What happened to the faucet? The person asking the question wants s to know what has caused a sudden change to the faucet (recent or not), because the faucet is not in the same way as expected. May be the faucet is removed, unattached or was destroyed by some external event. Something happened from outside of the faucet and created a change. What happened with the faucet? The person is either surprised or objects to the fact the faucet not properly working or a physical change that’s more from within the faucet. Say I come into kitchen and see the water spigot is running and I try to turn off the faucet but it fails to shut off. So I ask, what happened with faucet? Or I was expecting a new faucet to be arriving by order, but it never came. I call the company I ordered it and ask: what happened with the faucet I ordered? It hasn’t arrived yet. So think of these two question from different angles around the indirect object, the faucet.

The difference between the two sentences lies in the prepositions used: "to" and "with." "What happened to the faucet?" - This sentence suggests a focus on the event or action that affected the faucet. It implies that something occurred that caused a change or damage to the faucet. It's commonly used when asking about the outcome or result of an event. "What happened with the faucet?" - This sentence implies a broader scope of inquiry. It doesn't necessarily focus solely on the event or action that directly affected the faucet but may encompass other factors or circumstances surrounding it. It could be asking about the overall situation involving the faucet, including any events, actions, or interactions related to it. In summary, while both sentences inquire about the status or situation of the faucet, the choice of preposition ("to" or "with") slightly alters the focus or scope of the question.

to - person with - thing

If your faucet doesn’t work, there is no difference in meaning. However, in other situations it might matter which question you ask. Suppose you ordered a new faucet two weeks ago and it still hasn’t arrived. Your friend would ask “what happened WITH the faucet you ordered.” If the faucet arrives but is obviously broken, then your friend would ask “what happened TO the faucet”.

what happened to x is asking what damaged has occurred that has resulted in a fault or something not working as it did previously. The damage is obvious it can clearly be seen or observed. what happened with x is asking why and how is it that x is not working, or for a person or living being pet etc. what happened with x is enquiring about the circumstances and the reason for x not being in a correct working order when outwardly x seems to be ok but its not working. what happened with John is asking what has occurred that has made John ill, moody, bad tempered etc. what happened to x and what happened to x or interchanged very often and at times either option will be acceptable.