Incident: Brake Issue Recall for Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ

Published Date: 2019-12-20

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the brake issue affecting the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models happened when Ford issued a recall on Friday [93760]. 2. Published on 2019-12-20 08:00:00+00:00 [93760]. 3. The incident likely occurred on Friday, December 20, 2019.
System 1. Hydraulic control unit in the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ [93760]
Responsible Organization unknown
Impacted Organization 1. Owners of 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models were impacted by the software failure incident related to the hydraulic control unit causing brake issues [93760].
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was a problem with the hydraulic control unit in the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models, where a valve may stick open instead of closing, leading to increased brake pedal travel and potentially causing a crash [93760].
Non-software Causes 1. The brake issue affecting the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models was caused by a problem with the hydraulic control unit, specifically a valve sticking open instead of closing, leading to increased brake pedal travel [93760]. 2. The recall also included 33 F-150 models for spare tires that may have damage from the factory [93760].
Impacts 1. Increased brake pedal travel due to a valve sticking open, leading to a risk of a crash, with 15 crashes and two injuries reported [93760].
Preventions 1. Implementing rigorous testing procedures during the development phase to detect any issues with the hydraulic control unit software [93760]. 2. Conducting regular maintenance checks and inspections on the brake system software to identify and address any potential valve sticking issues before they lead to accidents [93760]. 3. Enhancing the monitoring and reporting system to quickly identify and address any reported incidents related to the brake system software to prevent crashes and injuries [93760].
Fixes 1. Owners will need to take their cars to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have them inspected. A technician will look for stuck or slow-to-respond valves in the hydraulic control unit. If necessary, owners will get a whole new unit at no cost. The system will also be flushed and given new brake fluid [93760].
References 1. Ford's official statement 2. Reports from affected car owners 3. Information from Ford or Lincoln dealers 4. Data on crashes and injuries related to the brake issue 5. Details on the recall process and actions to be taken 6. Mention of the spare tire issue in F-150 models 7. Lack of specific information on the notification timeline for owners [93760]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The article does not mention any specific software failure incident happening again within the same organization (Ford) or with its products and services. Therefore, the information about a similar incident happening again at one organization is unknown. (b) The article mentions a recall by Ford for a brake issue affecting the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models. This indicates a software failure incident related to the hydraulic control unit in these vehicles. The fact that the same issue affected multiple models from different brands under the Ford umbrella suggests a recurring problem across different products within the organization [93760].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be inferred from the article as the issue affecting the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models is attributed to a problem with the hydraulic control unit. Specifically, a valve may stick open instead of closing, leading to increased brake pedal travel, which poses a risk of crashes. This issue is likely a result of a design flaw in the hydraulic control unit introduced during the development phase of these vehicles [93760]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article as owners are instructed to take their cars to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have them inspected for stuck or slow-to-respond valves in the hydraulic control unit. This indicates that the failure is being addressed through operational procedures involving inspection and potential replacement of the faulty unit, highlighting an operational aspect of dealing with the software issue [93760].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is related to a brake issue in Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models. The problem lies within the hydraulic control unit of the vehicles, where a valve may stick open instead of closing, leading to increased brake pedal travel. This internal issue within the system can result in an increased risk of a crash [93760]. (b) outside_system: There is no information in the article indicating that the software failure incident was caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case is not related to non-human actions but rather to a mechanical issue with the hydraulic control unit in the affected Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln models. The problem is described as a valve sticking open, which leads to increased brake pedal travel and poses a risk of a crash [93760]. This issue is a result of a mechanical fault rather than a non-human action. (b) The software failure incident is not attributed to human actions in this case. The issue with the hydraulic control unit in the Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln models is described as a valve sticking open, which is a mechanical problem leading to increased brake pedal travel and potential safety risks [93760]. The article does not mention any human error or intentional actions contributing to this software failure incident.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The article mentions a brake issue affecting the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models due to a problem with the hydraulic control unit. Specifically, a valve may stick open, leading to increased brake pedal travel, which could result in an increased risk of a crash [93760]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The article does not specifically mention a software-related failure in this incident. Therefore, it is unknown if the failure originated in the software.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The articles do not mention any malicious intent or actions related to the software failure incident. [93760] (b) The software failure incident described in the articles is non-malicious, as it is related to a brake issue in Ford vehicles caused by a valve sticking open in the hydraulic control unit, leading to increased brake pedal travel and an increased risk of a crash. This issue is not attributed to any intentional harm but rather a technical fault in the system. [93760]
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The articles do 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) accidental (a) The article does not mention any software failure incident related to development incompetence. (b) The software failure incident mentioned in the article is related to a valve in the hydraulic control unit sticking open instead of closing, leading to increased brake pedal travel. This issue was not intentional but occurred accidentally, causing an increased risk of a crash [93760].
Duration unknown The article does not mention any software failure incident related to the Ford recall for the brake issue affecting the 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models. Therefore, the duration of the software failure incident in this case is unknown.
Behaviour crash, value, other (a) crash: The article mentions that there have been 15 crashes related to the brake issue in the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ models [93760]. (b) omission: The article does not mention any specific instances of the system omitting to perform its intended functions. (c) timing: The article does not mention any issues related to the system performing its intended functions too late or too early. (d) value: The article describes a valve issue in the hydraulic control unit that may stick open instead of closing, leading to increased brake pedal travel, which can result in the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [93760]. (e) byzantine: The article does not mention any inconsistent responses or interactions related to the software failure incident. (f) other: The other behavior described in the article is a valve in the hydraulic control unit sticking open instead of closing, which can lead to increased brake pedal travel and an increased risk of a crash [93760].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence unknown (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 articles do not mention any consequences related to death, harm, basic needs, property damage, or non-human entities resulting from the software failure incident. The only consequence mentioned is the increased risk of a crash due to the brake issue in the affected Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln models, which has led to 15 crashes and two injuries [93760].
Domain transportation The software failure incident reported in Article 93760 is related to the transportation industry. Ford issued a recall for three of its past sedans (Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ) due to a brake issue affecting the hydraulic control unit [93760]. This issue could lead to increased brake pedal travel, potentially resulting in an increased risk of a crash. The recall affects a significant number of vehicles (600,166 models) and has already been associated with 15 crashes and two injuries [93760]. Owners are required to take their cars to a Ford or Lincoln dealer for inspection and potential replacement of the hydraulic control unit [93760].

Sources

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