The last 5-6 I have gotten gas, 2005 Sportage hard to start at gas pump, but then fine after a few miles - mechanic is clueless!

Hi there my name is Brandon I am a mechanical n electronic engineering technician I would start with the fuel pump filter

Hi Carolyn:
Sounds like quite the adventure.
If I understand correctly, the car ran fine when you took it home, and you haven't used it since.
When you tried to start it, did it spin over and not fire, or did it not spin over at all?
I'd be suspicious that you may have had some contamination in the fuel tank and the rough bumps may have gotten some of it into the fuel system.
I'd check the fuel filter and consider putting an additive into the gas tank to make sure there's no moisture problem.
Time to go back to the lake!

Did you ever find a solution to the P0304 warning. I am at 40,000 miles on my 07 RL and got the same warning along with an AWD warning. Just got it serviced last week, what a coincidence.

Most mechanic shops would be able to check the fuel pressure coming from your fuel pump. Before you do that, try replacing your fuel filter. If your fuel filter has gotten clogged, there may be enough resistance to kill the motor. It is possible that you have some other obstruction in your fuel system, like a clogged fuel line that will also cause this problem.

Could be a fuel pump that is going bad. Some times when fuel pumps go bad they cavitate and pump not just gas but also air. If you get too much air in the line and not enough gas the car won't start. Have a mechanic check your fuel line pressure.

tell your mechanic to replace the fuel filter. This part is usually less than $10. It should be replaced aout every 50K miles.

the 2.7l has a sludge problem. This could cause the stalling and loss of power. There's a few fixes, the new water pump (which is part of the problem) doesn't dump coolant into the oil pan. Easy way to check is to simply drop the oil pan.

well you may need to have it serviced even though your not too hard on it. try a complete tune up and see how the milage is affected

Well the starter is 17 years old. Nippon Denso and Hitachi starters are prone to low voltage at the solenoid signal wire (black with white stripe).