Zoox, Amazon Subsidiary, Issues Recall Following Robotaxi Accident

Zoox, Amazon’s autonomous vehicle company, has temporarily paused its driverless testing program for over a week and has voluntarily recalled its software following a collision in Las Vegas, according to a company statement and a filing with federal safety regulators.

The April 8 incident involved an unoccupied Zoox vehicle and a passenger car, prompting a recall of around 270 vehicles using a specific version of its automated driving system. This figure does not represent the entire fleet size, as clarified by Zoox. The recall was initiated due to concerns that the self-driving software could misinterpret another vehicle’s actions, potentially increasing the risk of an accident.

Fortunately, the company reported no injuries, with only minor damage to both vehicles. The collision occurred when a passenger vehicle quickly entered the lane from a commercial driveway while the purpose-built robotaxi was operating. According to Zoox, the vehicle incorrectly anticipated that the passenger car would continue forward, leading it to slow down and steer to the right. However, “the car came to a stop, fully yielding to the Zoox robotaxi and remaining in the shoulder lane,” the company explained. “The Zoox robotaxi braked hard, but contact was unavoidable,” the company mentioned in its blog post.

Zoox confirmed it ceased all driverless testing on April 8 — the day of the incident — and began an internal investigation. Operations resumed on April 17 after a software update was deployed to all Zoox vehicles, as reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This incident and subsequent voluntary recall come as Zoox prepares to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas. A spokesperson for the company reiterated that the service launch is still expected later this year.

The company has been developing its self-driving technology in retrofitted Toyota Highlanders and purpose-built robotaxis, which do not have a steering wheel or pedals, across various cities, particularly along the Las Vegas Strip and certain neighborhoods in San Francisco. Earlier this year, Zoox allowed employees, media, and select guests to experience the service. Testing is also being conducted in Austin, Miami, and Seattle using Highlanders with human safety operators behind the wheel.

This marks Zoox’s second recall this year. In March, the company announced a voluntary recall of 258 vehicles due to issues with its autonomous driving system that could cause unexpected hard braking.

Last year, the NHTSA launched a preliminary investigation into the company after receiving reports of two incidents where motorcyclists collided with the rear of Toyota Highlanders equipped with Zoox technology. Initial findings revealed that in both cases, the Zoox vehicles were operating with their autonomous systems engaged.