The NHTSA has urged companies developing autonomous vehicles to enhance their cars’ responses during emergencies.
Zoox has announced a software recall affecting 105 of its robotaxis due to their poor handling of heavy smoke. The recall stems from an incident where one of the robotaxis interfered with an active fire scene, leading the company to implement a software update.
On June 20, a Zoox robotaxi drove into a lane filled with heavy smoke from a nearby fire that had not been blocked off. According to the report, the vehicle made a sudden stop while attempting to navigate around the smoke. Following instructions from a remote technician, it then reversed after first responders set up cones to manage the situation.
Zoox claims this is the first instance of one of its vehicles encountering an issue with smoke. The forthcoming software update aims to improve the vehicle’s ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke. Notably, Zoox issued another software recall back in May 2025 after an incident in Las Vegas where one of its cars collided with a passenger vehicle.
Concerns around the ability of robotaxis to effectively respond in emergencies have been rising, especially as Zoox and Waymo expand testing and service areas. Earlier in July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent a letter urging autonomous vehicle companies to tackle the issue of their vehicles interfering in emergency situations. The NHTSA also stated plans to meet with industry representatives before the month’s end to further discuss these concerns.
“Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases,'” stated NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison in the letter.
While the recall poses a significant challenge, it comes during an otherwise promising year for Zoox. In addition to launching an updated version of its robotaxi, the company revealed plans in March to broaden its service areas in Las Vegas and San Francisco, as well as initiate tests in entirely new regions.
