What could cause a vehicle to start with difficulty but lack power and idling capability?

A hole or tear in the duct between the mass air flow sensor and the throttle body can notably disrupt the air-fuel mixture entering the engine. The mass air flow (MAF) sensor measures the amount of air entering the engine, and if there is a leak in this duct, it will cause the engine to receive an incorrect amount of air. Specifically, if there is excess air leaking into the duct, the engine may run lean, leading to difficulty starting due to insufficient fuel reaching the cylinders. Once running, the engine may lack power and struggle to idle properly, since the air-fuel ratio is compromised.

While a restricted fuel filter can also create starting difficulties and power issues by limiting fuel flow, the presence of a physical damage in the air intake duct directly affects the MAF sensor reading and the mixture that the engine is receiving, which can result in greater immediate effects on starting and idling. Therefore, the issue related to the duct is a more common and critical cause of these symptoms.