Q. I have a question regarding my daughter’s 2003 Nissan Altima. The engine stalls out sporadically when she accelerates. It never happens while the car is already in motion. After the engine stalls out, she puts the gear shift in neutral or park and then re-starts the engine. It always starts up again. She brought it to a local garage and they could not re-create the stalling condition. There are no engine malfunction codes to retrieve. She had them perform a fuel system service to clean the induction system, fuel rail, throttle plate, throttle body, plenum chamber and intake valves. Despite this work, it stalled out again yesterday. Any suggestions?
 
A. Nissan did issue a voluntary recall on the vehicle for a problem very similar to yours. In many cases the crankshaft sensor can lose its signal and cause the car to stall. The fix is to replace the sensor and reprogram the computer. Have the dealer reference NHTSA: 06V-242.

Q. My son will be getting his license soon. We currently own a 2001 Toyota Sienna and a 2005 Camry. We're nervous about him driving the Camry because of all of the sudden acceleration problems in various Toyota models (although we realize that the odds of this happening in our Camry are slim). We are thinking of replacing the Sienna with a new Subaru Outback. We also realize it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to have a brand new driver driving a brand new car, but we want him to be driving a car that we feel is very safe. In your opinion, would he be safer driving a new Outback with all of the latest safety features, or is he still better off driving an old Sienna, which does not have side curtain airbags but is much bigger and heavier than an Outback?

A. In my opinion, the Subaru would be the safest choice. It has the latest in safety technology, plus the advantage of all-wheel drive. My next choice would be the Camry. It is a solid and reliable car. The Sienna is a fine mini-van but has the oldest technology, is a bit more top heavy and with all those seats, offers the potential for more driver distractions.

Q. I have a 2000 Ford Ranger with 88,000 miles. When I come to a stop, the brakes start to pulsate as if it is activating the anti-lock brake system. It started four or five months ago on an occasional basis and now it occurs almost every time coming to a stop. It's not a warped brake rotor issue, and it only does it when coming to a stop (under 10 mph). It happens in both forward and reverse, certainly mimicking the activation of the anti-lock brake system as you can feel the brakes rapidly pulsate. Any ideas?

A. The common cause is a faulty vehicle wheel sensor. Over time the sensors can rust and cause the anti-lock brakes to activate. A technician can measure the value of the wheel sensors to determine which one is at fault.