Incident: Radio Frequency Hub Module Issue Causes Jeep Grand Cherokee Bricking

Published Date: 2022-02-24

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee happened in February 2022 as indicated by the article [124724].
System 1. Radio Frequency Hub Module in the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee and longer-wheelbase L models [124724].
Responsible Organization 1. Stellantis [124724]
Impacted Organization 1. Customers who purchased the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L models in February were impacted by the software failure incident [Article 124724].
Software Causes 1. The software causes of the failure incident were related to the Radio Frequency Hub Module, which was causing communication issues between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to the vehicles bricking themselves [124724].
Non-software Causes 1. The failure incident in the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee was caused by a hardware issue related to the Radio Frequency Hub Module, affecting communication between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to system malfunctions [124724].
Impacts 1. Some 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles, including the longer-wheelbase L models, were experiencing software failures that caused them to brick themselves, leading to communication issues between the vehicle and its key fob, resulting in other systems going haywire [124724].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough quality control measures during the production process to detect any faulty components before they are integrated into the vehicles [124724]. 2. Conducting extensive testing, including stress testing and scenario testing, to identify and address potential issues related to the Radio Frequency Hub Module before the vehicles are released to the market [124724]. 3. Establishing a robust communication protocol between the vehicle and its key fob to ensure seamless operation and prevent disruptions caused by software glitches [124724].
Fixes 1. Replacement of the Radio Frequency Hub Module to resolve the communication issue between the vehicle and its key fob, as identified by Stellantis [124724].
References 1. Stellantis (Jeep) - The article mentions a missive sent from Stellantis to its Jeep dealers regarding the issue with the Radio Frequency Hub Module [124724].

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown (a) The software failure incident related to the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee bricking itself due to an issue with the Radio Frequency Hub Module is specific to Jeep vehicles. There is no mention in the article of a similar incident happening again within the same organization (Jeep) or with its products and services. (b) The article does not provide information about a similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, where some vehicles were bricking themselves, was attributed to an issue with the Radio Frequency Hub Module. This component was causing communication problems between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to other malfunctions. The problem was identified as stemming from the development phase, specifically related to the design and production of the Radio Frequency Hub Module [124724]. (b) The software failure incident did not specifically mention any contributing factors related to the operation or misuse of the system.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident with the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee bricking itself is attributed to the Radio Frequency Hub Module, which is an internal component of the vehicle's system. The issue originates from within the system, specifically from a bad batch of components that came and went through production [Article 124724].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, where some vehicles were bricking themselves, was attributed to a problem with the Radio Frequency Hub Module. This component issue was likely a result of a bad batch of components that came and went through production, indicating a failure due to contributing factors introduced without human participation [Article 124724]. (b) The response to the software failure incident involved Jeep working on getting replacement parts to dealers to fix the issue quickly without a full-on safety recall. This approach suggests that the resolution process was driven by human actions to address the problem efficiently [Article 124724].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident in the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee is related to hardware. The issue is specifically linked to the Radio Frequency Hub Module, which is a hardware component causing communication problems between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to the vehicles bricking themselves [124724].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious Based on the information provided in Article 124724, the software failure incident related to the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee bricking itself is categorized as a non-malicious failure. The issue seems to stem from a component called the Radio Frequency Hub Module, which is causing communication problems between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to the malfunction. There is no indication in the article that this failure was due to any malicious intent; instead, it appears to be a technical issue related to a faulty component in the vehicle's system [124724].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) accidental_decisions The software failure incident related to the bricking of some 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles appears to be more aligned with the category of 'accidental_decisions' rather than 'poor_decisions'. The issue seems to stem from a component called the Radio Frequency Hub Module causing communication problems between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to the vehicles bricking themselves. This issue is attributed to a potential bad batch of components that passed through production, indicating a mistake or unintended consequence rather than a deliberate poor decision [124724].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental Based on the provided article [124724], the software failure incident related to the bricking of some 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles was not explicitly attributed to development incompetence or accidental factors. The issue was described as stemming from the Radio Frequency Hub Module causing communication problems between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to the vehicles bricking themselves. The article did not mention any specific details indicating whether the incident was due to development incompetence or accidental factors.
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the Jeep Grand Cherokee bricking issue seems to be temporary. The issue is reported to stem from the Radio Frequency Hub Module causing communication problems between the vehicle and its key fob, leading to the vehicles bricking themselves. Jeep has placed a stop-sale order on the affected models and is working on getting replacement parts to fix the problem quickly. The problem is believed to be limited to vehicles purchased in February, indicating a potential bad batch of components that passed through production [Article 124724].
Behaviour crash, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is related to a crash where some of the new Grand Cherokee vehicles, including the longer-wheelbase L models, have been bricking themselves. This crash is caused by an issue with the Radio Frequency Hub Module, leading to a loss of communication between the vehicle and its key fob, causing other systems to go haywire [Article 124724]. (b) omission: There is no specific mention of the software failure incident being related to omission in the article. (c) timing: There is no indication in the article that the software failure incident is related to timing issues. (d) value: The software failure incident is not described as a value-related failure in the article. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure in the article. (f) other: The software failure incident in the article is related to a specific component, the Radio Frequency Hub Module, causing the system to brick itself and disrupt communication with the key fob, resulting in other system malfunctions.

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence Based on the provided article [124724], the consequence of the software failure incident related to the Jeep Grand Cherokee bricking issue is primarily categorized under the following options: (d) property: The software failure incident impacted people's material goods, specifically their vehicles. The issue with the Radio Frequency Hub Module caused the vehicles to brick themselves, leading to a stop-sale order on the Grand Cherokee models. This implies a direct impact on the property (vehicles) of the affected individuals. (h) theoretical_consequence: While there is no direct mention of any actual harm or accidents resulting from the software failure incident, the article discusses the potential implications of the issue if not addressed promptly. The involvement of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the complexity of a full safety recall indicate theoretical consequences that could arise if the issue is not resolved efficiently. Therefore, the software failure incident related to the Jeep Grand Cherokee primarily resulted in property damage (vehicles being impacted) and had potential theoretical consequences if not addressed promptly.
Domain transportation (a) The failed system in the article is related to the transportation industry, specifically affecting the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles [Article 124724].

Sources

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