Incident: Rearview Camera Malfunction in 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviator by Ford

Published Date: 2021-04-05

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the rearview cameras on 2020 and 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles happened when Ford announced a recall on Friday [113849]. 2. Published on 2021-04-05. 3. The incident likely occurred in April 2021.
System 1. Image processing module in 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles [113849]
Responsible Organization 1. Ford - Ford's 2020 and 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles experienced a software failure related to the image processing module causing the rearview camera to shut off intermittently while reversing. Ford announced a recall for the affected vehicles and will be reprogramming the faulty image processing modules [113849].
Impacted Organization 1. Owners of 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles [113849]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was an issue with the image processing module in the rearview camera system of the 2020 and 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles [113849].
Non-software Causes 1. The issue with the image processing module in the Lincoln Aviator causing the rearview camera to shut off intermittently while reversing [113849].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident in the 2020 and 2021 Lincoln Aviator rearview cameras caused the cameras to shut off intermittently while reversing, potentially compromising driver safety [113849].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough testing procedures during the development phase to catch any issues with the image processing module before the vehicles are released to the market [113849]. 2. Conducting regular software updates and maintenance checks to ensure the proper functioning of the image processing module over time [113849].
Fixes 1. Reprogramming the faulty image processing modules by Ford [113849].
References 1. Ford's official announcement regarding the recall of the Lincoln Aviator vehicles [113849]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the rearview camera issue in Lincoln Aviator vehicles is specific to Ford, the parent company of Lincoln. This incident has not been reported to have happened again within the same organization. [113849] (b) The software failure incident related to the rearview camera issue in Lincoln Aviator vehicles is unique to Ford and has not been reported to have happened again at other organizations. [113849]
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The issue with the rearview camera in the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator is attributed to a problem with the image processing module, indicating a design flaw introduced during the system development [113849].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident related to the rearview camera issue in the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator is within the system. The issue is specifically mentioned to be with the image processing module, indicating an internal software problem within the vehicle's system [113849].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the article is attributed to a non-human action, specifically an issue with the image processing module causing the rearview camera to shut off intermittently while reversing in certain 2020 and 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. This issue led to Ford announcing a recall for the affected vehicles and implementing a fix by reprogramming the faulty image processing modules [113849]. (b) The article does not mention any human actions contributing to the software failure incident.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to hardware. The issue with the rearview camera in the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator is attributed to a problem with the image processing module, which is a hardware component. Ford announced a recall to reprogram the faulty image processing modules to address the intermittent shut off of the rearview camera while reversing [113849].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in Article 113849 is non-malicious. The issue with the rearview camera in the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator is attributed to a problem with the image processing module, causing the camera to shut off intermittently while reversing. Ford announced a recall to address this issue by reprogramming the faulty image processing modules. This indicates that the failure was not due to any malicious intent but rather a technical flaw in the software component [113849].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown (a) The software failure incident related to the rearview camera issue in 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles was not due to poor decisions but rather a technical issue with the image processing module. Ford announced a recall to reprogram the faulty modules to address the intermittent shut off of the rearview camera while reversing [113849].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident in the article is not attributed to development incompetence. The issue with the rearview camera in the Lincoln Aviator is specifically mentioned to be related to an issue with the image processing module, which Ford is addressing through a recall and reprogramming of the faulty modules. This indicates a technical issue rather than incompetence in development [113849]. (b) The software failure incident in the article is more aligned with an accidental failure. The article describes the issue with the rearview camera shutting off intermittently while reversing as a specific technical problem related to the image processing module. Ford announced a recall to address this issue, indicating that it was an unintended problem that needs to be rectified [113849].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the rearview camera issue in the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles is temporary. The issue with the image processing module causes the rearview camera to shut off intermittently while reversing, indicating that the failure is not permanent but occurs under certain circumstances [113849].
Behaviour value (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is not described as a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [113849]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not described as an omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [113849]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not described as a timing issue where the system performs its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [113849]. (d) value: The software failure incident is described as a value issue where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly, specifically with the rearview camera shutting off intermittently while reversing due to an issue with the image processing module [113849]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not described as a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [113849]. (f) other: The software failure incident is not described as another specific behavior not covered by the options provided [113849].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception sensor (a) The software failure incident mentioned in the article is related to the perception layer of the cyber physical system, specifically the image processing module of the rearview camera in the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator. The issue causing the rearview camera to shut off intermittently while reversing is attributed to a problem with the image processing module, which falls under the sensor category in the cyber physical system. Ford announced a recall to reprogram the faulty image processing modules to address this issue [Article 113849].
Communication unknown The software failure incident related to the rearview camera issue in the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator mentioned in Article 113849 does not specify whether the failure was related to the communication layer of the cyber physical system that failed. The article focuses on the issue with the image processing module causing the rearview camera to shut off intermittently while reversing and the recall and reprogramming of the faulty modules by Ford. Therefore, it is unknown whether the failure was at the link_level or connectivity_level of the cyber physical system.
Application TRUE The software failure incident described in Article #113849 is related to the application layer of the cyber physical system. The issue with the rearview camera in the Lincoln Aviator was attributed to a problem with the image processing module, which falls under the category of application layer failures as it involves the processing of visual data captured by the camera [113849].

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property The consequence of the software failure incident related to the article is as follows: (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure. The software failure incident mentioned in the article about the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator's rearview camera issue could impact the owners of the 34,975 affected vehicles. The faulty image processing module could cause the rearview camera to shut off intermittently while reversing, potentially leading to property damage or accidents due to impaired visibility [113849].
Domain transportation (a) The failed system in this incident is related to the transportation industry as it involves the reverse cameras in vehicles, specifically the 2020 or 2021 Lincoln Aviator [113849].

Sources

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