| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) In the provided article, Audi, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, admitted to another software failure incident related to diesel emission issues in their A6 and A7 models. This incident is similar to the dieselgate emissions scandal that engulfed the VW Group a few years prior. The article mentions that Audi had previously recalled 850,000 vehicles due to emission software issues, and now an additional 60,000 models are affected by similar problems [71581].
(b) The article also highlights that three years ago, Volkswagen admitted to installing software in 11 million diesel cars worldwide that could cheat emissions tests. This indicates that the software failure incident involving emission manipulation was not limited to Audi or Volkswagen but extended to multiple organizations within the automotive industry [71581]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the case of Audi's diesel emission software issues. Audi admitted that some A6 and A7 models had "irregularities" in the emissions controls, which were discovered during internal investigations following the dieselgate scandal that engulfed the VW Group [71581]. The reports suggest that the software in question limits the injection of adblue, an additive used to clean exhaust gases, when the adblue tank runs low, leading to increased emissions. This indicates a design flaw or oversight in the software's functionality, potentially introduced during the development phase.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be seen in the impact of the software on emissions during regular driving conditions. The software installed in the diesel cars could detect when they were undergoing emissions tests and adjust emissions accordingly to pass the tests. However, during normal driving, the emissions were much higher, up to 40 times worse than recorded under laboratory conditions. This discrepancy between test conditions and real-world operation highlights a failure in the operation of the software, where it did not function as intended during regular use [71581]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the emission software issues in Audi's A6 and A7 models was discovered during internal investigations conducted by Audi itself in the wake of the emissions scandal that affected the VW Group [71581]. The irregularities in the emissions controls of these models were identified internally, indicating that the contributing factors originated from within the system.
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident was also influenced by external factors such as the intense scrutiny from US regulators on the VW Group, which was a result of the emissions scandal that engulfed the company two years prior [71581]. Additionally, the involvement of US prosecutors and the formal hearings conducted by the German transport ministry demonstrate the impact of external oversight and regulatory actions on the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in Audi's A6 and A7 models with diesel engines was due to emission software issues, specifically related to irregularities in the emissions controls discovered during internal investigations [71581].
(b) The software failure incident related to human actions:
The emissions scandal involving Audi, Volkswagen, and the use of "defeat devices" to circumvent emissions tests was a result of deliberate actions taken by engineers and authorized by top executives, including former VW chief executive Martin Winterkorn, who was fully briefed and involved in a cover-up [71581]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions that Audi admitted that 60,000 A6 and A7 models with diesel engines have emission software issues, indicating a hardware-related failure [71581].
- The issue with the emission controls of some A6 and A7 models was discovered during internal investigations, suggesting a hardware-related failure originating in the vehicles themselves [71581].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The article discusses how the software in question limits the injection of adblue, leading to increased emissions when the adblue tank runs low, indicating a software-related failure [71581].
- The article also mentions the term "defeat devices" used in the emissions scandal, which refers to software designed to circumvent emissions tests, highlighting a software-related failure [71581]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the diesel emission issues in Audi vehicles does not seem to be malicious. It appears to be a non-malicious failure caused by contributing factors introduced without intent to harm the system. Audi admitted to "irregularities" in the emissions controls of some A6 and A7 models while carrying out internal investigations, and it notified the authorities itself [71581]. The reports suggest that the software in question limits the injection of adblue when the tank runs low, leading to increased emissions. This could be a design flaw or unintended consequence rather than a deliberate act of malice. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the emission software issues in Audi A6 and A7 models was not explicitly mentioned to be due to poor decisions. However, it was highlighted that the software in question limited the injection of adblue, an additive used to clean exhaust gases, when the adblue tank ran low, leading to increased emissions. This could potentially be a deliberate design choice (poor decision) or a system originally intended for a different purpose but deemed unacceptable due to its impact on emissions [71581].
(b) The incident could also be categorized under accidental decisions as there was a mention of "irregularities" in the emissions controls of the models, which were discovered during internal investigations following the VW Group scandal. Audi notified the authorities itself about these irregularities, indicating a level of unintended discovery of the software issues [71581]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the case of Audi admitting emission software issues in some A6 and A7 models with diesel engines. The article mentions that Audi discovered "irregularities" in the emissions controls of these models while carrying out internal investigations in the wake of the VW Group scandal. This indicates a lack of professional competence in the development of the software controlling emissions in these vehicles [71581].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors can be observed in the case of the so-called dieselgate emissions scandal involving Volkswagen. The article mentions that Volkswagen admitted to installing software in 11 million diesel cars worldwide that could detect when they were being tested and adjust their emissions accordingly. This adjustment led to significantly higher emissions levels on the road compared to laboratory conditions, indicating an accidental introduction of factors leading to increased emissions [71581]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
The software failure incident related to the emission software issues in Audi A6 and A7 models with diesel engines can be categorized as both temporary and permanent based on the information provided in the articles.
1. Temporary:
The software in question was designed to limit the injection of adblue, an additive used to clean exhaust gases, when the adblue tank runs low. This limitation leads to increased emissions. It is mentioned that the software could have been originally designed to provide users with more time to refill their adblue tanks, but it is now considered unacceptable due to its impact on emissions [71581].
2. Permanent:
The software issue in the Audi A6 and A7 models with diesel engines can also be considered a permanent failure as it was discovered during internal investigations in the aftermath of the emissions scandal that engulfed the VW Group two years ago. The irregularities in the emissions controls were identified, leading to the notification of authorities and the need for a software update for affected customers [71581]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident related to the Audi diesel emission issues does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue is related to emission control irregularities due to software limitations on adblue injection [71581].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve omission where the system fails to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the issue is related to emission control irregularities due to software limitations on adblue injection [71581].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue is related to emission control irregularities due to software limitations on adblue injection [71581].
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The software in question limits the injection of adblue, leading to increased emissions when the adblue tank runs low [71581].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not characterized by a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue is related to emission control irregularities due to software limitations on adblue injection [71581].
(f) other: The software failure incident involves a situation where the software's impact on emissions is deemed unacceptable due to its design, which could be considered a flaw in the software's intended function [71581]. |