| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Porsche Taycan losing power while driving has happened within the same organization, Porsche. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe into the 2020-2021 Taycan after receiving nine complaints from owners about a total loss of power while driving. Porsche stated that they are already underway in addressing the issue and look forward to resolving it quickly [114723].
(b) There is no information in the provided article indicating that a similar software failure incident has happened at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be inferred from the article as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe into the 2020-2021 Taycan after receiving nine complaints from owners about a total loss of power while driving. The article mentions that the loss of power in the auxiliary 12-volt battery may end up shutting down all electrical power in the car, even in the car's main battery to power the vehicle. This indicates a potential design flaw or issue introduced during the development phase [114723].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be seen in the complaints from owners who experienced the electric sedan losing all power without any warning while driving. Six of the nine complaints described a situation where owners could not restart their cars, indicating a failure during the operation of the vehicle [114723]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Porsche Taycan losing power while driving seems to be originating from within the system itself. The article mentions that the issue is related to a potential problem with the auxiliary 12-volt battery, which may end up shutting down all electrical power in the car, including the main battery to power the vehicle [114723]. This indicates an internal system issue causing the loss of power in the vehicle. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions in the Porsche Taycan investigation is primarily attributed to a potential issue with the auxiliary 12-volt battery, which could lead to a total loss of power in the vehicle, including the main battery that powers the car. This loss of power occurs without any warning while driving, with a warning message displaying a battery fault during or shortly after the stall. The NHTSA mentioned that the loss of power in the auxiliary battery could result in shutting down all electrical power in the car, even affecting the main battery [114723].
(b) The software failure incident related to human actions in the Porsche Taycan investigation involves the fact that Porsche is actively addressing the issue following customer complaints and the NHTSA inquiry. Porsche stated that their first priority is the safety of anyone traveling in their cars and that they are already working on resolving the underlying issue. The spokesperson also mentioned that all Taycans remain safe to drive, and there have been no reported accidents in connection with this issue. Additionally, Porsche affirmed that they are looking forward to answering the NHTSA's questions and quickly resolving any confirmed issue [114723]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions that the potential problem with the vehicles is related to a loss of power in the auxiliary 12-volt battery, which may end up shutting down all electrical power in the car, including the main battery to power the vehicle [114723].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The article does not specifically mention any contributing factors originating in software for the failure incident. Therefore, it is unknown if the failure was due to software-related factors [114723]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Porsche Taycan investigation does not indicate any malicious intent. The failure appears to be non-malicious, stemming from a potential defect in the vehicle's software or electrical system that causes a total loss of power while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting a probe into the issue after receiving complaints from owners about the loss of power without warning, accompanied by a battery fault warning message. Porsche has stated that their priority is the safety of their customers and that they are actively addressing the issue to resolve it promptly [114723]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Porsche Taycan losing power while driving does not seem to be directly linked to poor decisions. The article mentions that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe into the 2020-2021 Taycan after receiving complaints from owners about a total loss of power while driving. Porsche stated that they are already underway in addressing the issue and are looking forward to quickly resolving the underlying problem if confirmed [114723].
(b) The software failure incident appears to be more aligned with accidental decisions or mistakes rather than poor decisions. The complaints from owners indicate that the electric sedan loses power without warning, displaying a battery fault message. The NHTSA mentioned that the loss of power in the auxiliary 12-volt battery could lead to shutting down all electrical power in the car, even in the main battery to power the vehicle. Six of the nine complaints described situations where owners could not restart their cars [114723]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. Therefore, it is unknown whether the failure was due to contributing factors introduced due to lack of professional competence by humans or the development organization.
(b) The software failure incident related to an accidental factor is evident in the article. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe into the 2020-2021 Taycan after receiving nine complaints from owners about a total loss of power while driving. The loss of power in the auxiliary 12-volt battery may end up shutting down all electrical power in the car, even in the car's main battery to power the vehicle. This accidental failure led to situations where owners could not restart their cars, indicating an unexpected and unintentional software-related issue [114723]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Porsche Taycan involves a temporary duration. Owners reported a total loss of power while driving, with a warning message displaying a battery fault. The loss of power in the auxiliary 12-volt battery may shut down all electrical power in the car, including the main battery to power the vehicle. Six out of nine complaints described situations where owners could not restart their cars, indicating a temporary failure [114723]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is related to a crash as the electric sedan loses all power without any warning while driving, leading to a total loss of power in the vehicle [114723].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not specifically mention an omission of performing intended functions at an instance(s) [114723].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not relate to the system performing its intended functions too late or too early [114723].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not about the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [114723].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [114723].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident is related to a sudden loss of power without warning while driving, leading to a total shutdown of the vehicle, which is not explicitly covered by the options (a) to (e) [114723]. |