I have a 1998 1st gen, 4cyl, 4 speed automatic, and have had similar problems (twice!). The first time, I took it to a repair shop because I was in a hurry and needed to get back on the road, and they replaced the distributor ($440 total), as the camshaft position sensor had failed, and I was told it is located inside the distributor. A year later, I am dealing with intermittent loss of power, so I have ordered replaced the ignition switch (Beck-Arnley 201-1794, $25 from amazon), which I believe should solve the issue. If you're not able to start the engine, that would lead me more towards the camshaft position sensor/distributor assembly.