Q: Does mass air flow sensor need replacing if unplugged and car shuts off?

Just because the car shuts off when you unplug the MAF, it doesn’t mean that it is bad. But it also doesn’t mean that it is good. Your car has the ability to adapt to missing signals so unplugging a component is not a reliable way to diagnose it. While there are some good forums out there, it is easy to be misled by someone’s account of a problem that seems similar to yours, but is in fact something else altogether. The best way to avoid spending money unnecessarily is to get a proper diagnosis by someone with the right training and equipment before buying any expensive parts. You can have that conveniently done by contacting YourMechanic. They can send a technician to your home or office to check out your hard starting problem and let you know what is the solution.