| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The article reports on a Tesla Model S catching fire in Frisco, Texas, which is one of a growing number of fire incidents involving older Tesla Model S and X vehicles related to the battery [108608].
- The incident raises questions about the safety and durability of electric vehicles as they age, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluating the fire and contacting Tesla over the matter [108608].
- A lawsuit and defect petition allege that Tesla manipulated its battery software in older model cars to reduce the risk of fire, which has led to concerns about the safety of Tesla vehicles [108608].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The article mentions other electric vehicle models facing federal scrutiny and voluntary recalls over fire risks, such as General Motors recalling Chevrolet Bolt electric cars and Audi recalling its e-tron SUV due to potential fire risks [108608].
- Federal regulators investigated General Motors for battery fire risks in its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in 2011, indicating that fire risks in electric vehicles have been a concern across different manufacturers [108608]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The article mentions a lawsuit and defect petition alleging that Tesla manipulated its battery software in older model cars to reduce the risk of fire, lowering the range and lengthening charging times as it sought to address an undisclosed defect. The attorney filing the suit cited an "alarming number of car fires" that appeared to be spontaneous, indicating a potential design failure introduced during the system development phase [108608].
(b) The article discusses incidents where Tesla's electronic door handles failed to extend following a fiery crash, trapping individuals inside the burning cars. In one case, a driver was unable to exit the vehicle due to the design feature of retractable door handles that are electronically controlled, raising concerns about the operation and usability of the system during emergencies [108608]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Tesla Model S fire in Frisco, Texas, appears to be within the system. The incident involved a potential issue with the battery management system and battery software manipulation by Tesla to reduce the risk of fire, as alleged in a lawsuit and defect petition that spurred the NHTSA probe [108608]. Additionally, concerns were raised about the design features of the car, such as electronically controlled retractable door handles that could impede emergency responses and investigations [108608]. These factors point to internal system issues contributing to the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The incident involving the Tesla Model S catching fire in Frisco, Texas, was related to a growing number of fire incidents involving older Tesla Model S and X vehicles that experts say are related to the battery [108608].
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is evaluating the fire incident and has opened an investigation into alleged battery defects that could cause fires in older Tesla sedans and SUVs [108608].
- The lawsuit and defect petition that spurred the NHTSA probe alleged that Tesla manipulated its battery software in older model cars to reduce the risk of fire, lowering the range and lengthening charging times as it sought to address an undisclosed defect [108608].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The lawsuit and defect petition that spurred the NHTSA probe alleged that Tesla manipulated its battery software in older model cars to reduce the risk of fire, lowering the range and lengthening charging times as it sought to address an undisclosed defect [108608].
- The NHTSA defect petition that led to the probe cited alleged "high-voltage battery fires that are not related to collision or impact damage to the battery pack" and focused on Model S and X vehicles from model years 2012 through 2019 and homed in on their battery management systems, including thermal management and charging control [108608]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The incident involving the Tesla Model S catching fire was related to a growing number of fire incidents involving older Tesla Model S and X vehicles that experts say are related to the battery, raising questions about the safety and durability of electric vehicles as they age [108608].
- The incident with the Tesla Model S in Frisco, Texas, where the car ignited in flames, was suspected to be caused by the battery exploding and causing the fire [108608].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- A lawsuit and defect petition alleged that Tesla manipulated its battery software in older model cars to reduce the risk of fire, lowering the range and lengthening charging times as it sought to address an undisclosed defect [108608].
- Tesla has come under scrutiny over concerns that its computerized cars made emergency responses and investigations more difficult, with features such as retracting door handles that proved an impediment to first responders, and proprietary systems with critical incident information that required Tesla’s cooperation to decode [108608]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The articles do not provide any information indicating that the software failure incident was malicious in nature. [108608]
(b) The software failure incident related to the Tesla Model S fire in Frisco, Texas, does not appear to be malicious. The incident is described as an unintentional fire that started in the vehicle, leading to flames shooting out like a flamethrower. The incident is being evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for potential battery-related issues in older Tesla vehicles. The owner of the vehicle, Usmaan Ahmad, expressed concerns about the safety and durability of electric vehicles as they age, indicating a non-malicious software failure incident. [108608] |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The incident involving the Tesla Model S catching fire in Frisco, Texas, is being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) due to alleged battery defects that could cause fires in older Tesla sedans and SUVs [108608].
- A lawsuit and defect petition suggest that Tesla may have manipulated its battery software in older model cars to reduce the risk of fire, potentially lowering the range and lengthening charging times as a way to address an undisclosed defect [108608].
- The NHTSA defect petition focused on Model S and X vehicles from model years 2012 through 2019 and homed in on their battery management systems, including thermal management and charging control [108608].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
- The incident involving the Tesla Model S catching fire in Frisco, Texas, was described as unintentional by the Frisco Fire Department, although the exact cause was not elaborated upon [108608].
- The owner of the Tesla Model S, Ahmad, expressed concerns about the potential explosion of the battery causing the fire and requested Tesla to investigate the matter to determine the root cause of the problem [108608]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. Therefore, there is no specific information available to indicate that the incident was caused by factors introduced due to lack of professional competence by humans or the development organization.
(b) The software failure incident related to an accidental factor is evident in the article. The incident involving the Tesla Model S catching fire on the roadside in Frisco, Texas, was described as an unintentional fire by the Frisco Fire Department [108608]. This indicates that the fire was accidental in nature, rather than being intentionally caused. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Tesla Model S fire in Frisco, Texas, was temporary. The incident involved a fire that ignited in the car, leading to flames shooting out like a flamethrower from the front passenger-side wheel [108608]. The temporary failure was due to contributing factors introduced by certain circumstances, such as the battery issue or defect in the older Tesla Model S vehicles, rather than being a permanent failure inherent to the software system itself. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The incident involving the Tesla Model S in Frisco, Texas, resulted in the car catching fire seconds after the driver heard metallic bangs and pulled off the road. The car ignited in flames concentrated around the front passenger-side wheel, shooting out like a flamethrower [108608].
(b) omission: The article mentions incidents where Tesla Model S batteries ignited after collisions or while parked, indicating a failure of the system to prevent fires in such scenarios [108608].
(c) timing: There is no specific mention of a timing-related failure in the articles.
(d) value: The lawsuit and defect petition against Tesla alleged that the company manipulated its battery software in older model cars, potentially leading to a reduction in range and longer charging times as a trade-off to address an undisclosed defect [108608].
(e) byzantine: The articles do not provide information about a byzantine behavior of the software failure incident.
(f) other: The incident involving the Tesla Model S in Frisco, Texas, raised concerns about the retractable door handles being electronically controlled, which could potentially impede first responders in accessing the cabin during emergencies, highlighting a unique aspect of the software behavior in emergency situations [108608]. |