Amazon Self-Driving Taxi Recall Affects Hundreds of Zoox Vehicles

Zoox has recalled more than 200 robotaxis following a collision in Las Vegas involving a passenger vehicle.

Federal highway safety officials have issued a recall for 270 Zoox robotaxi vehicles, citing concerns over a software defect that could compromise the vehicle’s ability to safely navigate traffic, potentially increasing the risk of an auto accident.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Zoox software recall (PDF) on May 5, warning that certain 2024 model year Zoox Sedan vehicles may malfunction and misjudge the movement of other vehicles.

Zoox is an autonomous robotaxi service operated by online giant Amazon. The company’s taxis are designed as fully self-driving vehicles with no steering wheel or driver’s seat. The taxi service has been operating and testing its services in limited areas, including Las Vegas, Nevada and Foster City, California, where the company headquarters is located.

The recall was announced following an accident in which an unoccupied Zoox vehicle collided with a passenger vehicle on April 8, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Although the NHTSA report (PDF) does not link the software error to any injuries or additional accidents, Zoox immediately paused all driverless vehicle operations across the U.S. to conduct an internal review.

On April 10, Zoox confirmed through simulation and analysis that the issue could occur at speeds over 40 mph. The following day, the company identified the root cause, implemented a software update, and began testing it both in simulation and on Zoox vehicles.

Updated software was then released on April 16 and 17 to all impacted Zoox vehicles operating on public roads, allowing the vehicles to resume operation. 

In the weeks following, the Zoox Safety Committee decided to conduct a voluntary and proactive safety recall for 2024 Zoox Sedans with an automated driving system (ADS) produced between August 1, 2024 and April 16, 2024.

The free ADS software update implemented on April 17 completed the recall for all affected vehicles operating on public roads.

Zoox’s number for this recall is 25-02. Individuals with questions may reach out to the company’s contact, Sarah Shiver, via email at sarah.shiver@dot.gov or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9171), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Robotaxi Safety Concerns

In addition to the problems that Zoox is facing, General Motors’ autonomous robotaxi service, Cruise, has also come under intense scrutiny in recent years due to serious safety lapses involving its self-driving vehicles.

In 2023, the company had its operating license suspended in California after one of its driverless vehicles struck a woman and dragged her for 20 feet.

The following year, federal regulators fined Cruise $1.5 million and required the company to submit a corrective action plan after it failed to properly document the incident.