The three most common capacitor faults are open circuit/short circuit, decreased capacitance value, and failure to hold a charge. An open circuit/short circuit fault occurs when the capacitor has a broken connection or is not connected correctly. A decreased capacitance value indicates that the capacitor's ability to store electricity has been compromised. Lastly, a capacitor may fail to hold its charge if it is subjected to a high-voltage surge or overcharged.