| Recurring |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to unintended acceleration due to a software problem in Nissan's Infiniti hybrid vehicles has not been reported to have happened again within the same organization [31475].
(b) The software failure incident of unintended acceleration due to a software problem in Nissan's Infiniti hybrid vehicles has not been reported to have happened at other organizations or with their products and services [31475]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the Nissan Infiniti hybrid vehicles was attributed to a software problem that caused the vehicles to exit fail-safe mode, leading to gradual acceleration that could be overcome by applying the brakes [31475]. This issue was discovered in a lab setting, indicating a failure in the design phase where the programming error was identified during development or testing.
(b) On the other hand, one owner reported to the safety agency that the vehicle felt like it was accelerating on its own, and the dealer claimed the issue could not be duplicated, eventually suggesting it was normal for the hybrid car. This indicates a failure in the operation phase, where the misuse or operation of the system led to the perception of unintended acceleration by the owner. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in the Nissan vehicles was caused by a software problem within the system. Nissan identified a possible programming error in the software, leading to the unintended acceleration issue. The company stated that the problem was related to the vehicle exiting fail-safe mode, resulting in gradual acceleration that could be overcome by applying the brakes [31475]. This indicates that the failure originated from within the system due to a software issue. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Nissan vehicles was attributed to a programming error, which can be categorized as a non-human action. The issue was described as the vehicle exiting fail-safe mode due to a software problem, leading to gradual acceleration that could be overcome by applying the brakes [31475]. This unintended acceleration problem was discovered in a lab setting, indicating that it was a result of factors introduced without direct human participation.
(b) The response from one vehicle owner highlighted the concern that the car felt like it was accelerating on its own, despite complaints to the dealer that the issue could not be duplicated. The owner expressed frustration that the dealer initially claimed it was normal for the hybrid car, indicating potential human actions contributing to the failure response [31475]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to hardware. Nissan is recalling almost 6,600 Infiniti hybrid vehicles for an unintended acceleration problem caused by a software problem. The issue is described as the vehicle exiting fail-safe mode due to a possible programming error, resulting in gradual acceleration that can be overcome by normal application of the brakes [31475]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Nissan recall of almost 6,600 Infiniti hybrid vehicles was non-malicious. The issue was caused by a software problem that could lead to unintended acceleration, but Nissan clarified that it was not intentional acceleration but rather the vehicle exiting fail-safe mode, resulting in gradual acceleration that could be overcome by applying the brakes normally. The company discovered the remote possibility of this issue in a lab setting and decided to recall the vehicles out of an abundance of caution, even though no incidents had been observed [31475]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the unintended acceleration problem in Nissan's Infiniti hybrid vehicles was not due to poor decisions but rather an accidental issue caused by a software problem. The company stated that the problem was not considered unintended acceleration but rather the vehicle exiting fail-safe mode, leading to gradual acceleration that could be overcome by normal application of the brakes. This issue was discovered in a lab setting, and there were no observed incidents prior to the recall being initiated [31475]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is not attributed to development incompetence. Instead, it is described as a possible programming error that led to the unintended acceleration problem in certain Infiniti hybrid vehicles [31475].
(b) The software failure incident is characterized as accidental, as Nissan mentioned that the issue was discovered in a lab setting and they had not observed any incidents of the problem in real-world scenarios. The recall was initiated purely out of caution, indicating that the acceleration issue was not intentional but rather an accidental flaw in the software [31475]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case appears to be temporary. The article mentions that the issue was discovered in a lab setting, and Nissan had not observed any incidents of unintended acceleration in real-world scenarios. The problem was described as the vehicle exiting fail-safe mode, resulting in gradual acceleration that could be overcome by normal application of the brakes. Additionally, one owner complained that the car felt like it was accelerating on its own, but the dealership claimed the issue could not be duplicated and even suggested it was normal for that hybrid car. This indicates that the software issue was not a permanent, widespread problem but rather a specific circumstance that could be addressed through a recall out of caution [31475]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is not described as a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue mentioned is related to unintended acceleration due to a software problem, but the vehicles can still function, albeit with the potential for gradual acceleration that can be overcome by applying the brakes [31475].
(b) omission: The software failure incident is not characterized by the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the issue is related to the vehicle potentially exiting fail-safe mode, leading to gradual acceleration that can be addressed by normal brake application [31475].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not attributed to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue described in the article pertains to a potential programming error that could lead to unintended acceleration, rather than a timing-related failure [31475].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of producing incorrect outputs or results. The issue mentioned involves a software problem that could lead to gradual acceleration, which is not a case of the system producing incorrect results [31475].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not characterized by the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue reported in the article is more focused on a potential software problem causing unintended acceleration, rather than erratic or inconsistent behavior [31475].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a potential safety concern related to unintended acceleration due to a software problem. While the exact nature of the software issue is not detailed, it is described as a problem that could lead to gradual acceleration that can be managed by applying the brakes, rather than a complete system failure or erratic behavior [31475]. |