Zoox issues software recall for 332 robotaxis

On Tuesday, Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox issued a voluntary software recall affecting 332 vehicles. The recall was initiated over concerns that the company’s autonomous driving system caused vehicles to cross over the center lane line near intersections or block crosswalks. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—the US federal regulator for vehicle safety—there have not been any collisions associated with the issue. However, the filing noted that the lane-crossing and crosswalk-blocking behavior could increase the risk of a crash.

The technical issue was initially identified on August 26. According to a spokesperson, the maneuvers included instances where a vehicle stopped in a crosswalk to avoid blocking an intersection at a red light, or made a late turn that resulted in a wide turn. Following the initial identification, Zoox monitored its driving data for additional lane crossings near intersections, ultimately identifying 62 instances of these maneuvers between August 26 and December 5. The software recall affects Zoox vehicles that operated on public roads between March 13 and December 18. To address the root causes of these occurrences, the company deployed a software update on November 7, followed by additional updates in mid-December. A Zoox spokesperson stated, “We have successfully identified and deployed targeted software improvements to address the root causes of these incidents,” adding that the voluntary filing was made to remain transparent with the public and regulators.

The recall comes as Zoox continues to operate its driverless vehicles on public roads in parts of San Francisco and Las Vegas. This action adds to a series of regulatory challenges the company has faced this year. Zoox has issued multiple software recalls, including one in March to address unexpected hard braking. That earlier recall followed an investigation by NHTSA that was opened after reports of motorcyclists colliding with the back of Zoox vehicles. Additionally, the company filed two software recalls in May to address concerns about the system’s ability to predict the movement of other road users.

Why it matters

The voluntary recall of 332 vehicles follows previous recalls this year regarding hard braking and prediction issues, highlighting ongoing regulatory scrutiny of the company’s autonomous driving technology.