Why does my car stall when I come to a stop?
Vehicles sometimes shut off or shake and drop RPMs when coming to a stop sign, red light, or while reversing early in a drive. This happens even with accessories like the AC and radio turned off, leaving drivers uncertain about mechanical issues while a persistent P0328 code returns.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 10.1× more often in r/MechanicAdvice than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Scanning for diagnostic trouble codes2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2letting it warm up for 5 minutes before driving offDid this help you?
- 3restarting the car with the keyDid this help you?
- 4taking the car to different repair shops and dealershipsDid this help you?
- 5Replaced the O2 sensorDid this help you?
- 6Suggested cleaning the MAF sensor and throttle bodyDid this help you?
- 7checking for a vacuum leakDid this help you?
- 8cleaning throttle platesDid this help you?
- 9checking the fuel pump or torque converterDid this help you?
- 10changing the throttle bodyDid this help you?
- 11Taking the car to a different dealer for diagnosisDid this help you?
- 12Using devices to permanently bypass or disable the auto start-stop featureDid this help you?
- 13Manually pressing the button to disable auto stop every time the vehicle is turned onDid this help you?
- 14Replacing the purge canister and PCV valveDid this help you?
- 15Cleaning the MAF and throttle bodyDid this help you?
- 16Replacing the power brake booster multiple timesDid this help you?
- 17Spray testing components to find vacuum leaksDid this help you?
- 18turn off the air conditioning and restart the vehicleDid this help you?
- 19turning off the air conditioning to allow the vehicle to restart and driveDid this help you?
- 20Checking engine compressionDid this help you?
- 21Checking if the camshaft is spinning by removing the oil capDid this help you?
- 22Checking for air pulse or pressure from the radiator capDid this help you?
- 23Replacing parts like the EGR Control Solenoid on a trial-and-error basisDid this help you?
- 24Checking battery, alternator, and starterDid this help you?
- 25Replacing spark plugs and wiresDid this help you?
- 26Replacing components such as the crank sensor, crank sensor connector, main relay, and cam sensorDid this help you?
- 27Cleaning out valvesDid this help you?
- 28Checking error codes with VCDSDid this help you?
- 29Wiggling wiring harnessesDid this help you?
- 30Replacing components like the crankshaft sensor or checking the fuel system diagnostics independently before sending the vehicle to a repair shop.Did this help you?
- 31letting off the brakesDid this help you?
- 32Scanning codes with an OBD2 tool like FIXDDid this help you?
- 33Taking the vehicle back to the mechanic for diagnosisDid this help you?
- 34Replacing parts based on error codes without full diagnosticsDid this help you?
- 35Replacing components like the purge valve and alternatorDid this help you?
- 36replacing the EGR valveDid this help you?
- 37pulling the intake manifold to clean clogged EGR ports and tiny passagesDid this help you?
- 38Replacing the mass airflow (MAF) or manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensorDid this help you?
- 39Replacing the idle air control valve (IACV) instead of just cleaning itDid this help you?
- 40Checking coolant lines to the idle valve for clogsDid this help you?
- 41getting a jump startDid this help you?
- 42taking it to a professional shop for diagnosticsDid this help you?
- 43getting a new battery put inDid this help you?
- 44taking it to a mechanicDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Engine turned off when stopped in traffic.”source ↗
“While returning home, the car suddenly gave 2 jerks and then stalled.”source ↗
“Now the car won't start. A warning light came on, and the brake pedal became very hard after the engine stalled.”source ↗
“My car a Nissan Altima 2023 shut off today while at a stop light.”source ↗
“Called insurance got a new battery put in and it was fine until now it’s acting up again with a brand new battery.”source ↗
“I have a 2016 Nissan Altima with about 135,000 miles on it. Just recently I’ve had an issue where my car has stalled when I’ve been stopped at a stop sign or red light.”source ↗
“This morning on my way to work it happened again. All three incidents have been very early in the drive on the first time driving it that day.”source ↗
“Car began to stall when coming to a stop.”source ↗
“This is my college aged son's car and I've been working on it for over a month. It's killing me.”source ↗
“I have a 2001 toyota celica, 2 door - coupe, 4 cylinder. It just broke down, does anyone know what it could be?”source ↗
“The problems: it kept shutting off when I was at the red light. I tried to make it home, eventually it shut all the way down, and it started shaking and smoking..”source ↗
“The car still turns on, the lights on the dash, and everything else, its shifting, but it is not going into drive at all.”source ↗
“All lights on my dash are on except battery, in drive or reverse car shakes and flashes check engine.”source ↗
“Car somehow got me to work and back before kicking the bucket (when became noticeable issue).”source ↗
“I’ve had this car for a little over a year now and still have this occurring issue where the car will stall randomly without any warning at idle, and turn back on like nothing happened.”source ↗
“It’s becoming a royal pain in the rear end and just want some advice from anyone who’s dealt with this.”source ↗
“sounds like a fuel delivery issue, could be the pump or filter. I've seen similar issues with my old Jetta too.”source ↗
“I was at a stoplight, letting go of the break to the gas cause it turned green in the car basically stalled all the lights were still on. Everything was still working, and it won’t crank over.”source ↗
“The concerning part is that today the car actually shut off while driving twice, very similar to what it was doing before the original timing chain failure.”source ↗
“That P0011 is almost never just a sensor acting fussy, something's physically off with the oil control valve or the cam phaser itself, and after a rebuild it's way too easy to get the timing a tooth out”source ↗
“Car made a whining/siren noise when accelerating. Then eventually stalled it wouldn’t turn over.”source ↗
“now the car will turn on, but takes a while to catch one turning over. Stays on for a minute and shuts back off.”source ↗
“my Honda started to stall while I was accelerating and when it would go back to driving it would jerk back rough and then it would go but when I would stop or slow down it would do it again and it wouldn’t wanna go for about 30 secs to a minute sometimes then it would just jerk back into driving”source ↗
“can fire up and run only when on the pedal, I can sweep the rpms fully with the pedal, haven't red lined it yet but im sure it could. However, the moment I remove the throttle input the vehicle stalls.”source ↗
“would run fine with any throttle but flatlined the second you let off”source ↗
“I was driving to work and my ford fusion just stopped mid drive and I had to pull over . When I try to crank it , it turns over but doesn’t crank completely.”source ↗
“I got a jump and it cranked at first but he moved the cables around and it will turn over but not crank now still .”source ↗
“I honestly don’t know what I’m doing I’ve never had a failure like this”source ↗
“This happens everytime I get gas. Only after I get it. Is this something really serious ? And is it in exspensive fix? Also if I don’t fix this will it become a more expensive issue ?”source ↗
“My car has roughly 190,000 miles on it and recently it has been making this weird clanking noise while i’m driving and idle.”source ↗
“It also stalls when i’m coming to a stop or slowing down Any ideas on what it could be?”source ↗
“if my AC and radio were on and I came to a stop sign or red light the engine would sometimes shut off.”source ↗
“Now it’s started happening even when the AC and radio are off. It can also happen when I put the car in reverse to back out of my garage. The car will start shaking, the RPMs drop, and then the engine shuts off.”source ↗
“But the P0328 code keeps coming back on.”source ↗
“Anyone know why my engine has a hard time finding the idle?”source ↗
“there have been times that I cost through a turn, pushing the clutch in to either down or up shift, and if i cost too long, the engine can stall”source ↗
“someone plsss helpp😖😭💔”source ↗
“it has broken down 4 times, twice at the start of an intersection, once on a road and the most recent one in the middle of an intersection because of this start/stop feature”source ↗
“it’s been a real pain in the neck for her because Hondas should not be breaking down like that on 30k miles”source ↗
“It happened once before about 5 months ago, again when stopped in traffic.”source ↗
“1999 RAV4, car stalls out after a bit of driving and dies. Check engine, battery and oil light come on.”source ↗
“We just replaced the EGR Control Solenoid thinking that was the issue but after a test drive it still does it. Trying to figure out what the issue here is.”source ↗
“2013 Hyundai Elantra (130k miles, automatic) shakes/rattles when in drive but completely stopped with brakes applied. Rattle goes away if you let off the brakes.”source ↗
“Engine turned off when stopped in traffic. All lights came on.”source ↗
“My car has been doing weird stuff whenever it is in idol such as breathing (video attached) and turning off completely not like auto stop start where it turns back on when my foot comes off the brake it just fully turns off.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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