Amazon-owned Zoox recalls 332 vehicles due to self-driving software issue

Zoox stated that a flaw in its autonomous driving system could cause cars to cross lanes at turns or stop on pedestrian crosswalks. Although no accidents have been reported, the company acknowledged a risk of collisions.

Zoox currently offers free autonomous ride-hailing in parts of San Francisco and Las Vegas. A company spokesperson noted that some vehicles operated in ways that might appear normal to human drivers but did not meet the company’s safety standards.

For example, at some red lights, vehicles stopped on crosswalks while clearing intersections. In other cases, delayed turning led to partially entering the opposite lane.

According to NHTSA, the first incident occurred on 26 August when a Zoox robotaxi turned into the opposite lane, temporarily obstructing traffic. From 26 August to 5 December, 62 similar incidents were identified. Zoox regularly communicated with NHTSA about the nature, frequency, and cause of these issues. Software updates were implemented on 7 November and mid-December.

The recall affects vehicles operating on public roads between 13 March and 18 December. This is not Zoox’s first recall this year; earlier recalls addressed sudden braking issues in March and two software-related movement prediction issues in May.