When a home charger stops working it is almost always one of six things, and only one of them is actually the car. Follow this list in order to isolate the cause before calling an electrician or scheduling service.
EV chargers pull continuous high current. A flaky breaker, weak GFCI, or shared circuit will trip and the charger goes dark. Check the panel and reset; if it trips again immediately, stop and call an electrician.
A loose J1772/NACS plug is the #1 reason an "intermittent" charge session never starts. Reseat firmly until you hear the click. Look for corrosion or melted pins - the latter means stop using that outlet.
Most home EVSEs report fault codes via LED color or blink pattern. Look up your model. Common: ground fault, over-temp, communication error. Power-cycle the EVSE for 60 seconds.
Tesla, Ford, GM, Hyundai, and Kia all support time-of-use scheduling. If you set an off-peak window and forgot, the car will refuse to charge before that time even with the cable plugged in.
Cheap NEMA 14-50 outlets used at 80% duty for hours overheat and lose contact. If your outlet looks brown or smells warm, stop charging immediately. Hardwire the EVSE or install a hospital-grade industrial outlet.
Internal HV contactor or onboard charger failure shows up as an immediate fault on every cable. Mach-E Recall 24V-085 specifically covers contactor failures. Get it scanned at the dealer if everything else checks out.
| Vehicle / Defect | Years | NHTSA # | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E HV battery main contactors overheat during DC fast charge / repeat 240V sessions | 2021-2023 | 24V-085 | Software update at dealer, free |
NHTSA campaign data, current as of 2026. Always confirm coverage by entering your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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Either the breaker is undersized for sustained EV current (a 40 amp charger needs a 50 amp breaker), the breaker is weak and failing, or the wiring has a fault. EV chargers should be on a dedicated circuit.
The pilot signal between the car and EVSE failed handshake. Unplug, wait 30 seconds, replug. If it persists, the EVSE has a fault code (check its LED) or the car-side charge port latch is dirty or stuck.
Touch it after an hour of charging - if it is uncomfortably warm, it is borderline. Brown discoloration around the outlet plate means it is failing. Replace it or move to a different outlet.
Quality EVSEs are surge-protected and survive outages fine. Cheap ones can latch into a fault state until power-cycled by unplugging from the wall for 60 seconds.
Yes, unless you set the charge limit to 100%. The car will manage cell balancing and keep the 12V topped up. Plugged in is healthier for the pack than not.
$400-2,000 depending on panel distance and capacity. Average is around $1,200. The 2026 federal EV charger tax credit (30C) covers 30% up to $1,000 for residential installs.