A failure tolerant capacitor device comprises a plurality of capacitor elements connected in parallel. For each capacitor element, there is a detection element and a connection element. The detection element is adapted for detecting a capacitor voltage across the capacitor element falling below a predefined voltage threshold and/or for detecting a capacitor current through the capacitor element raising above a predefined current threshold and for turning off the connection element when the capacitor voltage is below the predefined voltage threshold and/or the capacitor current is above the predefined current threshold. The connection element is adapted for disconnecting the capacitor element from other ones of the plurality of parallel connected capacitor elements when turned off. The detection element and the connection element each include a transistor.