Q: On right turn, car's engine shut down without warning

asked by on August 19, 2016

I was slowly turning right when my car’s engine suddenly shut down. Then it immediately restarted just a few minutes later. But then when it stalled, I lost all of the power steering and then a multiple system failure warning. The display was something like: rear differential is locked, failed power steering, immediately contact service center. Fortunately I was only 100 yards from my driveway, so I was able to get there and turn off the car. I called the dealership and they told me to turn off the car for ten minutes and that would give the system time to reset itself. And it did. They said this is a common problem with my make/model and happens numerous times to drivers. The errors did clear, but then the same thing happened again when I made the same turn - same failures occurred as above. How fortunate that I was not driving at a high speed at the time because I would have lost any ability of steering. This had happened once before and that time the car drove into the oncoming traffic lane and I finally was able to forcibly steer my car back into the right lane. This is a Very Dangerous and Frightning thing to happen. What can I do to get this fixed so that it will never happen again?

Car is stalling Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

Hi there. There are some common issues with this vehicle that will cause this. Most of the time, if it occurs only when turning, it is because of a bad connection at the battery or at one of the control modules. These need to be monitored with a scan tool to see if communication is lost when this problem occurs. It can also be a bad connection at the negative battery cable that is causing this. If the problem persists or you would like this checked, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to test the vehicle and diagnose the stalling issue.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

car vibrates bad off and on at an idle and driving
Hello. You may have a few issues going on. It does sound like you have a bad axle. That will cause the noise when turning. The vibration is more than likely caused by bad engine mounts. Bad mounts will allow...
Speedometer jumps up/down and van backfires. 1998 GMC Savana
Hi there, thanks for writing in about your 1998 GMC Savana 2500. The speedometer and radio may work together to adjust volume of the radio as the speed increases. The cluster or any of the affected modules may have a...
Replaced alternator but still not sending power to the battery.
Hello. If your engine is able to crank all the time and will not just start, the issue is not in the battery (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/battery-replacement) or the alternator (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/alternator-replacement). A good battery charge is required in order to even get the...
Engine running rough and won't accelerate
Hi, thanks for writing in. The camshaft (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-camshaft-position-sensor) and crankshaft position sensors (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-crankshaft-position-sensor) are a possible cause of the symptoms you described. Having these sensors tested professionally using the manufacturer's recommended procedure would by my best recommendation. If one of...
Car is hard to start early morning - temp is 26 degree celcius.
Most of the time, cold weather starting issues are caused by low cranking amps in the battery. However, if you're able to crank it over rather easily, you may have a throttle body that needs to be cleaned. Sometimes fuel...
2006 Infiniti G35 has check engine light on for code P0153
Code P0153 is for Air/Fuel Ratio Sensor Slow Response Bank 2 Sensor 1. It's true that this code can be set by one or more failed fuel injectors causing a lean condition, but there are several other potential causes as...
My Camry is starting at 2000 rpm's.
Sounds like there is a vacuum leak that is causing the engine to rev up high. If there is no vacuum leak, then the Idle Air Control Valve (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/idle-control-valve-replacement) could be stuck causing the engine idle to fluctuate on startup....
I have an 4.7 HO engine for my jeep. Cylinder 5 misfire and low pressure on passenger side. Replaced spark plugs and coils.
Hi there. To be completely honest, anytime a head gasket service has been completed, I typically throw "common causes of an engine cylinder misfire" out the window. In most cases, a head gasket gasket fails due to an overheating problem....
Jeep has mph and gas gauge broken, has a death wobble, and is stuck on 2nd just want to see how much that would cost me
Hi Ricky. Thanks for contacting us tonight. I've forwarded your question to our sales and service department to see if they can put together an estimate for you. There are several possible reasons why the speedometer and fuel tank isn't...

Related articles

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Steering Damper
Common signs include a wobbly or shaky steering wheel, unstable steering off-road, leaking hydraulic fluid, and clunking noises under the vehicle.
How Long Does an Engine Control Module (ECM) Last?
As technology continues to advance and move forward, so does the way our vehicles operate and run. It seems more and...
How Long Does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Last?
In order to operate, your car needs more than just a working engine and transmission. The “accessories” attached to the engine aren’t...