Incident: Hyundai and Kia Recall Due to HECU Module Malfunction

Published Date: 2022-02-08

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the malfunction of the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module in Hyundai and Kia vehicles happened in recent years, as indicated by the article mentioning that the Korean automakers have issued and expanded several recalls in recent years for fire risks [125088]. Estimation: Step 1: The article does not provide a specific date for the software failure incident. Step 2: The article was published on 2022-02-08. Step 3: Since the article mentions that the Korean automakers have issued recalls in recent years, we can estimate that the software failure incident likely occurred within the past few years, prior to 2022. Therefore, the software failure incident likely occurred in the years leading up to 2022, but the exact date is unknown.
System 1. Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module 2. Anti-lock brake system electrical component 3. Theta II engines
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident in this case was caused by a malfunction in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module in certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles, leading to an electrical short circuit and fire risks [125088].
Impacted Organization 1. Hyundai Motor Co 2. Kia Corp [Cited from Article 125088]
Software Causes 1. The failure incident was caused by a malfunction in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module, which could result in an electrical short circuit, leading to an engine compartment fire [125088].
Non-software Causes 1. Malfunctioning Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module leading to an electrical short circuit [125088]. 2. Design flaw in the Theta II engines of Hyundai vehicles, which were prone to seizing up and catching fire [125088]. 3. Failure to recall vehicles for engine issues in a timely fashion, leading to a civil penalty [125088].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident involving the malfunction of the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module in Hyundai and Kia vehicles led to a risk of engine compartment fires, prompting recalls for 484,000 U.S. vehicles [125088]. 2. The recalls affected specific models such as the 2014-2016 Kia Sportage, 2016-2018 Kia K900, and 2016-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, requiring owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the necessary repairs are completed [125088]. 3. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlighted the risk of fire both while the vehicle is being driven or parked due to an internal electrical short circuit in the anti-lock brake system component [125088]. 4. The software failure incident did not result in any reported injuries, but there were 11 total reports of fires associated with the affected vehicles [125088]. 5. The incident added to a series of recalls by Hyundai and Kia in recent years related to fire risks, including a whistleblower reward issued by NHTSA and a record civil penalty imposed on the automakers for failing to address engine issues promptly [125088].
Preventions 1. Implementing rigorous software testing procedures during the development phase to detect any potential malfunctions or defects in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module software [125088]. 2. Conducting thorough risk assessments and quality assurance checks on the anti-lock brake system's electrical components to identify and mitigate any internal electrical short circuit risks [125088]. 3. Enhancing communication and collaboration between different departments within the company to ensure prompt identification and resolution of design flaws or software-related issues [125088].
Fixes 1. Installing a new fuse for the circuit board to address the fire risks caused by the malfunctioning Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module [125088]. 2. Following the automakers' advice to park the affected vehicles outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures [125088].
References 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [Article 125088] 2. Hyundai Motor Co [Article 125088] 3. Kia Corp [Article 125088]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: The article mentions that Hyundai and Kia have issued and expanded several recalls in recent years for fire risks, indicating a recurring issue within the same organization [125088]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: The article does not provide information about the software failure incident happening again at multiple organizations.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article. The article mentions a whistleblower who reported to NHTSA in 2016 that Hyundai was failing to address a design flaw linked to its Theta II engines, which were prone to seizing up and catching fire. This indicates a failure in the design phase that led to the fire risks associated with the engines [125088]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is not explicitly mentioned in the article. Therefore, it is unknown if the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the fire risks in Hyundai and Kia vehicles was due to a malfunction in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module, which could cause an electrical short circuit leading to an engine compartment fire. This issue originated from within the system of the vehicles, specifically related to the HECU module malfunction [125088]. (b) outside_system: The article does not mention any contributing factors originating from outside the system that led to the software failure incident.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case is not directly related to non-human actions but rather to a malfunction in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module, which could cause an electrical short leading to a fire risk in the engine compartment of Hyundai and Kia vehicles [125088]. This issue is attributed to a design flaw in the HECU module, which is a component of the vehicle's anti-lock brake system. (b) The failure in this incident is primarily attributed to human actions, specifically the design flaw in the HECU module that was not adequately addressed by Hyundai and Kia, leading to the fire risks in the affected vehicles. Additionally, the article mentions a whistleblower who reported to NHTSA in 2016 about Hyundai failing to address a design flaw in its Theta II engines, which were prone to seizing up and catching fire, indicating human actions contributing to the software failure incident [125088].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, unknown (a) The software failure incident in this case is related to hardware. The article mentions that the recall was issued because a Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, leading to an engine compartment fire [125088]. This issue originates in the hardware component of the vehicles. (b) The software failure incident is not directly mentioned in the articles provided.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The articles do not mention any malicious software failure incident related to the Hyundai and Kia vehicle recalls. Therefore, there is no information to suggest that the software failure was due to contributing factors introduced by humans with the intent to harm the system [125088]. (b) The software failure incident related to the Hyundai and Kia vehicle recalls was non-malicious. The failure was attributed to a malfunction in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module, which could cause an electrical short leading to a fire risk in the engine compartment. The automakers announced recalls to address this issue by installing a new fuse for the circuit board to mitigate the fire risks [125088].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to poor decisions or accidental decisions.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to development incompetence. (b) The software failure incident related to an accidental factor is the malfunction of the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module in Hyundai and Kia vehicles, which could cause an electrical short leading to an engine compartment fire. This issue was identified as a potential fire risk, and the automakers announced recalls to address the problem by installing a new fuse for the circuit board [125088].
Duration unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to the Hyundai and Kia vehicle recalls. Therefore, the duration of the software failure incident in this case is unknown.
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles does not specifically mention a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. (b) omission: The failure in this case is not due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). (c) timing: The failure is not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. (d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The article mentions that the Hyundai and Kia vehicles are being recalled due to a malfunction in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module, which could cause an electrical short leading to an engine compartment fire [125088]. (e) byzantine: The failure is not described as the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The software failure incident in the articles is related to a design flaw in the Theta II engines of Hyundai vehicles, which were prone to seizing up and catching fire. This could be categorized as a design flaw leading to a failure in the system's intended functions [125088].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence The consequence of the software failure incident related to the Hyundai and Kia vehicle recalls was primarily related to potential harm and property damage due to the risk of fire caused by a malfunctioning Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module. The article mentions that the malfunction could cause an electrical short, leading to an engine compartment fire, which poses a significant risk to the safety of the vehicle owners. While there were no reported injuries, there were 11 total reports of fires associated with this issue [125088]. The potential harm to individuals and property due to the fire risk is a significant consequence of this software failure incident.
Domain transportation, manufacturing The software failure incident reported in the news article [125088] is related to the transportation industry. Specifically, South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia issued recalls for 484,000 U.S. vehicles due to a malfunction in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module, which could cause an electrical short and potentially lead to engine compartment fires. This incident highlights a safety concern in the transportation sector, emphasizing the importance of addressing software failures to ensure the safety of vehicles and passengers.

Sources

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