Amazon-owned Zoox, a self-driving vehicle company in the US, recalled software in 105 robotaxis after an unoccupied vehicle drove into heavy smoke at an active fire emergency scene in Las Vegas on June 20.

The vehicle then braked hard as it tried to steer away before stopping, according to a filing Zoox sent to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on July 8.

Zoox said a teleguidance employee instructed the robotaxi to reverse, after which first responders placed cones around the scene. The company said it found no injuries and that this was the only such event it identified.

The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week told autonomous vehicle developers to address a “clear pattern” of driverless vehicles entering emergency scenes, blocking ambulances or firefighters, or failing to respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones.

Zoox already offers free rides to the public in parts of Las Vegas and San Francisco, so the issue extends beyond closed testing.

The recall follows earlier Zoox software recalls, including one in December 2025 affecting 332 vehicles over lane crossings near intersections or blocked crosswalks, a March recall over hard braking, and two May recalls tied to predicting the movements of other vehicles and pedestrians.

🔗 Source: CNBC