| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to Tesla's battery management software updates causing potential defects and fires has happened again within the same organization. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating possible battery defects in Tesla sedans and SUVs after cars spontaneously burst into flames due to the software updates [91379]. Owners of 2012-2019 Tesla Model S and Model X electric cars received an over-the-air software update that addressed battery management systems, which led to concerns about reduced driving range and potential defects related to fire risks [90564]. Additionally, a class-action lawsuit claimed that Tesla knew about the defects and the impact of the software update on driving range, indicating a recurring issue within the organization.
(b) The software failure incident related to Tesla's software updates has also happened at multiple organizations. Walmart accused Tesla of selling it defective solar panels that started fires on the roofs of its stores, indicating a similar issue with a different product line [91379]. Furthermore, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) noted incidents involving the Tesla Smart Summon feature, part of the V10 software update, where owners experienced issues, near crashes, and minor wrecks while using the feature, suggesting software-related problems with different functionalities across various organizations [90564]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the articles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating possible battery defects in Tesla sedans and SUVs, specifically focusing on battery management software updates in Model S and X vehicles from 2012 through 2019 [91379, 90564]. Owners reported concerns that a software update meant to address battery management systems may have been in response to a potential defect, with some claiming that the update also reduced the electric driving range of their vehicles [90564]. Additionally, a class-action lawsuit alleged that Tesla knew about defects in some vehicles and that the company was aware the update lessened driving range, suggesting a failure in the design or implementation of the software update [90564].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the articles. Owners expressed displeasure with the software update, with some claiming that it reduced their Tesla's electric driving range [90564]. Furthermore, incidents involving the Tesla Smart Summon feature, part of the V10 software update, were reported, with owners sharing stories on social media detailing issues, near crashes, and minor wrecks while using Smart Summon [90564]. These incidents suggest failures in the operation or use of the software features introduced by the update. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system:
- The software failure incident related to the Tesla vehicles involves potential defects in the battery management software updates [91379, 90564].
- Owners reported concerns that the software update was meant to address a potential defect related to a fire risk outside of a crash [90564].
- The software update also led to a reduction in the electric driving range of the Tesla vehicles [90564].
- A class-action lawsuit claimed that Tesla knew about the defects in the vehicles and that the update lessened the driving range, suggesting an internal issue within the system [90564].
(b) outside_system:
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated an investigation into the potential battery defects in Tesla vehicles, indicating external scrutiny and involvement [91379].
- NHTSA is evaluating a petition to investigate defects in battery software updates in Tesla Model S and X vehicles, suggesting external pressure on Tesla to address the issue [91379].
- NHTSA aims to determine if Tesla should have recalled the cars for the potential defect, indicating external oversight and regulatory involvement [90564].
- NHTSA is gathering information about incidents involving the Tesla Smart Summon feature, showing ongoing external monitoring of Tesla's software features [90564]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The articles report incidents of Tesla vehicles spontaneously bursting into flames, potentially due to battery defects and software updates [91379, 90564].
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating possible battery defects in Tesla sedans and SUVs, specifically related to battery management software updates [91379, 90564].
- Owners of Tesla Model S and Model X cars received over-the-air software updates meant to address battery management systems, which some owners claim reduced their vehicles' electric driving range [90564].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- Owners expressed displeasure with the software update, claiming Tesla knew about defects in the vehicles and intentionally lessened driving range to avoid providing warranty battery replacements [90564].
- A class-action lawsuit alleged that Tesla was aware of the defects in some 2,000 vehicles and the impact of the software update on driving range [90564]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating possible battery defects in Tesla sedans and SUVs, specifically looking into defects in battery software updates in Model S and X vehicles [91379].
- Owners of Tesla Model S and Model X cars received a software update meant to address battery management systems, which potentially dealt with a fire risk that could occur outside of a crash [90564].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The software update received by owners of Tesla Model S and Model X cars was meant to address battery management systems, but some owners reported that the update reduced their electric driving range [90564].
- A class-action lawsuit claimed that Tesla knew about defects in some vehicles and that the software update lessened driving range, suggesting a software-related issue [90564]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The articles do not mention any indication of a malicious software failure incident. [91379, 90564]
(b) The software failure incident discussed in the articles is non-malicious. The failure is related to potential defects in battery management software updates in Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles, which led to safety concerns such as spontaneous fires and reduced driving range. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Tesla should have recalled the cars for this potential defect. Owners expressed displeasure with the software update, and there were concerns about fire risks outside of crashes. Additionally, there were incidents related to the Smart Summon feature causing issues, near crashes, and minor wrecks. Tesla is facing scrutiny over these non-malicious software failures. [91379, 90564] |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions can be inferred from the articles. The incidents involving Tesla vehicles bursting into flames and the subsequent investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) point towards potential defects in battery software updates [91379, 90564]. These updates, which were meant to address battery management systems, led to concerns from owners about reduced driving range and fire risks. Additionally, a class-action lawsuit claimed that Tesla knew about the defects in the vehicles and the impact of the software update on driving range but aimed to avoid providing warranty battery replacements to customers [90564]. These actions suggest that the software failure incident may have been influenced by poor decisions made by Tesla in implementing the software updates. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the articles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating possible battery defects in Tesla vehicles, specifically related to battery management software updates in Model S and X vehicles [91379]. Owners reported concerns that a software update meant to address battery management systems potentially led to a reduction in the electric driving range of their Teslas [90564]. Additionally, a class-action lawsuit claimed that Tesla knew about defects in the vehicles and intentionally reduced the driving range to avoid providing warranty battery replacements [90564].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also present in the articles. Owners reported that the software update, which aimed to address a potential defect related to fire risk outside of a crash, inadvertently reduced the driving range of some Tesla vehicles [90564]. Furthermore, incidents involving the Tesla Smart Summon feature, part of a software update, led to issues, near crashes, and minor wrecks, indicating unintended consequences of the software update [90564]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Tesla battery management system updates in Model S and Model X vehicles appears to be more of a permanent nature. The updates introduced by Tesla in May 2019 were meant to address battery management systems, but some owners reported that the update reduced their electric driving range permanently [90564]. Additionally, there were concerns raised about the potential defect leading to a fire risk that could occur outside of a crash, affecting around 2,000 Tesla vehicles [90564].
(b) The software failure incident could also be considered temporary as there were reports of the battery updates reducing the vehicles' range by about 25 to 30 miles [91379]. This reduction in range could be seen as a temporary impact caused by the specific circumstances surrounding the software update. |
| Behaviour |
omission, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention any incidents where the software caused a crash by losing state and not performing any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The articles mention that some owners of Tesla Model S and Model X cars reported that a software update reduced their electric driving range, indicating an omission in the system's intended functions [Article 90564].
(c) timing: The articles do not mention any incidents where the software performed its intended functions but at the wrong time.
(d) value: The articles do not mention any incidents where the software performed its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The articles do not mention any incidents where the software behaved erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident mentioned in the articles is related to potential defects in the battery management software updates in Tesla vehicles, leading to safety concerns such as spontaneous fires and reduced driving range [Article 91379, Article 90564]. |