A faulty Fuel Pump may cause an engine to stall on the highway due to inconsistent or inadequate fuel delivery. Fuel pumps are usually designed to operate at particular pressures, usually between 30 psi and 85 psi, depending on the vehicle make. If a fuel pump starts to fail or starts leaking, then it is able to drop fuel pressure, leading to an incapable fuel supply to the engine. This disruption in fuel flow can result in the engine stalling, especially under the load of highway speeds.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that stalling of the engine due to fuel pump failure is a common problem in older vehicles, especially those over 100,000 miles. Indeed, a 2021 survey conducted by the Automotive Service Association showed that about 12% of all highway breakdowns were related to fuel delivery problems, with a significant portion of those incidents directly related to fuel pump issues.
A 2018 recall issued by a leading automobile maker was for faulty fuel pump designs that may fail and potentially cause stalling at highway driving speeds. According to the company, about 250,000 total vehicles are affected, with most owners complaining of stalling. A 2015 sedan also exhibited repeated instances of stalling at highway speeds; it was found out that this was due to a malfunctioning fuel pump. The fuel pump failure resulted in inconsistent fuel pressure and loss of engine power that caused stalling.
This fact can also be reflected in the behavior of new cars. According to a study by ARIA in 2020, up to 18% of engine stalls in vehicles with less than 50,000 miles were due to problems with the fuel pump. That would indicate that even modern cars, with relatively low mileage, can experience such fuel pump failures resulting in dangerous highway stalls.
Besides stalling, a faulty fuel pump can also cause symptoms like rough idling, hesitation upon acceleration, or poor fuel economy. This is because the engine is not getting a constant flow of fuel, which in turn forces the car’s ECU to make compensations, usually resulting in erratic engine behavior. These conditions may become rapidly serious to the point where an accident may easily result if the vehicle suddenly stops, especially in high traffic flow or on busy highways.
Given the crucial function of a Fuel Pump in the smooth provision of fuel flow, this type of problem must not be left unaddressed or could result in highway stalling and threaten the lives of drivers.