| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the fuel pump module issue affecting Volkswagen vehicles has happened again within the same organization. The article mentions that Chinese authorities originally uncovered the problem, which led to a recall in the Chinese market. Subsequently, due to the US-based vehicles being "substantially similar" to their Chinese counterparts, Volkswagen initiated a recall in the US as well [62077]. This indicates a recurrence of the software failure incident within Volkswagen's products.
(b) The software failure incident related to the fuel pump module issue affecting Volkswagen vehicles has not been reported to have happened again at other organizations or with their products and services. The focus of the article is on Volkswagen's recall due to the electrical system issue, and there is no mention of similar incidents at other organizations [62077]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is related to the design phase. The issue stems from the electrical system design of the affected Volkswagen vehicles. An interruption in the electricity powering the fuel pump module, caused by a design flaw, could lead to the fuel pump failure and potential stalling of the vehicle while in motion. Additionally, the same design flaw could cause the fuel pump to run continuously when the vehicle is parked, draining the battery and preventing the vehicle from starting. This design flaw was identified by Chinese authorities and led to a recall in both the Chinese and US markets, indicating a systemic issue introduced during the development phase of the vehicles [62077].
(b) There is no specific information in the article indicating that the software failure incident was due to factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is within_system. The issue stems from the electrical system of the vehicles, specifically related to an interruption in the electricity powering the fuel pump module, causing the fuel pump to fail and potentially leading to stalling while in motion or draining the battery when parked [62077]. The problem is internal to the vehicle's electrical system, indicating a within_system software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is attributed to non-human actions, specifically an interruption in the electricity powering the fuel pump module causing the fuel pump to fail, leading to stalling of the vehicle or continuous running of the fuel pump when parked. This interruption in the electrical system is a technical issue rather than a result of human actions [62077]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident in the Volkswagen vehicles was due to a hardware issue related to the electrical system. Specifically, an interruption in the electricity powering the fuel pump module could cause the fuel pump itself to fail, leading to stalling while in motion or draining the battery when parked [62077]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is non-malicious. The issue stems from an interruption in the electricity powering the fuel pump module in Volkswagen vehicles, which could cause the fuel pump to fail and lead to stalling while in motion or draining the battery when parked. This is a technical fault in the electrical system rather than a deliberate act to harm the system [62077]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
The software failure incident described in Article #62077 is not directly related to poor or accidental decisions. Instead, it is attributed to an electrical system issue in Volkswagen vehicles that could lead to the fuel pump module failing, causing stalling or battery drainage [62077]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is not directly attributed to development incompetence. The issue with the electrical system causing the fuel pump module to fail and potentially stall the vehicle seems to be more related to a technical fault rather than incompetence in development.
(b) The software failure incident appears to be accidental. The article describes the issue as an "electrical malady" and an "electrical gremlin," indicating that the problem with the fuel pump module was unintentional and not deliberately introduced. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is more likely to be temporary rather than permanent. The issue with the electrical system in the Volkswagen vehicles is causing interruptions in the electricity powering the fuel pump module, leading to potential stalling or continuous running of the fuel pump. This issue is specific to certain circumstances (when the vehicle is in motion or parked) and is not a permanent failure affecting all circumstances. The temporary nature of the failure is evident from the fact that technicians will be replacing the fuel pump control module and relocating it to reduce stress on the part, indicating a targeted solution to address the specific issue [62077]. |
| Behaviour |
crash |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The issue with the electrical system in the Volkswagen vehicles could cause the fuel pump to fail while the vehicle is in motion, leading to the vehicle stalling. This can be considered a crash as the system loses its state and fails to perform its intended function of maintaining the fuel pump operation, resulting in the vehicle stalling [62077]. |