Amazon-owned Zoox is recalling all 105 of its autonomous robotaxis after one vehicle drove into an active fire scene in June.
The recall stems from a software flaw that may fail to detect heavy smoke around emergency scenes.
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Software Issue Prompts Recall
According to documents filed with the NHTSA, the issue affects all Zoox robotaxis running software installed between April 23 and July 15, 2026.
The company says reduced visibility from heavy smoke could increase crash risk or interfere with first responders.
No injuries occurred in the incident, but Zoox decided to recall the entire fleet to prevent future occurrences.
Incident Details
On June 20, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered thick smoke obscuring an active fire scene that had not yet been blocked with traffic cones.
The vehicle entered the area before braking hard and attempting to steer away.
Under guidance from a remote operator, it reversed out of the scene. Firefighters then closed off two of three lanes with cones.
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Zoox's internal investigation found no similar events.
Software Update Deployed
Rather than replacing hardware, Zoox deployed a software update to improve the system's ability to recognize and respond to heavy smoke, including smoke from electric vehicle fires.
The update was rolled out across the fleet on July 15.
Zoox also introduced interim operational measures to reduce the likelihood of vehicles entering active fire scenes before the update was completed.
Regulatory Context
The recall comes days after NHTSA's chief counsel, Jonathan Morrison, sent letters to autonomous vehicle developers highlighting a “clear pattern” of driverless vehicles interfering with emergency responders.
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The agency cited incidents of robotaxis blocking ambulances and firefighters or failing to recognize flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones.
