Published Date: 2022-02-02
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident involving unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles happened in 2021-2022 [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. (Note: The incident timeline is directly mentioned in the articles.) |
| System | 1. Tesla's driver assistance system Autopilot 2. Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta software 3. Tesla's forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems 4. Tesla's radar sensor 5. Tesla's camera-based system "Tesla Vision" 6. Tesla's "Passenger Play" gaming feature 7. Tesla's over-the-air software updates 8. Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features 9. Tesla's hardware suite, specifically the elimination of radar 10. Tesla's cruise control features [CNN, 124000, 124214] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Tesla (specifically related to the Autopilot system) [#124324, #124070, #124000, #124214] |
| Impacted Organization | 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214] |
| Software Causes | 1. The software cause of the failure incident was related to the Tesla vehicles' driver assistance system Autopilot, specifically involving unexpected brake activation while using Autopilot [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. 2. The issue was attributed to a glitch in the cars' forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems, causing the vehicles to suddenly slow down in response to falsely detected hazards [124070, 124214]. 3. Tesla faced complaints of "phantom braking," where the vehicles would brake without warning, at random, and often repeatedly during a single drive cycle, leading to safety concerns [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. 4. The problem was exacerbated after Tesla removed radar sensors from most of its vehicles, relying exclusively on cameras for its driver-assist features, which led to more instances of phantom braking [124000, 124214]. 5. The issue was also linked to Tesla's shift from a multi-sensor perception system to a camera-based system called "Tesla Vision," which contributed to the surge in complaints related to unexpected braking incidents [124214]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. The failure incident of unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles was attributed to the removal of radar sensors from the vehicles, leading to issues with the driver assistance system [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. 2. The reliance on a camera-based system, known as "Tesla Vision," instead of a multi-sensor perception system combining cameras and radar, was identified as a factor contributing to the problem [124214]. |
| Impacts | 1. The unexpected braking incidents in Tesla vehicles led to safety concerns and potential risks for drivers and passengers, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. 2. Owners reported instances of sudden deceleration, violent braking, and loss of control of the vehicle, posing a danger to the occupants [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. 3. The phantom braking issue affected Tesla vehicles using the Autopilot system, causing disruptions during highway driving and potentially increasing the risk of rear-end collisions [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. 4. The incidents resulted in a significant number of complaints to NHTSA, with reports of over 100 complaints in a short period, indicating a widespread impact on Tesla owners [124070, 124214]. 5. The software failure incidents prompted NHTSA to open formal investigations and evaluations into Tesla vehicles, potentially leading to recalls and further regulatory actions [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing thorough testing procedures during the development phase to detect and address any potential issues with the Autopilot system before it is deployed in vehicles [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. 2. Maintaining a multi-sensor perception system combining cameras and radar to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the driver-assist features, rather than solely relying on a camera-based system [124070, 124214]. 3. Responding promptly to user complaints and feedback regarding phantom braking incidents to investigate and address the issue before it escalates [124070, 124214]. 4. Conducting regular software updates and patches to address any identified issues or vulnerabilities in the Autopilot system to ensure the safety and reliability of the driving assistance features [124000, 124214]. |
| Fixes | 1. Reintroducing radar sensors in Tesla vehicles to complement the camera-based system, as the removal of radar sensors has been linked to the phantom braking issue [124000, 124214]. 2. Addressing the glitch in the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems that causes the phantom braking incidents [124070, 124214]. 3. Conducting thorough software updates to rectify the issue, as Tesla vehicles can often be fixed through over-the-air software updates [124000]. 4. Enhancing the driver-assistance features, such as Autopilot, to ensure they function reliably and do not lead to unexpected braking incidents [124214]. 5. Implementing measures to improve the reliability and safety of the Full Self-Driving beta software to prevent unnecessary braking or false collision warnings [124070]. 6. Responding to consumer complaints promptly and effectively to address concerns related to phantom braking and other software-related issues [124324, 124070]. | References | 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [Article 124324, Article 124070, Article 124000, Article 124214] 2. Tesla CEO Elon Musk [Article 124324, Article 124070, Article 124214] 3. Tesla owners who filed complaints [Article 124070, Article 124214] 4. The Washington Post [Article 124070, Article 124214] 5. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) [Article 124214] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident related to unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles has happened again at Tesla. The incident involves Tesla vehicles experiencing phantom braking issues while using the Autopilot system, leading to sudden and unexpected deceleration without warning. This issue has been reported multiple times by Tesla owners, with complaints about the braking being described as "phantom braking" [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. (b) The software failure incident related to unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles has also occurred at other organizations or with their products and services. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received complaints and reports of similar unexpected braking incidents in Tesla vehicles, affecting a significant number of vehicles and leading to safety concerns. This issue has prompted investigations and evaluations by NHTSA into the potential risks associated with the unexpected braking behavior [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase: - The software failure incident involving unexpected brake activation in Tesla vehicles while using Autopilot was attributed to a design issue with the advanced driver assistance system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received complaints about rapid deceleration occurring without warning, at random, and repeatedly during a single drive cycle [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. - Tesla's decision to drop a radar sensor from its partially automated driving system was mentioned as an attempt to address the "phantom braking" issue, indicating a design change that aimed to mitigate the problem [124324, 124070]. - The complaints highlighted issues with Tesla's Autopilot system, which allows vehicles to brake and steer automatically within lanes, indicating a design flaw in the system's functionality [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase: - The software failure incident involving unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles was also linked to the operation phase, specifically the use of the Autopilot system by drivers. Owners reported instances of sudden braking while utilizing the advanced driver-assistance features, such as adaptive cruise control, during highway driving [124214]. - Owners described how the phantom braking issue made Tesla's cruise control features unusable, indicating operational challenges faced by drivers due to the software failure [124214]. - The complaints from Tesla owners highlighted the operational impact of the software failure, with drivers experiencing sudden deceleration without any visible hazards, leading to safety concerns during operation [124214]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system, outside_system | (a) The software failure incident related to unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles while using Autopilot can be categorized as within_system. The incident is attributed to issues within the Tesla vehicles' driver assistance system, specifically Autopilot, which is designed to brake and steer automatically within its lanes. Complaints reported rapid deceleration occurring without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. (b) The software failure incident can also be categorized as outside_system to some extent. This is because the incident was exacerbated by Tesla's decision to remove radar sensors from most of its vehicles and rely exclusively on cameras for its driver-assist features. The shift from a multi-sensor perception system to a camera-based system contributed to the occurrence of phantom braking issues, as reported by Tesla owners and highlighted in various complaints to NHTSA [124000, 124214]. |
| 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 unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles was attributed to a glitch in the cars' forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems, causing the cars to suddenly slow down in response to falsely detected hazards [Article 124214]. - The issue of "phantom braking" was reported to occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle, leading to safety concerns among Tesla owners [Article 124000]. - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received complaints about the rapid deceleration occurring without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle, indicating a non-human action contributing to the software failure incident [Article 124324]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - Tesla CEO Elon Musk has defended the use of the automated features, referring to the Autopilot driver-assistance as "unequivocally safer" than normal driving, which could be seen as a human action contributing to the software failure incident [Article 124214]. - The decision by Tesla to eliminate radar from most of its vehicles and rely exclusively on cameras for its driver-assist features was a human action that potentially contributed to the software failure incident involving unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles [Article 124000]. - Owners of Tesla vehicles have raised concerns about the reliability and safety of the new Model Y with vision-only features, indicating potential human actions in the design and implementation of the software systems [Article 124000]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | hardware, software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The software failure incident involving Tesla vehicles experiencing unexpected braking while using Autopilot was linked to the removal of radar sensors from the vehicles, relying solely on cameras for driver-assist features [Article 124000]. - Owners reported that the new Tesla models without radar had more phantom braking issues compared to previous models with radar, indicating a hardware-related change contributing to the problem [Article 124000]. - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received complaints about the issue in 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, affecting approximately 416,000 vehicles, due to the unexpected brake activation while using Autopilot [Article 124214]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident involving Tesla vehicles experiencing phantom braking was attributed to a glitch in the cars' forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems, causing the cars to slow down in response to falsely detected hazards [Article 124214]. - Tesla faced issues with its Full Self-Driving beta software that caused unnecessary braking or false collision warnings, leading to a recall of nearly 12,000 vehicles [Article 124070]. - The surge in complaints of phantom braking followed Tesla's shift from a multi-sensor perception system to a camera-based system, indicating a software-related change contributing to the problem [Article 124214]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles while using Autopilot appears to be non-malicious. The incident is attributed to a glitch in the cars' forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems, causing the vehicles to suddenly slow down in response to falsely detected hazards. Owners reported this issue as "phantom braking," where the rapid deceleration can occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle [124000, 124070, 124214]. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the reports of unexpected braking, and Tesla has not responded to requests for comments on the matter. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions, accidental_decisions | (a) poor_decisions: The software failure incident related to Tesla vehicles unexpectedly braking while using Autopilot appears to be linked to poor decisions made by Tesla. The decision to remove radar sensors from most vehicles and rely exclusively on cameras for driver-assist features seems to have contributed to the issue of phantom braking. This change in hardware suite led to a glitch in the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems, causing the cars to suddenly slow down in response to falsely detected hazards [124214]. Additionally, Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, mentioned in May that dropping a radar sensor would address "phantom braking," but the problem persisted even after this decision was implemented [124070]. (b) accidental_decisions: The software failure incident involving Tesla vehicles unexpectedly braking while using Autopilot could also be attributed to accidental decisions or unintended consequences. The shift from a multi-sensor perception system to a camera-based system, known as "Tesla Vision," may have unintentionally introduced the glitch causing phantom braking. Owners reported that the issue occurred more frequently after the transition to the camera-based system, indicating unintended consequences of this decision [124214]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence, accidental | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development_incompetence: - The software failure incident involving unexpected brake activation in Tesla vehicles while using Autopilot was linked to a lack of professional competence in the development of the advanced driver assistance system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received numerous complaints about rapid deceleration occurring without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle, leading to safety concerns ([124324], [124070], [124000], [124214]). (b) The software failure incident occurring due to accidental factors: - The software failure incident involving phantom braking in Tesla vehicles was attributed to contributing factors introduced accidentally, such as a glitch in the cars' forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems. This issue led to Tesla cars suddenly slowing down in response to falsely detected hazards, causing safety risks ([124070], [124214]). |
| Duration | permanent, temporary | The software failure incident related to unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles while using Autopilot can be considered as both temporary and permanent. Temporary: The issue of unexpected braking, also known as "phantom braking," has been reported to occur randomly and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle [Article 124324]. This indicates that the failure is not constant but occurs intermittently under certain circumstances. Permanent: The same issue has been reported to persist over a period of time, with complaints increasing significantly in recent months [Article 124070]. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received 354 complaints about unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles over the past nine months [Article 124000]. This suggests that the issue has been ongoing and not resolved permanently. Therefore, the software failure incident of unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles can be seen as both temporary and permanent, depending on the context and circumstances. |
| Behaviour | crash, omission, timing, value, other | (a) crash: The software failure incident related to the Tesla vehicles involves unexpected brake activation while using the Autopilot driver assistance system, leading to rapid deceleration without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle. This behavior can be considered a form of a crash as the system is losing its intended state of smooth driving and suddenly applying brakes, causing abrupt deceleration [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. (b) omission: The software failure incident also involves instances of the system omitting to perform its intended functions correctly. Owners reported cases of the Tesla vehicles experiencing phantom braking, where the cars suddenly slow down in response to falsely detected hazards, even when there is no actual danger present. This omission to accurately assess the driving environment and apply brakes appropriately can be seen as an omission failure [124070, 124214]. (c) timing: The timing of the software failure incident can be related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly at specific instances. For example, the Tesla vehicles were reported to brake unexpectedly while driving at highway speeds, indicating that the system's timing of applying brakes was incorrect, leading to sudden deceleration at inappropriate moments [124214]. (d) value: The software failure incident can also be attributed to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. In this case, the Tesla vehicles were experiencing false braking events, increasing the risk of rear-end collisions from following vehicles. This incorrect behavior of applying brakes unnecessarily can be categorized as a value failure [124070]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure, which involves inconsistent responses and interactions within a distributed system. The reported issue with the Tesla vehicles primarily revolves around unexpected brake activation and phantom braking, rather than inconsistent or conflicting behaviors [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. (f) other: The other behavior observed in the software failure incident is the system behaving in a manner that causes safety concerns and driver discomfort. Owners described the phantom braking as "scary," "dangerous," and "unreliable," highlighting the negative impact of the system's behavior on the overall driving experience and safety [124070, 124214]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | sensor, embedded_software | (a) sensor: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by sensor error - Article 124214 mentions that Tesla eliminated the use of radar in its vehicles, relying exclusively on cameras for its driver-assist features. This shift from a multi-sensor perception system to a camera-based system has been associated with issues such as phantom braking, indicating a potential sensor-related failure [124214]. (b) actuator: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by actuator error - There is no specific mention of an actuator error contributing to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (c) processing_unit: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by processing error - The articles do not directly attribute the software failure incident to a processing error in the processing unit. (d) network_communication: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by network communication error - The articles do not highlight network communication errors as contributing factors to the software failure incident. (e) embedded_software: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by embedded software error - The software failure incident, particularly related to phantom braking in Tesla vehicles, is linked to issues with the Full Self-Driving beta software and the Autopilot system. These issues, including phantom braking and false collision warnings, suggest potential errors or flaws in the embedded software of the vehicles [124070, 124214]. |
| Communication | unknown | The software failure incident reported in the news articles does not specifically mention a failure related to the communication layer of the cyber physical system. The focus of the incidents is on unexpected braking issues in Tesla vehicles related to the Autopilot system, particularly phantom braking incidents. These incidents are attributed to glitches in the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems, which are part of the driver-assist features of Tesla vehicles. The failures are more related to the functionality and behavior of the driver assistance system rather than issues at the communication layer of the cyber physical system. |
| Application | TRUE | The software failure incident related to unexpected braking in Tesla vehicles, specifically tied to its driver assistance system Autopilot, can be categorized as a failure related to the application layer of the cyber physical system. This failure is due to contributing factors introduced by bugs, operating system errors, unhandled exceptions, and incorrect usage. The failure in Tesla vehicles causing unexpected braking was reported to be related to the Autopilot system, which is an advanced driver assistance system that handles some driving tasks automatically within its lanes. The issue of unexpected braking occurred while utilizing the advanced driver-assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, and the vehicles unexpectedly applied their brakes while driving at highway speeds. This rapid deceleration could occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle, leading to safety concerns for the drivers [124000, 124214]. Additionally, the complaints about phantom braking in Tesla vehicles were linked to a glitch in the cars' forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems. The issue arose when Tesla cars suddenly slowed down in response to falsely detected hazards, indicating a software-related problem within the driver assistance system [124214]. Therefore, the unexpected braking incidents in Tesla vehicles, attributed to the Autopilot system, align with the definition of a failure at the application layer of the cyber physical system, involving bugs, operating system errors, unhandled exceptions, and incorrect usage. |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | harm, property, delay, theoretical_consequence | The consequence of the software failure incident related to the Tesla vehicles' unexpected braking issue can be categorized as follows: (a) death: There were no reports of deaths directly attributed to the software failure incident. [b124000] (b) harm: There were reports of physical harm or potential danger caused by the unexpected braking issue. For example, a driver described how their car lurched from 50mph to a near-stop in response to a large truck, which was described as scary. [b124070] (d) property: The software failure incident impacted people's material goods, as Tesla vehicles experienced unexpected braking, potentially leading to rear-end collisions or other accidents. Tesla recalled vehicles due to a software issue that could cause unnecessary braking or false collision warnings, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision from a following vehicle. [b124070] (e) delay: People had to postpone using certain features like the Autopilot system due to the software failure incident. Some owners mentioned they stopped using the Autopilot features since October due to safety concerns related to the unexpected braking issue. [b124000] (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure incident in terms of reported deaths or injuries directly caused by the unexpected braking issue. [b124214] (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential safety-related issues discussed as a consequence of the software failure incident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a formal investigation into the unexpected braking issue to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and assess potential safety-related issues. [b124000] |
| Domain | information | (a) The failed system was intended to support the production and distribution of information. The software failure incident was related to Tesla vehicles' driver assistance system Autopilot, which allows the vehicles to brake and steer automatically within their lanes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a formal investigation into 416,000 Tesla vehicles over reports of unexpected brake activation tied to the Autopilot system [124324, 124070, 124000, 124214]. (b) The incident is not directly related to transportation in terms of moving people and things, but rather to the technology within Tesla vehicles that assists in driving tasks. (c) The incident is not directly related to natural resources extraction. (d) The incident is not directly related to sales or the exchange of money for products. (e) The incident is not directly related to construction or creating the built environment. (f) The incident is not directly related to manufacturing or creating products from materials. (g) The incident is not directly related to utilities such as power, gas, steam, water, and sewage services. (h) The incident is not directly related to finance or manipulating and moving money for profit. (i) The incident is not directly related to knowledge, education, research, or space exploration. (j) The incident is not directly related to the health industry, healthcare, health insurance, or food industries. (k) The incident is not directly related to the entertainment industry, arts, sports, hospitality, or tourism. (l) The incident is not directly related to the government sector, politics, defense, justice, taxes, or public services. (m) The incident is not directly related to any of the specified industries. |
Article ID: 124324
Article ID: 124070
Article ID: 124000
Article ID: 124214