Zoox, the self-driving subsidiary of Amazon, is recalling 332 robotaxis in the United States after a software issue that could cause vehicles to cross the yellow center line and enter or stop in oncoming traffic near intersections, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Zoox said it has fixed the problem through a software update and that no collisions resulted from the issue. The company opened an internal investigation after a robotaxi made a wide right turn in late August, partially crossing into an opposing lane and briefly stopping in front of oncoming traffic. Zoox later identified 62 instances in which its vehicles crossed the lane line, either partially or fully, when it was not necessary.
“We have proactively identified some instances where our vehicles were making maneuvers that, while common for human drivers, didn’t meet our standards,” Zoox said, adding that it has been in ongoing discussions with NHTSA regarding the matter.
The recall follows earlier safety actions involving Zoox vehicles. In May, the company recalled 270 vehicles to update software that tracks nearby pedestrians and prevents movement when someone is close, after an unoccupied robotaxi was involved in a crash with a passenger car in Las Vegas in April. That same month, NHTSA closed a separate probe into 258 Zoox vehicles over unexpected hard braking after the company issued a software update.
In August, NHTSA certified Zoox vehicles for demonstration use and closed an investigation launched in 2022 into whether the vehicles complied with federal safety requirements.
Software-related recalls have become a recurring issue across the autonomous driving sector. Earlier this month, Waymo, a unit of Alphabet, recalled its self-driving vehicles after Texas officials said they had illegally passed stopped school buses multiple times, prompting a new federal probe.
