Zoox has issued a software program recall after one in every of its robotaxis struggled to navigate a smoke-filled emergency hearth scene in June.
The Amazon-owned firm mentioned Friday that it has shipped a software program replace that ought to deal with the difficulty to its fleet of 105 autos. No one was on board the car through the June incident, and Zoox advised the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) that it’s not conscious of accidents related to the issue.
The NHTSA’s report doesn’t state the place the June incident came about. Zoox didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Zoox’s recall comes only a week after NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison sent a letter to self-driving car companies warning them to cease interfering with first responders.
“Let me be clear: the lack to detect and appropriately reply to such conditions represents a useful insufficiency,” he wrote. “Emergency scenes aren’t uncommon or excessive ‘edge circumstances.’ As such, NHTSA is right this moment issuing a name to motion for AV builders and operators to instantly focus their assets on fixing this difficulty.”
TechCrunch previously reported on how Waymo has had repeated run-ins with first responders because it expands into new cities. The corporate had no less than six incidents as of March of this 12 months wherein first responders needed to bodily transfer robotaxis from an emergency scene.
NHTSA mentioned in its report describing the recall that, on June 20, a Zoox robotaxi “encountered heavy smoke that obscured an energetic emergency hearth scene that was not cordoned off with cones.” The Zoox car “braked arduous whereas making an attempt to steer away earlier than coming to a cease.” A Zoox teleoperator was capable of reverse the car away from the scene, permitting first responders to put visitors cones.
Zoox advised NHTSA that it performed an investigation to find out the basis trigger and determine any related incidents. The corporate mentioned “that is the one occasion of this sort that Zoox has skilled,” and that by late June and early July, it had a number of conversations with the security regulator concerning the “severity, frequency, and root causes.” Zoox determined to difficulty the recall on July 7, at some point earlier than Morrison’ letter.
This isn’t Zoox’s first recall. The corporate voluntarily recalled the software on its vehicles in March 2025 to resolve a tough braking difficulty that NHTSA had been investigating since 2024. It issued two more recalls in May 2025 after a collision with a passenger automotive, and an incident the place a Zoox car was struck by an e-scooter rider.
Zoox has been steadily increasing its testing to new cities, and is providing free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco, forward of a planned commercial launch. That launch depends on the NHTSA granting the corporate an exemption to sure Federal Motor Car Security Requirements, as a result of Zoox’s robotaxis don’t have a steering wheel or pedals. The NHTSA additionally lately proposed removing the brake pedal requirement for autos which might be constructed to be absolutely autonomous.
While you buy by hyperlinks in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t have an effect on our editorial independence.
