I have a 2004 Ford Escape that I got three years ago. I don't remember how many miles we're on it when I first purchased it, but now it is about to hit 170,000. My car has a lot of little problems, but my biggest concern is the fact that sometimes my engine or motor will completely die out seconds after I start my car and start driving. Usually, if I feel that my engine is going to die out, I continue driving forward without releasing the gas for a short amount of time and eventually the engine will stay on. Yet sometimes if I can't start driving immediately after I start the car, the engine will die on me and I will be stranded.
I know nothing about cars and admittedly I don't take very good care of it. I know nothing about car maintenance and only bring my car into the shop when there's a very apparent problem. However, I have had my engine looked at by various mechanics and friends with car knowledge and told them my problem. I get a lot of different reasons from a lot of people about why my car might act the way it does, but all of those mechanics were never able to give me a direct diagnosis and what I can do to make sure this doesn't happen again. My friends have told me I need a new engine, which might as well mean I need a new car, but I'm a college student and investing in a new car isn't much of an option right now. If anyone has any idea what is wrong with my car and what I can do to fix it without buying a whole new car, I would much appreciate some help.