910% of its complaints20k mi
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe stalling. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 114983% of its complaints1k mi
- 26455% of its complaints19k mi
- 32016 Jeep Compassrecall13044% of its complaints60k mi
- 44644% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 52021 Kia Soul1 crash1 firerecall9942% of its complaints50k mi
- 62022 Chevrolet Equinox1 fire7040% of its complaints10k mi
- 72018 Jeep Compass4 crashes1 firerecall37640% of its complaints21k mi
- 82019 Jeep Compass1 crash12939% of its complaints22k mi
- 914739% of its complaints18k mi
- 102024 Jeep Wrangler2 crashes2 fires27938% of its complaints13k mi
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Jeep Cherokee1,985
- Ford Focus1,486
- Ram 15001,365
- Ford Escape1,281
- Ford F-1501,224
- Honda Pilot1,189
- Kia Soul938
- Kia Sorento856
- Jeep Compass849
When it happens
22,032 of the 41,539 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 20,000 and 82,550 miles; the median is 50,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of stalling, grouped by the model year of the car. 549 involved a crash and 601 a fire. 409 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 41,539 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
What is usually involved
Stalling is a symptom with many possible causes. The parts owners name in these reports include the fuel pump, the battery, the alternator, the throttle body, ignition coils or spark plugs, and in some cases the whole engine. The Car Care Council describes the fuel system's job as moving fuel from the tank through a filter to the injectors, with a regulator holding the pressure steady across speed and load; interrupt that and the engine starves. On the electrical side, the alternator keeps the battery charged and runs the car's loads once the engine is going.
What a shop checks first
Ask for stored and pending codes first, then a check of fuel pressure and the charging system. Delphi's guidance for fuel faults is to test pressure, volume and electrical supply (it calls that last one electrical integrity) before condemning a pump. If there's no code and the fault won't repeat, ask the shop to note your description on the repair order anyway, so there's a record.
When to stop driving
A stall at speed is a safety problem, whatever the cause turns out to be. If your car has stalled in traffic once, avoid highways and left turns across traffic until it's been diagnosed, since those are the places a sudden stall does the most harm. If it stalls again, get off the road, put the hazards on, and have it towed rather than restarting and pushing on.
What to tell the mechanic
Give the speed, whether you were accelerating, cruising or stopping, and whether the engine was warm. Mention what lights appeared on the dash, whether it restarted, and how long it took. Note how much fuel was in the tank. If you can, record the dash with your phone when it happens.
Recalls, bulletins and warranty
Run your VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup first, since fuel pumps and other stall causes do get recalled. By federal law a recall repair is free, and manufacturers have to mail owners within 60 days of telling NHTSA. Then search your year, make and model to see the service bulletins manufacturers file. If you've had repeat stalls with no fix, file a complaint with NHTSA too. The agency says complaints from many owners about the same product can point to a defect that warrants an investigation.
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.