Incident: Tesla Full Self-Driving Software Recall for Rolling Stop Issue.

Published Date: 2022-02-01

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections happened in February 2022 as reported in [Article 123431], [Article 123661], and [Article 123622].
System 1. Full Self-Driving (Beta) software [Article 123431, Article 123661, Article 124323, Article 123622]
Responsible Organization 1. Tesla Inc - The software failure incident involving the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software that allowed vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" was caused by Tesla's intentional design choice to include this functionality, which posed a safety risk [123431, 123661, 124323]. 2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - NHTSA played a role in identifying the software failure incident and pressuring Tesla to address the issue through a recall and software update [123431, 123661, 124323].
Impacted Organization 1. Tesla Inc - The software failure incident impacted Tesla Inc as they had to recall nearly 54,000 vehicles with the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software due to the issue of rolling through stop signs [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622].
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was the "Full Self-Driving (Beta)" software feature in Tesla vehicles that allowed them to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections, not coming to a complete stop, posing a safety risk [123431, 123661, 124323]. 2. The feature, known as FSD Beta, was introduced in an updated version of the software that allowed vehicles to travel through all-way stop intersections without first coming to a stop [123431, 123661, 123622]. 3. Tesla agreed to disable the "rolling stop" functionality through an over-the-air software update to address the software issue [123431, 123661, 123622].
Non-software Causes 1. The design choice by Tesla to allow vehicles using its Full Self-Driving (Beta) system to roll through stop signs at low speeds, prompting concerns from U.S. Senate Democrats [Article 124323]. 2. The intentional programming of Tesla's "full self-driving" driver-assist feature to slowly roll through stop signs in some scenarios, leading to the recall of affected vehicles [Article 123622].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident in Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowed vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections, posing a safety risk. As a result, Tesla recalled 53,822 U.S. vehicles to disable this functionality [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622]. 2. The recall covered some 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles equipped with the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software [123431, 123661, 123622]. 3. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) raised concerns about the software allowing vehicles to travel through all-way stop intersections without coming to a complete stop, which could increase the risk of crashes [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622]. 4. Tesla agreed to disable the "rolling stop" feature through an over-the-air software update to address the safety issue identified by NHTSA [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622]. 5. The recall highlighted the need for manufacturers to consider safety implications and risks associated with software updates and features, as well as the importance of regulatory oversight in ensuring road safety [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622].
Preventions 1. Thorough Testing and Evaluation: Conducting comprehensive testing and evaluation of the software functionality, especially in real-world scenarios, could have potentially identified the issue with the "rolling stop" feature before it was released to the public [Article 123661]. 2. Implementing Effective Monitoring Systems: Utilizing effective monitoring systems, such as camera-based driver monitoring systems, to prevent misuse and ensure that drivers are attentive and ready to take control of the vehicle at all times could have helped prevent unsafe driving habits associated with the software [Article 124323]. 3. Compliance with Safety Regulations: Ensuring compliance with safety regulations and standards, such as the Vehicle Safety Act, to prevent the release of software features that pose unreasonable risks to safety, including intentional design choices that are unsafe, could have mitigated the software failure incident [Article 123622]. 4. Prioritizing Safety Over Innovation: Prioritizing safety considerations over innovation and ensuring that software features are designed with safety as a top priority could have potentially avoided the introduction of risky functionalities like the "rolling stop" feature [Article 123431].
Fixes 1. Tesla will perform an over-the-air software update to disable the "rolling stop" functionality in the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software, addressing the issue of vehicles not coming to a complete stop at intersections [Article 123431, Article 123661, Article 123622]. 2. Tesla agreed to recall about 54,000 U.S. vehicles to revise software to prevent vehicles from disregarding stop signs, showing a commitment to addressing safety concerns raised by regulators [Article 124323]. 3. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will disable the "rolling stop" feature through an updated version of the Full Self-Driving software released over the internet, ensuring drivers won't need to take their vehicles for servicing [Article 123622].
References 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [Article 123431, Article 123661, Article 124323] 2. Tesla Inc [Article 123431, Article 123661, Article 124323] 3. U.S. Senate Democrats (Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey) [Article 124323] 4. Alain Kornhauser, faculty chair of autonomous vehicle engineering at Princeton University [Article 123661]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) In the provided articles, the software failure incident related to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections has happened again within the same organization. Tesla had previously faced a similar issue where the Full Self-Driving software allowed vehicles to roll through stop signs, prompting a recall of nearly 54,000 vehicles [123431, 123661, 124323]. (b) Additionally, the articles mention that Tesla's Full Self-Driving software incident has prompted scrutiny from government safety regulators, indicating that similar incidents or concerns about autonomous driving features may have occurred at other organizations as well [124323].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the case of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections. This functionality was introduced in an updated version of the software released on October 20, which violated state laws requiring vehicles to come to a complete stop. The feature was designed to be used when vehicles were traveling below 5.6 miles per hour and no relevant moving cars, pedestrians, or bicyclists were detected near the intersection [123431, 123661, 123622]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted by the fact that Tesla drivers were able to enable the "rolling stop" feature in the Full Self-Driving software, allowing vehicles to go through stop signs at up to 5.6 mph. This feature required drivers to opt-in for what was dubbed "Assertive" mode, and it was reported that the software could malfunction, potentially exposing other motorists and pedestrians to danger due to the operation of the system by untrained drivers [123431, 123661, 123622].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system, outside_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections was a result of a feature introduced in a software update that enabled the "rolling stop" functionality. Tesla released an updated version on October 20 to introduce this feature, which violated state laws requiring vehicles to come to a complete stop. The feature was part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) system and required drivers to opt-in for what was dubbed "Assertive" mode [123431, 123661, 123622]. (b) outside_system: The software failure incident was also influenced by external factors such as regulatory scrutiny and pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tesla agreed to the recall of nearly 54,000 vehicles after discussions with NHTSA, which raised concerns about the feature allowing vehicles to roll through stop signs. The recall was initiated following meetings with NHTSA, indicating external regulatory oversight impacting the decision to disable the "rolling stop" functionality [123431, 123661, 124323].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident involving Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections was identified as a non-human action. This issue was due to the intentional programming of the software to slowly roll through stop signs in certain scenarios, leading to a safety risk [123431, 123661, 123622]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The software failure incident related to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to roll through stop signs was primarily attributed to human actions. Tesla made the decision to introduce the "rolling stop" functionality in a software update, which was later identified as a safety concern by regulators, leading to a recall and software update to disable the feature [123431, 123661, 123622].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - There is no specific mention of the software failure incident in the provided articles being attributed to hardware issues. Therefore, it is unknown if the incident was caused by hardware-related factors. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident reported in the articles is attributed to a software issue. Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowed some vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections, posing a safety risk [123431, 123661, 124323]. - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mentioned that the recall covers vehicles with the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software that may allow vehicles to travel through all-way stop intersections without coming to a complete stop [123431]. - Tesla agreed to disable the "rolling stop" feature through an over-the-air software update to address the software issue [123431, 123661]. - The recall was initiated after Tesla released an updated version introducing the "rolling stop" functionality, which drew attention on social media and prompted NHTSA to raise questions with Tesla [123431]. - The recall was related to intentional design choices in the software that were deemed unsafe, leading to the need for corrective action [123431, 123622]. - The software issue was identified during testing of Tesla's Full Self-Driving software on public roads, highlighting the importance of addressing software-related risks [123661]. - The recall involved disabling the feature that allowed vehicles to roll through stop signs, emphasizing the significance of addressing software flaws to ensure safety on the roads [123622].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the Tesla Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections was non-malicious. The feature was intentionally programmed to allow vehicles to slowly roll through stop signs under certain conditions, such as when no relevant moving cars, pedestrians, or bicyclists were detected near the intersection. Tesla decided to disable this function following discussions with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622]. (b) The software failure incident was not malicious as there is no indication in the articles that the feature allowing rolling stops was introduced with the intent to harm the system or users. Instead, it was a design choice made by Tesla that raised safety concerns and prompted a recall to address the issue in order to prevent potential risks on the road [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) poor_decisions: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by poor decisions - The software failure incident involving Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections was due to poor decisions made by Tesla in introducing the "rolling stop" functionality in an updated version of the software [123431, 123661, 124323]. - Tesla faced criticism for allowing vehicles to roll through stop signs at low speeds, which raised significant concerns about encouraging unsafe driving habits [124323]. - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlighted that federal law prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with defects posing unreasonable risks to safety, including intentional design choices that are unsafe, indicating poor decisions in the software design [123431]. - The recall of nearly 54,000 vehicles with the Full Self-Driving software was a result of Tesla's decision to disable the "rolling stop" feature after discussions with NHTSA, indicating a recognition of poor decisions in the initial software implementation [123661]. (b) accidental_decisions: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by mistakes or unintended decisions - The software failure incident involving Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections was not described as an accidental decision but rather a deliberate introduction of the feature in an updated version of the software [123431, 123661, 124323]. - The intentional programming of the software to slowly roll through stop signs in some scenarios was a deliberate decision by Tesla, indicating that the failure was not accidental but a result of intentional design choices [123622]. - The recall of vehicles with the Full Self-Driving software was a result of Tesla deciding to disable the "rolling stop" feature following discussions with NHTSA, suggesting a corrective action taken after recognizing the implications of the intentional design choice [123622].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the case of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections. The feature was introduced in an updated version of the software, which violated state laws requiring vehicles to come to a complete stop. Tesla faced scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and had to agree to a recall after meetings with regulators [123431, 123661, 123622]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is seen in Tesla's Full Self-Driving software allowing vehicles to roll through stop signs. This feature was intentionally programmed into the software, leading to safety concerns and prompting a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlighted the risks posed by intentional design choices that are unsafe, indicating that the issue was not accidental but a deliberate programming decision by Tesla [123622].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the Tesla Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections was temporary. The incident was due to a specific feature introduced in the software update that enabled the rolling stop functionality, which was later identified as a safety risk and addressed through an over-the-air software update to disable the feature [123431, 123661, 124323]. The recall and software update indicate that the failure was not permanent but rather a temporary issue caused by the specific design choice in the software.
Behaviour omission, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [unknown]. (b) omission: The software failure incident involves omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowed vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" and not come to a complete stop at some intersections, posing a safety risk [Article 123431, Article 123661, Article 124323]. (c) timing: The software failure incident does not involve timing issues where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early [unknown]. (d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [unknown]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [unknown]. (f) other: The other behavior in this software failure incident is the intentional design choice by Tesla to allow vehicles using its Full Self-Driving (Beta) system to roll through stop signs at low speeds, which was considered unsafe and prompted a recall [Article 124323].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception sensor, embedded_software (a) sensor: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by sensor error: - The software failure incident related to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software involved a feature that allowed vehicles to roll through stop signs at low speeds. This failure was related to the perception layer of the cyber physical system, specifically the sensor error, as the vehicles were not detecting relevant moving cars, pedestrians, or bicyclists near the intersection as required for the feature to activate ([123431], [123661], [124323]). (b) actuator: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by actuator error: - There is no specific mention of the failure being related to actuator error in the provided articles. (c) processing_unit: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by processing error: - The software failure incident did not directly point to a processing error as the cause of the failure. (d) network_communication: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by network communication error: - The software failure incident did not indicate any network communication error as a contributing factor to the failure. (e) embedded_software: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by embedded software error: - The failure in the Tesla Full Self-Driving (Beta) software was primarily related to the embedded software error, as the feature allowing vehicles to roll through stop signs was a result of the software's design choices and programming decisions ([123431], [123661], [124323]).
Communication unknown The software failure incident reported in the news articles does not directly relate to a failure at the communication layer of the cyber-physical system. The incidents discussed in the articles primarily focus on Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections, posing safety risks. The failure is more related to the functionality and behavior of the software itself rather than a failure at the communication layer of the cyber-physical system. Therefore, the failure does not fall under the categories of link_level or connectivity_level failures as described in the question.
Application FALSE The software failure incident related to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software allowing vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections does not seem to be directly related to the application layer of the cyber physical system. The failure appears to be more about a specific functionality or feature within the software that allowed vehicles to roll through stop signs under certain conditions, rather than a broader application layer issue caused by bugs, operating system errors, unhandled exceptions, or incorrect usage. Therefore, the failure does not align with the definition provided for an application layer failure [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622].

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence non-human, theoretical_consequence (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - There is no mention of any deaths related to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - There is no mention of any physical harm to individuals due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure - There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted by the software failure incident in the provided articles. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident involving Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software led to a recall of vehicles due to the risk of "rolling stops" at intersections, posing a safety risk [123431, 123661, 124323]. However, there is no specific mention of property damage or financial loss caused by the software failure. (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure - There is no mention of people having to postpone activities due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident primarily affected Tesla vehicles equipped with the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software, leading to a recall to address the issue of rolling stops at intersections [123431, 123661, 124323]. Non-human entities like vehicles were impacted by the software failure. (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure - The software failure incident involving Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software did have observed consequences, including the recall of vehicles and the need for a software update to disable the "rolling stop" functionality [123431, 123661, 124323]. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur - The articles discuss potential safety risks posed by the software failure incident, such as vehicles not coming to a complete stop at intersections, which could lead to accidents [123431, 123661, 124323]. However, there is no mention of any actual accidents or incidents occurring as a result of the software failure. (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? - There are no other specific consequences mentioned in the articles beyond those related to safety risks, the recall of vehicles, and the need for a software update to address the issue of rolling stops at intersections.
Domain transportation, finance, government (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the transportation industry. Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software, which allowed vehicles to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections, posed a safety risk for transportation [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622]. (h) The software failure incident also has implications for the finance industry. The U.S. Senate Democrats raised concerns about Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems, highlighting potential risks and implications for road safety, which can impact the financial aspects of the industry [124323]. (l) Additionally, the government sector is involved in addressing the software failure incident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) played a crucial role in overseeing the recall of Tesla vehicles and engaging in discussions with the automaker regarding safety concerns related to the Full Self-Driving software [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622]. (m) The software failure incident is also relevant to the technology industry. Tesla's Full Self-Driving software, a driver-assist feature, faced scrutiny and regulatory actions due to safety concerns and design choices, highlighting the intersection of technology and transportation [123431, 123661, 124323, 123622].

Sources

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