| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Ford Mustang Mach-E's 12-volt battery problem has happened again within the same organization. Ford Motor Co's newest electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E, experienced a battery problem that left some vehicles unable to start after charging due to a software glitch causing the 12-volt battery to discharge while the high-voltage battery pack is charging [113851]. Ford acknowledged the issue and mentioned that a small number of Mach-Es built before Feb. 3 were affected, and dealers could correct the problem by reprogramming electronic control modules on the vehicle [113851].
(b) The software failure incident related to the Ford Mustang Mach-E's 12-volt battery problem has not been reported to have happened at other organizations or with their products and services in the provided articles. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the articles. The issue with the 12-volt battery system in Ford's Mustang Mach-E EV was caused by a software glitch that led to the smaller 12-volt battery discharging while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging [Article 113851]. This design flaw in the software architecture resulted in the vehicles being unable to start after charging, impacting the user experience and functionality of the EV.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the articles. Owners of the early Mach-E models found their vehicles in Deep Sleep Mode after leaving them on the charger overnight, rendering the EVs unusable [Article 113210]. This operational issue was caused by the vehicle computer not allowing the 12-volt battery to charge itself when the vehicle was on a charger, leading to the draining of the battery overnight in some instances. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident with the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV was caused by a software glitch within the vehicle's system. The glitch caused the smaller 12-volt battery to discharge while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging, leading to the vehicles being unable to start after charging [Article 113851].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident was also influenced by factors outside the system, such as the charging process and the interaction between the 12-volt battery and the high-voltage propulsion battery. The issue arose when the vehicle computer prevented the 12-volt battery from charging itself while the vehicle was on a charger, leading to the draining of the 12-volt battery in some instances [Article 113210]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software glitch causing the 12-volt battery discharge while the larger high-voltage battery pack is charging was identified as a contributing factor in the failure incident [Article 113851].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The issue with the 12-volt battery system in the Mustang Mach-E was attributed to the vehicle computer not allowing the 12-volt battery to charge itself when the vehicle was on a charger, leading to draining of the battery overnight in some instances [Article 113210]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The incident with the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV was caused by a fault in the 12-volt battery system, specifically related to how the 12-volt battery keeps itself charged [113210].
- The issue was described as a software glitch that caused the smaller 12-volt battery to discharge while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging, leading to the vehicle being unable to start after charging [113851].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The incident was primarily attributed to a software glitch that caused the 12-volt battery problem in the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV [113851].
- Ford mentioned that dealers could correct the issue by reprogramming several of the electronic control modules on the vehicle, indicating a software-related fix [113851]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV was non-malicious. The incident was caused by a software glitch that led to the vehicle's smaller 12-volt battery discharging while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging. This glitch resulted in owners being unable to start their vehicles after charging [Article 113851]. Ford acknowledged the issue and stated that only a small number of Mach-Es built before a certain date were affected. The problem could be corrected by reprogramming several electronic control modules on the vehicle [Article 113851].
Additionally, Ford issued a technical service bulletin to assist its technicians in addressing the issue, indicating a proactive approach to resolving the software glitch [Article 113210]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
[a] The software failure incident related to the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV was primarily due to accidental_decisions. The incident was caused by a software glitch that led to the vehicle's smaller 12-volt battery discharging while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging [Article 113851]. This unintended consequence resulted in owners being unable to start their vehicles after charging, requiring dealers to reprogram several electronic control modules to correct the issue. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV was primarily due to development incompetence. The incident was caused by a software glitch that led to the vehicle's 12-volt battery discharging while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging [Article 113851]. This issue was identified as affecting a small number of Mach-Es built before a certain date, indicating a fault in the development process that allowed this glitch to occur.
Additionally, the article mentions that Ford issued a technical service bulletin to assist its technicians in resolving the issue, indicating that the company had to actively work on fixing the problem caused by the software glitch [Article 113210]. This proactive response suggests that the software failure was a result of a lack of professional competence in ensuring the proper functioning of the vehicle's battery system.
(b) The incident does not seem to be related to an accidental software failure. The articles do not mention any accidental factors contributing to the software glitch that caused the battery problem in the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Ford Mustang Mach-E involved a temporary failure. The issue was caused by a software glitch that discharged the vehicle's 12-volt battery while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging. Ford mentioned that only "a small number" of Mach-Es built before Feb. 3 were affected by this issue, and dealers were able to correct the problem by reprogramming several electronic control modules on the vehicle [Article 113851].
Additionally, Ford proactively worked with early owners experiencing this issue to identify the root cause and a fix. In rare instances where the problem still occurred, customers could contact their local EV-certified Ford dealer to have the matter resolved. Ford issued a technical service bulletin to assist its technicians in sorting out the issue, indicating that the problem was not permanent but could be addressed through reprogramming and fixes [Article 113210]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash. Owners of the Ford Mustang Mach-E experienced a situation where the vehicle's 12-volt battery system failed, leading the vehicle to enter Deep Sleep Mode, rendering it unusable or "bricked" [113210]. This crash occurred due to the system losing its state and not performing its intended functions as the vehicle could not be started after charging, indicating a significant failure in the software system.
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. The issue arose from a software glitch that caused the smaller 12-volt battery to discharge while the larger high-voltage battery pack was charging, leading to the omission of the intended function of maintaining the 12-volt battery's charge [113851].
(c) timing: The timing of the software failure incident is not explicitly mentioned in the articles.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value failure. The system performed its intended functions incorrectly by not allowing the 12-volt battery to charge itself when the vehicle was on a charger, leading to the draining of the battery overnight and rendering the vehicle unusable [113210].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not described as a byzantine failure in the articles.
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident is the system behaving in a way that caused the latch of the frunk to be electronically latched, with the power coming from the 12-volt battery. This behavior added to the complexity of the issue and the challenges faced by the owners in accessing the battery for a jump start [113210]. |