Car cutting off randomly has anyone dealt with this

Last month at Costco, waiting for gas, my car just shut off. I only noticed because the message ‘transmission not in park’ pops up when it does that and is still in gear.

I initially thought it was a battery issue since my battery died the following week and I had to get a new one.

Today, I drove a lot and left home about 30 minutes later. At a light, it cut off again with the same message.

So far, the car has started right back up as soon as I put it in park, but I’m confused about what’s going on. No warning lights are showing on the dashboard like engine lights or anything.

Has anyone else experienced this, and do you have any idea what might be causing it?

My 2013 had a similar problem. It would randomly die, but for some reason, it ran fine when I turned the AC off. It ended up being a fuel pressure sensor. It might be worth checking into that

Camden said:
My 2013 had a similar problem. It would randomly die, but for some reason, it ran fine when I turned the AC off. It ended up being a fuel pressure sensor. It might be worth checking into that

We did have the heat on a lot today since it was cold, and I think we had it on that first time too. Thanks for the suggestion. I also had a strange AC/heating issue last week, so it might all be connected

@Blair
When you use defrost, it runs the AC compressor too. On non-hybrid cars, running the AC makes the car idle faster, but that doesn’t apply to hybrids. The AC compressor in hybrids is run by the high voltage battery

Camden said:
My 2013 had a similar problem. It would randomly die, but for some reason, it ran fine when I turned the AC off. It ended up being a fuel pressure sensor. It might be worth checking into that

Some 2013-2015 Fusion/MKZ/Escape/MKC models with 1.6L, 1.5L, or 2.0L engines can experience a lack of power or stalling with DTCs P00C6, P0087, P008A, P008B, P018C, or P018D. If diagnosis points to a faulty Fuel Low Pressure sensor, the BU5Z-9F972-A sensor can be replaced, saving you from getting a whole fuel line assembly. This sensor is on the fuel supply line to the high pressure pump and helps manage the fuel system. If there are no codes, it might just be a matter of time until you find out what’s wrong.

I’ve seen other things cause issues without a light on: a collapsed PCV hose, bad MAP or MAF sensors depending on your vehicle, clogged fuel vapor canister, or a vacuum leak. Usually, those cause a CEL, but this intermittent problem can be tricky without the right diagnostic tools

I suggest checking the 12V ground connection to the chassis. It’s one of those simple things people often overlook. My old Chevy quit once after going over some railroad tracks. That kind of issue can still happen

I recommend taking it to a good mechanic. They might be able to pull codes or run tests to pinpoint the problem

I had this issue, and it turned out to be a bad Vapor Canister Purge Solenoid

Rylan said:
I had this issue, and it turned out to be a bad Vapor Canister Purge Solenoid

Thanks for the info. I’ll check into that

I had a 2011 doing something similar. After a while, it finally showed a check engine light. The code pointed to the crank sensor. I replaced it, and it hasn’t done it since

Chen said:
I had a 2011 doing something similar. After a while, it finally showed a check engine light. The code pointed to the crank sensor. I replaced it, and it hasn’t done it since

Thanks, I’ll look into that too

I had the same problems with a 2015 Titanium. It started having issues after 70k miles. I read about engine problems with certain years, like 2012-2016, without any warning lights. The Ford dealer couldn’t figure it out and sent me away. I just traded it in at 105k and got a 2019 Fusion Titanium Energi, which I’m really happy with

@Freddie
So it never got figured out but hasn’t happened since for you?

@Freddie
So you never figured it out, but it doesn’t happen anymore?

Blair said:
@Freddie
So you never figured it out, but it doesn’t happen anymore?

Unfortunately, yes. Given the condition my car was in, it wasn’t great, and when they said they could replace the engine to see what happens, it was time to go.

@Freddie
Hopefully it won’t come to that for me since I have a warranty. Thanks for the help