Zoox Recalls 105 Self-Driving Taxis After Misentry Into Fire Scene

Amazon subsidiary Zoox recalled all 105 self-driving taxis operating on public roads after a vehicle mistakenly entered a fire scene obscured by thick smoke. On June 20, a vehicle entered the smoky fire site, prompting emergency measures. Though no passengers were onboard, the vehicle failed to properly recognize the uncontrolled emergency due to heavy smoke, attempted to avoid the scene, and abruptly stopped. Zoox remote support personnel remotely reversed the vehicle, and emergency crews later controlled two of three lanes with traffic cones. Following an investigation, Zoox finalized the recall in mid-July and deployed software updates by July 15. The update strengthens smoke detection and adds functionality to identify thick smoke in specific conditions. Zoox retains full control of recalled vehicles and transitioned the recall to a public process per federal regulations. The recall announcement followed an NHTSA warning, with NHTSA Director Jon Morrison urging autonomous vehicle developers to avoid hindering emergency responders. He noted a clear pattern of autonomous vehicles interfering with emergency operations and called for industry solutions by month's end. Similar incidents occurred with Waymo, which recalled thousands of vehicles and paused highway operations after cars failed to detect construction zones. At least six incidents between 2023 and 2026 required emergency crews to manually move Waymo taxis from scenes. Zoox currently operates free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with limited call services in Miami and Austin.