| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to Mercedes-Benz's Distronic advanced driver-assistance system has happened again within the same organization. Mercedes-Benz is recalling 8,396 2021 and 2022 models due to a software issue with the hands-off detection system for the steering wheel, which could lead to the vehicle assuming the driver's hands are on the wheel when they are not. This issue affects various models equipped with a heated leather steering wheel [127278]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles is related to the design phase. The issue with the Distronic advanced driver-assistance system was caused by a software issue affecting the hands-off detection system for the steering wheel, leading the vehicle to incorrectly assume the driver's hands were on the wheel even when they were not. This design flaw impacted the functionality of the vehicle's automated Active Stop Emergency Assist feature and the display of hands-on reminders [127278]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 127278 is within_system. The issue with the Distronic advanced driver-assistance system's hands-off detection system originates from within the vehicle's software, specifically the hand detection control unit. The software issue causes the system to incorrectly detect the presence of the driver's hands on the steering wheel, leading to potential risks and malfunctions within the vehicle's automated features. The fix for this issue involves updating the software on the vehicle's hand detection control unit, indicating that the root cause of the failure lies within the system itself [127278]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is primarily due to non-human actions. The issue with the Distronic advanced driver-assistance system's hands-off detection system causing the vehicle to incorrectly assume the driver's hands are on the wheel is a result of a software issue within the system itself, not due to any human actions [127278]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 127278 is due to contributing factors that originate in hardware. The issue specifically affects the hands-off detection system for the vehicle's steering wheel, which is a hardware component, causing the vehicle to incorrectly assume that a driver's hands are on the wheel even when they are not. This hardware issue leads to the failure of the automated Active Stop Emergency Assist feature and the absence of hands-on reminders [127278]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in Article 127278 is non-malicious. The issue with the Distronic advanced driver-assistance system in Mercedes-Benz vehicles was due to a software issue related to the hands-off detection system for the steering wheel. This issue caused the vehicle to incorrectly assume that the driver's hands were on the wheel even when they were not, impacting the functionality of the automated Active Stop Emergency Assist feature. The fix for this issue involves updating the software on the vehicle's hand detection control unit, and Mercedes-Benz is conducting a recall to address this issue at no cost to the owners. There is no indication in the article that the software issue was introduced with malicious intent; rather, it appears to be a non-malicious software flaw that needs to be corrected to ensure the safety and proper functioning of the vehicles. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
The software failure incident reported in Article 127278 is related to an accidental decision. The issue with the Distronic advanced driver-assistance system in Mercedes-Benz vehicles was caused by a software issue affecting the hands-off detection system for the steering wheel. This issue led the vehicle to incorrectly assume that the driver's hands were on the wheel even when they were not, impacting the functionality of the automated Active Stop Emergency Assist feature and the display of hands-on reminders. The fix for this issue involves updating the software on the vehicle's hand detection control unit, indicating that the failure was due to unintended decisions or mistakes rather than poor decisions [127278]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles was not due to development incompetence but rather an accidental issue with the hands-off detection system for the steering wheel [127278]. The article mentions that the software issue causes the vehicle to incorrectly assume that a driver's hands are on the wheel, leading to the malfunction of the automated Active Stop Emergency Assist feature. This indicates that the failure was accidental and not due to incompetence in development. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 127278 is temporary. The article mentions that the issue with the Distronic advanced driver-assistance system in Mercedes-Benz vehicles is due to a software issue affecting the hands-off detection system for the steering wheel. This issue causes the vehicle to incorrectly assume that the driver's hands are on the wheel even when they are not, impacting the functionality of the automated Active Stop Emergency Assist feature. The fix for this issue involves updating the software on the vehicle's hand detection control unit, indicating that the failure is temporary and can be resolved through a software update [127278]. |
| Behaviour |
omission |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 127278 is related to a crash. The article mentions that the software issue with the vehicle's Distronic advanced driver-assistance system could increase the risk of a crash due to the hands-off detection system for the steering wheel malfunctioning, leading to the vehicle assuming the driver's hands are on the wheel even when they are not, which could cause the automated Active Stop Emergency Assist feature not to work as intended [127278]. |