Why does my car keep ruining phone chargers?

Toyota Passenger and Sports Car Forums Corolla and Matrix
1

I’ve got a 2017 Corolla that I’ve been using since 2022 with no real issues… until recently. Every charger I use for my phone stops working after a couple of days in the car. I’ve already gone through two this month. I just bought one yesterday and it’s already not working. Strangely, the other chargers I use for my headphones and vape work just fine.

The USB charger I use in the car has a small light to show it’s getting power. The light stays on when nothing is plugged in, and even when I plug in the headphone or vape chargers. But as soon as I plug in my phone, the light goes out. I’m in my car most of the day so I really need to be able to charge my phone. Any help or ideas?

2

It could be the type of chargers you’re getting or maybe your alternator is putting out too much power.

3

nelly said:
It could be the type of chargers you’re getting or maybe your alternator is putting out too much power.

A phone by itself shouldn’t be enough to stress out an alternator. But yeah, it’s possible the charger is pulling too much current. Some phones lower their charging rate if they don’t connect properly to the charger, but depending on the charger, that might still be too much.

4

@beky
Thanks for clearing that up!