Zoox Recalls Software in 105 Robotaxis After Vehicle Drove Into Active Fire Scene

Amazon-owned Zoox has voluntarily recalled software in 105 of its robotaxis after the vehicles were found to be incapable of detecting heavy smoke, prompting at least one vehicle to drive directly into an active emergency fire scene.

Zoox notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recall on July 8, the company said, following an incident that took place on June 20 in Las Vegas.

On that date, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke obscuring an emergency fire scene that had not been cordoned off with traffic cones. The vehicle entered the scene, then braked hard while attempting to steer away before coming to a full stop, according to the company's report filed with NHTSA.

A Zoox teleguidance employee then instructed the vehicle to reverse. First responders subsequently placed traffic cones to block off the scene. No injuries were identified, and Zoox said the incident is "the only event of this kind" that has occurred.

The recall arrives against a backdrop of heightened federal scrutiny of the autonomous vehicle industry's interactions with emergency personnel. Last week, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to AV developers calling on them to ensure their vehicles yield to first responders.

Morrison wrote in the letter that the agency has "identified a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders," pointing to incidents where autonomous vehicles drove into active emergency scenes, blocked ambulances or firefighters, or failed to recognize flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones. He called on AV developers and operators "to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue" and present their solutions to the agency by the end of the month. The letter did not name specific companies.

Amazon acquired Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020. The company operates driverless vehicles that carry no steering wheel or pedals, featuring four inward-facing carriage-style seats. Zoox currently offers free rides in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco, and is allowing select users to hail its vehicles in small zones in Miami and Austin, Texas, with testing underway in six additional U.S. cities.

The latest recall is not the first for the company. Zoox issued several software recalls last year to address separate issues involving lane crossings and the vehicles' ability to predict the movements of other vehicles and pedestrians.

Zoox is competing in a market dominated by Alphabet's Waymo, which operates a fleet of approximately 4,000 automated vehicles across the United States. Last month, Waymo itself recalled about 3,900 robotaxis after some of its vehicles drove into closed construction zones on freeways, raising what the company described as an increased risk of a crash.

The back-to-back recalls from the two largest U.S. robotaxi operators underscore the persistent challenges autonomous vehicle platforms face in handling unstructured, real-world scenarios — particularly those involving emergency services and environmental hazards. With NHTSA's end-of-month deadline approaching, how AV companies respond to Morrison's directive is likely to shape the near-term regulatory posture toward the industry.

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