| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to cylinder deactivation technology causing engine issues has happened again at Mazda. This incident led to a recall of approximately 262,000 cars and SUVs due to a powertrain control module malfunction [Article 86984]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the Mazda vehicles was related to the design phase. The issue stemmed from the cars' cylinder deactivation technology, specifically the powertrain control module in charge of the hydraulic valve clearance adjuster functioning incorrectly during the transition from cylinder deactivation to full cylinder activation. This design flaw could cause the intake valve rocker arm to leave its usual position and potentially bump into other engine components, leading to misfires, power loss, warning lights on the dashboard, and even engine stalling [86984].
(b) There is no information in the provided 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 related to the Mazda recall for approximately 262,000 cars and SUVs is within the system. The issue is with the cars' cylinder deactivation technology and the powertrain control module responsible for the hydraulic valve clearance adjuster. The malfunction within the system causes the intake valve rocker arm to leave its usual position and potentially bump into other engine components, leading to misfires, power loss, warning lights on the dashboard, and even engine stalling [Article 86984]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Mazda vehicles was related to the cylinder deactivation technology. The issue occurred when transitioning from cylinder deactivation to full cylinder activation, where a powertrain control module responsible for the hydraulic valve clearance adjuster might function incorrectly, causing the intake valve rocker arm to move out of position and potentially bump into other engine components. This non-human action within the software led to consequences such as engine misfire, loss of power, warning lights on the dashboard, and even the possibility of the engine stalling without the ability to restart, increasing the risk of a crash [86984].
(b) The article does not provide specific information about the software failure incident being caused by human actions. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident in the Mazda vehicles was related to hardware. The issue stemmed from the powertrain control module in charge of the hydraulic valve clearance adjuster functioning incorrectly, causing the intake valve rocker arm to leave its usual position and potentially bump into other engine components, leading to misfires, loss of power, and stalling of the engine [Article 86984]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Mazda recall for approximately 262,000 cars and SUVs was non-malicious. The issue stemmed from the cars' cylinder deactivation technology, specifically a powertrain control module in charge of the hydraulic valve clearance adjuster functioning incorrectly when transitioning from cylinder deactivation to full cylinder activation. This caused the intake valve rocker arm to leave its usual position and potentially bump into other engine components, leading to engine misfires, loss of power, warning lights on the dashboard, and a risk of stalling without the ability to restart. Mazda mentioned that they had not received any reports of accidents or injuries due to this problem [86984]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Mazda recall appears to be more aligned with poor_decisions. The issue stemmed from the cars' cylinder deactivation technology, specifically the powertrain control module in charge of the hydraulic valve clearance adjuster functioning incorrectly during the transition from cylinder deactivation to full cylinder activation. This led to the intake valve rocker arm leaving its usual position and potentially causing misfires, loss of power, stalling of the engine, and an increased risk of a crash while the vehicle is in motion. The decision-making process or design of the software component responsible for this transition seems to have introduced contributing factors that led to the failure [86984]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident in the Mazda vehicles was not explicitly attributed to development incompetence. The issue was related to the cylinder deactivation technology and a malfunction in the powertrain control module, which could cause the intake valve rocker arm to bump into other engine components, leading to misfires, loss of power, and potential stalling of the engine [Article 86984].
(b) The software failure incident in the Mazda vehicles was described as a technical issue with the powertrain control module that could cause the engine to misfire, lose power, and potentially stall without the ability to restart. This issue was not mentioned as being accidental but rather as a specific malfunction related to the transition from cylinder deactivation to full cylinder activation [Article 86984]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Mazda recall for cylinder deactivation issues can be categorized as a temporary failure. The article mentions that the issue arises when transitioning from cylinder deactivation to full cylinder activation, where the powertrain control module might function incorrectly, causing the intake valve rocker arm to bump into other engine components. This results in potential misfires, loss of power, warning lights on the dashboard, and even the engine stalling without the ability to restart. However, Mazda stated that they have not received any reports of accidents or injuries stemming from this problem, indicating that the failure is not permanent but rather temporary until the software issue is addressed through a recall and potential reflash of the powertrain control module [86984]. |
| Behaviour |
crash |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The article mentions that if the cylinder deactivation system malfunctions during the transition from cylinder deactivation to full cylinder activation, the engine may misfire, lose power, and even stall without the ability to restart. This can lead to a crash risk while the vehicle is traveling at speed, indicating a failure due to the system losing state and not performing its intended functions [Article 86984]. |