Persistent GFCI trip by Plug-In 2014

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by Aleid, Apr 12, 2026 at 8:39 PM.

Tags:
  1. Aleid

    Aleid New Member

    Joined:
    Yesterday
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I bought my car used in 2021. My garage wiring wasn't up to code so I didn't charge it until I could afford new wiring. After that, I noticed the GFCI would trip occasionally while charging. The frequency increased so I called the electrician, who replaced the outlet. He said the frequency increased because each fault on the circuit damages the GFCI slightly; it will trip increasingly easily as that damage increases over time. After several months, the same problem happened again. The second time the electrician replaced the outlet, he put in a dedicated 20 amp circuit for charging. He said if the problem happened again with the dedicated circuit, the problem was with the car or cable.

    Guess what's happening again? The GFCI has tripped during 3 of the last 4 times I've charged the car. I might get half a charge, 75% of a charge, etc. The charging cord from the dealership appears new. I tried having the dealer troubleshoot, but all I got was a funny look; they charged the car for me, but it won't trip their breaker because I don't charge there all the time.

    Does anyone have any suggestions for me to try, or to tell the dealer to try? I don't want to replace the charging outlet every year or two...
     
    #1 Aleid, Apr 12, 2026 at 8:39 PM
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    13,110
    5,314
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    GFCI have a short lifespan, especially the cheap ones... Flip the breaker off and install one you buy at the store yourself and install yourself. Person who worked on it last probably did a substandard job with substandard parts. Very easy fix if you do it yourself!
     
    #2 PriusCamper, Apr 13, 2026 at 3:08 AM
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    114,737
    52,428
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    consider a non gfci outlet, they can be finicky with car charging, or try to find another place to charge regularly, or another evse to try.
    a hardwird evse is another solution
     
    #3 bisco, Apr 13, 2026 at 2:49 PM
    PriusCamper and BiomedO1 like this.
  4. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    4,242
    2,221
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    You don't need a GFCI outlet on that dedicated circuit; unless it's mandated electrical code. If it is a local code requirement, that electrician can't help you - because he's legally obligated to install it that way. Do what bisco said; toss that GFCI and install a single 20A outlet. That giant black block on your charging cord is your safety cut-off and has a GFCI circuit built into it.
    The other thing; is that heavy block dangling; all weight on the plug prongs? When the electrical connectors heat-up, they could move/slip, causing the GFCI to activate. That's why everything works when the electrician leaves and it acts up a few weeks later. Those internal electrical connectors loosened up due to heat and usage.
    There are specifications tied to commercial grade electrical hardware (ie. hospital grade outlet). Household outlets, not so much. You can let your imaginations run wild on that one.......

    Good Luck and hope this helps.......
     
    #4 BiomedO1, Apr 13, 2026 at 3:14 PM
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)