Incident: Suspension System Defect in 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Minivan

Published Date: 2019-03-18

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the Chrysler Pacifica minivan's suspension system happened between Nov. 1, 2017, and Feb. 28, 2018, as mentioned in the article [82586].
System Unknown
Responsible Organization unknown
Impacted Organization 1. Customers who own the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica minivan [82586]
Software Causes unknown
Non-software Causes 1. Loss of clamp load and inadequate joint engagement in the suspension system leading to the right front lower control arm coming loose from the steering knuckle [82586].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident in the Chrysler Pacifica minivan's suspension system could lead to the right front lower control arm coming loose from the steering knuckle, potentially causing the driver to lose directional control of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash [82586].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough quality control measures during the manufacturing process to detect and address defects in the suspension system before the vehicles are released to the market could have prevented the software failure incident [82586].
Fixes 1. Inspecting the right front steering knuckle and lower control arm. 2. Replacing the parts as needed. 3. Installing a larger pinch bolt. 4. Performing the fix free of charge and reimbursing owners who paid for a repair prior to the recall announcement [82586].
References 1. Chrysler's recall documents [Article 82586]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown The article does not mention any software failure incident related to either one_organization or multiple_organization. Therefore, the information about the software failure incident happening again at the same organization or at multiple organizations is unknown.
Phase (Design/Operation) design Unknown
Boundary (Internal/External) outside_system The software failure incident reported in the article does not directly relate to a software system failure. Instead, it discusses a recall issued by Chrysler for a defect in the suspension system of their vehicles, specifically the right front lower control arm coming loose from the steering knuckle. This issue is related to the mechanical components of the vehicle rather than software. Therefore, the boundary of the failure incident is not within the system in terms of software failure ([82586]).
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case is not related to non-human actions. The recall issued by Chrysler for the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica minivan was due to a problem with the suspension system, specifically a combination of loss of clamp load and inadequate joint engagement causing the right front lower control arm to come loose from the steering knuckle. This issue was identified through field reports and routine inspections, indicating that the contributing factors were not introduced without human participation [82586]. (b) The software failure incident in this case is related to human actions. The defect in the suspension system of the Chrysler Pacifica minivan was identified based on reports from vehicles already in the field, indicating that human actions such as driving the vehicles and reporting issues played a role in discovering the problem. Additionally, Chrysler technicians will be inspecting and replacing parts as needed, indicating human intervention in resolving the issue [82586].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident in this case is related to hardware. The recall issued by Chrysler for the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica minivan is due to a problem with the suspension system, specifically the right front lower control arm coming loose from the steering knuckle. This issue is caused by a combination of loss of clamp load and inadequate joint engagement, which are hardware-related factors [82586].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) unknown Unknown
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The provided article does not mention any software failure incident related to poor decisions or accidental decisions. Therefore, the intent of the software failure incident in this case is unknown.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) unknown Unknown
Duration unknown The article does not mention any software failure incident related to the Chrysler recall. Therefore, the duration of the software failure incident is unknown.
Behaviour unknown (a) crash: The article does not mention any software-related crashes as the issue described pertains to a physical defect in the suspension system of Chrysler vehicles. Therefore, there is no indication of a software failure leading to a crash in this context. [82586] (b) omission: The recall issue described in the article is related to a potential defect in the suspension system of Chrysler vehicles, specifically the right front lower control arm coming loose from the steering knuckle. This is a mechanical issue and not related to software omission. [82586] (c) timing: The article does not mention any timing-related software failures. The recall issue discussed is centered around a physical defect in the suspension system of Chrysler vehicles and does not involve timing issues related to software functionality. [82586] (d) value: The recall issue reported in the article is related to a defect in the suspension system of Chrysler vehicles, specifically the right front lower control arm coming loose from the steering knuckle. This is a mechanical issue and not related to software performing its intended functions incorrectly. [82586] (e) byzantine: The article does not mention any byzantine behavior related to software failures. The issue discussed pertains to a physical defect in the suspension system of Chrysler vehicles and does not involve inconsistent responses or interactions typically associated with byzantine software behavior. [82586] (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident is not applicable in this context as the reported issue is related to a mechanical defect in the suspension system of Chrysler vehicles and does not involve software failures. Therefore, there is no other behavior to describe in this scenario. [82586]

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence theoretical_consequence The consequence of the software failure incident related to the Chrysler recall mentioned in Article 82586 is primarily focused on potential harm to individuals due to the defect in the suspension system. The article states that if the right front lower control arm comes loose from the steering knuckle, the driver might lose directional control of the vehicle, which can increase the risk of a crash. However, as of the article's date, there were no reported accidents or injuries related to this issue, indicating that the theoretical consequence of harm due to the software failure had not manifested into actual harm at that time [82586].
Domain transportation The software failure incident reported in the article is related to the transportation industry. Specifically, the failure occurred in the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, which is a vehicle designed for transporting people and goods [Article 82586].

Sources

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