Incident: Takata Airbag Defect in BMW 3 Series Models.

Published Date: 2019-12-05

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the faulty Takata airbags affecting BMW 3 Series models happened in 1999 [93770].
System The software failure incident mentioned in the article is related to the Takata airbag issue affecting certain BMW 3 Series models. The specific systems/components that failed in this incident are: 1. Takata airbag inflators without stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant [93770] 2. Faulty airbag replacements received during repairs [93770]
Responsible Organization unknown
Impacted Organization unknown
Software Causes unknown
Non-software Causes 1. Non-azide driver airbag inflator without stabilized ammonium nitrate propellant manufactured by Takata for BMW, leading to potential airbag explosion or under inflation in crashes [93770]. 2. Moisture causing the airbag to explode or under inflate in the event of a crash [93770]. 3. Shrapnel spraying from the airbag explosion, increasing the risk of injury [93770]. 4. Faulty airbag replacement during a repair in the past, potentially housing the defect [93770].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident involving faulty Takata airbags led to serious safety risks for drivers and passengers, including the potential for airbag explosions and shrapnel injuries in the event of a crash [93770]. 2. The incident resulted in injuries to a driver in Australia and the death of another driver, both of whom were driving affected BMW 3 Series models with the defective airbag inflators [93770]. 3. As a result of the software failure, BMW had to recall thousands of 3 Series models, including 7,910 323i and 328is from 1999, as well as additional models from the 1999-2001 and 1999-2000 model years [93770]. 4. The recall process required affected cars to be taken back to the dealership for inspection and potential replacement of the flawed airbag inflators, impacting owners who had to wait for the availability of new parts [93770]. 5. The software failure incident affected not only BMW but also other car manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Audi, with a total of about 1.4 million cars being impacted by the faulty Takata airbags [93770].
Preventions 1. Implementing rigorous quality control measures during the manufacturing process to ensure that all components, including airbag inflators, meet safety standards [93770]. 2. Conducting thorough testing and inspection of all components, especially critical safety components like airbags, before installing them in vehicles [93770]. 3. Enhancing communication and collaboration between car manufacturers and component suppliers to promptly address and resolve any potential safety issues [93770].
Fixes 1. Inspecting and replacing the faulty Takata airbag inflators in the affected BMW 3 Series models [93770] 2. Investigating and potentially recalling affected vehicles by other automakers such as Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Audi [93770]
References 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [93770] 2. BMW [93770] 3. Audi [93770] 4. Toyota [93770] 5. Honda [93770] 6. Mitsubishi [93770]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring multiple_organization (a) In the provided articles, there is no mention of a software failure incident happening again at the same organization (BMW) or with its products and services. Therefore, there is no information available to suggest a similar incident occurring again within BMW or with its products and services. (b) The articles mention that the Takata airbag issue affecting BMW vehicles has also impacted other car manufacturers. Specifically, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that about 1.4 million cars from various brands are affected, including Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Audi [93770]. These brands are also investigating the issue to determine if their vehicles are affected by the faulty airbag inflators. This indicates that a similar incident has happened again at multiple organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident occurring due to the design phase: The incident of faulty Takata airbags affecting BMW and other car manufacturers can be attributed to a design failure in the airbag inflators. The specific inflator produced by Takata for BMW did not contain stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant, which led to the potential risk of the airbag exploding or under inflating in the event of a crash. This design flaw in the airbag inflator introduced by Takata during the development phase contributed to the safety issue affecting thousands of vehicles [93770]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to the operation phase: The article does not provide specific information about the software failure incident related to the operation phase.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Takata airbag issue in BMW vehicles can be categorized as within_system. The failure originated from within the system as it was caused by a specific type of airbag inflator produced by Takata for BMW vehicles. The issue with the airbag inflator, specifically the lack of stabilized ammonium nitrate propellant, led to the potential risk of the airbag exploding or under inflating in the event of a crash, posing a serious safety hazard to drivers and passengers [93770].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: The software failure incident related to the Takata airbag issue in BMW vehicles was caused by a faulty airbag inflator produced by Takata, which did not contain stabilized ammonium nitrate propellant. This defect could cause the airbag to explode or underinflate in the event of a crash, leading to potential injuries to the driver and passengers [93770]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: The article does not mention any specific software failure incident caused by contributing factors introduced by human actions.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The article reports on a serious issue with Takata airbags used in BMW cars, specifically the 1999 3 Series models. The issue is related to the airbag inflator, which may not contain stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. This hardware component, when faulty, could cause the airbag to explode or under inflate in the event of a crash, posing a risk of injury to the driver and passengers [93770]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The article does not mention any software-related failures or issues. Therefore, there is no information provided regarding a software failure incident originating from software-related contributing factors in this specific case [93770].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the Takata airbag issue reported in the news article is non-malicious. The issue with the airbag inflators, specifically the non-azide driver airbag inflator without stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant, was a result of a manufacturing defect and not due to any malicious intent. The faulty airbag inflators were produced by Takata for BMW and were found to pose a serious safety risk in the event of a crash, potentially causing the airbag to explode or under inflate, leading to injuries or fatalities [93770].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown unknown
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to development incompetence. (b) The software failure incident related to an accidental factor is the Takata airbag issue affecting BMW cars. The issue was caused by a specific inflator produced by Takata for BMW that may not contain stabilized ammonium nitrate propellant, leading to the airbag potentially exploding or under inflating in the event of a crash [93770]. This accidental factor resulted in serious consequences, including injuries and deaths, due to the faulty airbag inflators.
Duration unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to the BMW airbag recall issue. Therefore, the duration of the software failure incident in this case is unknown.
Behaviour other (a) crash: The software failure incident in this case is not related to a crash of the system losing state and not performing any of its intended functions. The failure is specifically related to faulty Takata airbag inflators in certain BMW 3 Series models, which may cause the airbag to explode or underinflate in the event of a crash, leading to potential injuries or fatalities [93770]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not related to omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The issue here is more about a defect in the airbag inflators that could lead to improper deployment in the event of a crash [93770]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing where the system performs its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early. The issue with the faulty airbag inflators is more about the potential for improper deployment rather than timing-related issues [93770]. (d) value: The software failure incident is not related to a value failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. The issue with the faulty airbag inflators is more about safety concerns related to potential explosions or underinflation during a crash [93770]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue with the faulty airbag inflators is more about a specific defect in the inflator design that could lead to safety risks [93770]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is related to a safety-critical flaw in the design of the Takata airbag inflators used in certain BMW 3 Series models. The flaw could potentially lead to serious injuries or fatalities in the event of a crash, highlighting a critical issue in the automotive industry related to faulty components [93770].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence death, harm (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - The article mentions that a driver in Australia died as a result of the Takata airbag issue in a 1998 BMW 3 Series [93770]. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - The article states that a driver in Australia was injured from the airbag in a 2000 BMW 3 Series due to the Takata airbag issue [93770].
Domain transportation The software failure incident reported in the news articles is related to the transportation industry. The incident involves a recall of certain BMW 3 Series models due to a newly discovered Takata airbag issue [93770]. This issue affects thousands of vehicles, specifically the 1999 323i and 328i models, which may have faulty airbag inflators that could explode or underinflate in the event of a crash, posing a risk to drivers and passengers [93770]. Additionally, the article mentions that other car manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Audi are also affected by the faulty Takata airbags, indicating a broader impact on the transportation industry [93770].

Sources

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