Incident: Rivian Automotive Recalls Vehicles Due to Loose Fastener Issue

Published Date: 2022-10-07

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident of loose fasteners affecting steering control in Rivian vehicles happened in August 2022 [Article 133984]. 2. The incident was discovered by Rivian in August, and the article was published on October 7, 2022.
System 1. Fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle in Rivian vehicles [Article 133908, Article 133984]
Responsible Organization unknown
Impacted Organization 1. Customers of Rivian Automotive Inc were impacted by the software failure incident [133908, 133984].
Software Causes unknown
Non-software Causes 1. Loose fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle not torqued sufficiently in some vehicles [133908, 133984] 2. Issues with steering control due to loose fasteners [133984] 3. Problems with passenger air bags failing [133984] 4. Problems with seat belt anchors [133984]
Impacts 1. The software failure incident involving loose fasteners in Rivian vehicles could potentially make a driver lose steering control, posing a significant safety risk to the affected vehicles [133908, 133984]. 2. Rivian had to recall nearly all of its vehicles, totaling about 13,000 cars, to address the issue of loose fasteners connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle, impacting a large number of customers [133908, 133984]. 3. The recall process and necessary repairs were expected to be completed within about 30 days, requiring customer collaboration to ensure the safety and functionality of the vehicles [133984]. 4. This incident marked the third recall for Rivian in the same year, following previous recalls related to air bag deactivation and seat belt anchor issues, indicating a pattern of quality control and safety concerns with the company's vehicles [133984].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough quality control processes during the manufacturing phase to ensure all fasteners are torqued correctly [133908, 133984]. 2. Conducting more rigorous testing and inspections on the vehicles before they are released to customers to catch any potential issues with fasteners [133908, 133984]. 3. Enhancing communication channels between the company and customers to quickly address any reported issues and take proactive measures to prevent accidents [133908, 133984].
Fixes 1. Proper torqueing of the fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle in the affected vehicles [133908, 133984] 2. Conducting a recall to address the loose fastener issue in nearly all Rivian vehicles [133908, 133984]
References 1. Rivian Automotive Inc spokesperson [Article 133908] 2. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe [Article 133908] 3. Notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Article 133984]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incidents related to either one_organization or multiple_organization.
Phase (Design/Operation) unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to the development phases such as design or operation. Therefore, it is unknown whether the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by system development, system updates, or procedures to operate or maintain the system (design) or due to contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system (operation).
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the loose fasteners affecting steering control in Rivian vehicles is a within_system failure. The issue was identified within the vehicles themselves, specifically with the fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle not being torqued enough, leading to potential steering control problems [133908, 133984].
Nature (Human/Non-human) unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to non-human actions or human actions. Therefore, the information regarding the software failure incident in this context is unknown.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) unknown (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to hardware issues. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The software failure incident in this case is not directly related to software issues but rather to a hardware issue involving loose fasteners in the vehicles produced by Rivian Automotive [133908, 133984].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious The software failure incident related to Rivian Automotive's recall of nearly all its vehicles was non-malicious. The issue was identified as a possible loose fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle, which was not torqued sufficiently in some vehicles. This defect could potentially lead to a loss of steering control for drivers. The company voluntarily conducted the recall after becoming aware of the issue, with the CEO emphasizing the importance of addressing the potential risks involved and ensuring customer safety [133908, 133984].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to poor_decisions or accidental_decisions.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to development incompetence or accidental factors.
Duration unknown The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to the duration of the failure being permanent or temporary.
Behaviour other (a) crash: The software failure incident in this case does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue with loose fasteners affecting steering control in Rivian vehicles does not indicate a complete system crash [Article 133908, Article 133984]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The issue with loose fasteners in Rivian vehicles does not suggest that the system failed to perform its intended functions at any point [Article 133908, Article 133984]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not due to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early. The issue with loose fasteners in Rivian vehicles does not relate to timing issues in the software [Article 133908, Article 133984]. (d) value: The software failure incident is not due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The issue with loose fasteners in Rivian vehicles is a mechanical issue related to the torque of fasteners, not a software-related problem [Article 133908, Article 133984]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue with loose fasteners in Rivian vehicles does not involve inconsistent responses or interactions from the software [Article 133908, Article 133984]. (f) other: The software failure incident in this case is related to a mechanical issue with loose fasteners in Rivian vehicles that could potentially affect steering control. It is not directly attributed to a specific software behavior but rather a manufacturing or assembly issue [Article 133908, Article 133984].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence no_consequence (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? The consequence of the software failure incident in the provided articles is 'no_consequence' as there were no reported injuries or deaths due to the loose fastener issue in Rivian vehicles. The company voluntarily conducted a recall to address the potential safety risk, but no actual harm was reported [133908, 133984].
Domain transportation, manufacturing (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the manufacturing industry. Rivian Automotive, an electric vehicle maker, is recalling nearly all of its vehicles (13,000 cars) due to a possible issue with loose fasteners that could affect drivers' ability to steer. This incident highlights a manufacturing defect in the vehicles produced by Rivian [Article 133908, Article 133984].

Sources

Back to List