Published Date: 2020-12-16
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident happened in November 2020. [108629] |
| System | 1. Power window switches in 2002-2006 Honda CR-V [Article 108629] 2. Body control modules in 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and 2019-2020 Insight [Article 108629] 3. Driveshafts in 2013-2015 Acura ILX and ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid, 2007-2008 Fit, and 2013-2015 Accord sedans [Article 108629] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Moisture entering the power window switches causing them to fail and potentially lead to fires in the 2002-2006 Honda CR-V [108629] 2. BCM software problem leading to malfunctions in the 2018-2020 Accord, Accord Hybrid, and 2019-2020 Insight [108629] 3. Corroding driveshafts due to improper application of protective coating by Honda in various models [108629] |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Owners of 2002-2006 Honda CR-Vs affected by the failing power window switches [108629] 2. Owners of 2018-2020 Accord, Accord Hybrid, and 2019-2020 Insight affected by the body control module failures [108629] 3. Owners of 2013-2015 Acura ILX, ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid, 2007-2008 Fit, and 2013-2015 Accord sedans affected by corroding driveshafts [108629] |
| Software Causes | 1. The failure incident involving the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight was caused by a BCM software problem that led to various vehicle malfunctions, such as non-working windshield wipers, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights that wouldn't turn on [108629]. 2. The software cause of the failure incident for the aforementioned vehicles was addressed through a software update as a fix [108629]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Moisture entering the power window switches causing them to melt or fail, leading to fires in the 2002-2006 Honda CR-V [108629]. 2. Corrosion of driveshafts due to road salt or other contaminants in certain states, causing them to fail in the 2013-2015 Acura ILX, ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid, 2007-2008 Fit, and 2013-2015 Accord sedans [108629]. |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident involving failing power window switches in the 2002-2006 Honda CR-V led to 23 reported fires and 87 other "reports of thermal events" related to the issue, potentially endangering the safety of the vehicle occupants [Article 108629]. 2. The body control module failures in the 2018-2020 Accord, Accord Hybrid, and 2019-2020 Insight resulted in malfunctions such as non-working windshield wipers, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights that won't turn on, impacting the functionality and safety of the affected vehicles [Article 108629]. 3. The corroding driveshafts in various Honda models, including the 2013-2015 Acura ILX, ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Fit, as well as the 2013-2015 Accord sedans, posed a risk of sudden power loss and potential rolling away of the vehicle if the parking brake is not engaged, highlighting a safety concern for the drivers [Article 108629]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing thorough testing procedures for software updates to catch any potential issues before they are deployed [108629]. 2. Conducting regular maintenance and inspections of software components to identify and address any vulnerabilities or defects proactively [108629]. 3. Enhancing quality control measures during the manufacturing process to ensure that protective coatings and software updates are applied correctly [108629]. |
| Fixes | 1. For the failing power window switches in the 2002-2006 Honda CR-V, owners need to bring their vehicles to a Honda service center where a technician will inspect the wiring harness for damage and replace the master power window switch at no cost to owners [108629]. 2. For the body control module failures in the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight, the fix is simply a software update for the cars [108629]. 3. For the corroding driveshafts in the 2013-2015 Acura ILX and ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Fit, as well as the 2013-2015 Accord sedans, Honda plans to inspect the driveshafts of each car and replace them if necessary [108629]. | References | 1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [108629] 2. Honda [108629] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | unknown | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: In the provided articles, there is no mention of a specific software failure incident happening again within the same organization (Honda) or with its products and services. Therefore, there is no information available to address this option. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: The articles do not mention any similar software failure incident happening again at other organizations or with their products and services. Hence, there is no information provided to address this option. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design | (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is seen in the recall of certain Honda vehicles due to body control module failures. The article mentions that the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight are affected by a BCM software problem that can lead to various malfunctions such as windshield wipers not working, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights not turning on. This issue is attributed to a software problem in the body control module [108629]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the recalls for the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight was within the system. The failure was attributed to a body control module (BCM) software problem that could lead to various malfunctions such as non-working windshield wipers, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights that won't turn on. The fix for this issue was a software update for the affected cars [108629]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The article mentions a recall related to body control module failures in certain Honda vehicles, including the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight. The issue was attributed to a BCM software problem that could lead to various vehicle malfunctions such as non-working windshield wipers, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights that won't turn on. The fix for this issue was a software update for the affected cars [108629]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The article does not mention any software failure incident specifically attributed to human actions. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | hardware, software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The article mentions a recall related to corroding driveshafts in Honda vehicles, specifically in the 2013-2015 Acura ILX and ILX Hybrid, 2012 Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Fit [108629]. The driveshaft corrosion is caused by road salt or other contaminants in certain states, leading to potential failure of the driveshaft and subsequent loss of power in the vehicle. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - Another recall mentioned in the article is related to body control module failures in certain Honda vehicles like the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight [108629]. The issue stems from a BCM software problem that can result in various malfunctions such as non-functional windshield wipers, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights that won't turn on. The fix for this issue involves a software update for the affected cars. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the recalls by Honda does not seem to be malicious. The failures mentioned in the recalls include issues with power window switches, body control modules, and corroding driveshafts, which are not indicative of intentional harm to the system. These failures appear to be non-malicious in nature, stemming from technical issues or design flaws rather than deliberate sabotage or malicious intent [108629]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | unknown | (a) The software failure incident related to the recalls issued by Honda does not seem to be directly linked to poor decisions. The recalls were primarily due to issues such as failing power window switches, faulty body control modules, and corroding driveshafts, which were identified as technical or design flaws rather than poor decisions made by the company [108629]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence | (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the recall of the 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the 2019-2020 Insight due to body control module failures. The article mentions that the BCM software problem can lead to various vehicle malfunctions such as windshield wipers not working, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights not turning on. This issue was identified as a software problem, indicating a failure in the development process [108629]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors can be observed in the recall of 430,000 cars due to corroding driveshafts. The article explains that Honda may not have properly applied a protective coating for the named cars, and in states where road salt or other contaminants may corrode the driveshaft, causing them to fail. This issue was attributed to the accidental introduction of road salt causing the driveshaft to deteriorate, leading to potential power loss and vehicle rolling issues [108629]. |
| Duration | unknown | The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to either permanent or temporary duration. |
| Behaviour | omission, other | (a) crash: The article does not mention any software crashes as part of the recalls conducted by Honda [108629]. (b) omission: The recalls mentioned in the article do involve failures where the system omits to perform its intended functions. For example, the recall related to body control module failures in certain Honda vehicles could lead to malfunctions such as windshield wipers not working, broken defrosters, inoperable rearview cameras, and exterior lights not turning on [108629]. (c) timing: There is no indication in the article that the software failures were related to timing issues where the system performed its intended functions but at the wrong time [108629]. (d) value: The recalls mentioned in the article do not specifically mention software failures related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [108629]. (e) byzantine: The article does not describe the software failures as exhibiting Byzantine behavior with inconsistent responses and interactions [108629]. (f) other: The other behavior observed in the software failure incidents reported in the article includes issues such as failing power window switches leading to fires, faulty body control modules causing various malfunctions, and corroding driveshafts that may fail, all of which are not explicitly categorized under the options provided [108629]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | non-human | (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident reported in the articles [108629]. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - The articles do not mention any physical harm to individuals due to the software failure incident [108629]. (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure - The articles do not mention any impact on people's access to food or shelter due to the software failure incident [108629]. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incidents mentioned in the articles resulted in potential risks to the vehicles and their components, such as fires, malfunctioning vehicle systems, and driveshaft failures, but there is no direct mention of people's material goods, money, or data being impacted [108629]. (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure - The articles do not mention any activities being postponed due to the software failure incident [108629]. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incidents mentioned in the articles primarily affected vehicles and their components, such as power window switches, body control modules, and driveshafts, which are non-human entities [108629]. (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure - The software failure incidents reported in the articles led to potential risks and issues with the vehicles, such as fires, malfunctioning systems, and driveshaft failures, indicating there were consequences of the software failures [108629]. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur - The articles mention potential consequences of the software failures, such as fires, malfunctioning vehicle systems, and driveshaft failures, but there is no mention of these consequences not occurring [108629]. (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 other specific consequences of the software failure incident beyond the risks and issues identified with the vehicles and their components [108629]. |
| Domain | transportation, utilities | (a) The failed system related to the production and distribution of information as it affected the software systems in Honda vehicles, such as power window switches, body control modules, and driveshafts, which are crucial for the operation and safety of the vehicles [Article 108629]. (b) The transportation industry was impacted by the software failure incident as the faulty components in Honda vehicles, like power window switches and driveshafts, could lead to malfunctions affecting the movement of people and goods [Article 108629]. (g) The utilities industry was indirectly affected by the software failure incident as the malfunctioning driveshafts in Honda vehicles could potentially impact the power and functionality of the vehicles, which are essential for transportation services [Article 108629]. (m) The software failure incident did not directly relate to any other industry not covered in the options provided. |
Article ID: 108629