Autonomous vehicle company Zoox, owned by Amazon, has issued a voluntary software recall affecting 332 vehicles operating in San Francisco and Las Vegas. The recall, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday, addresses incidents where the vehicles crossed center lane lines near intersections or blocked crosswalks.
The Problem: Autonomous System Errors
Zoox identified 62 instances between August 26 and December 5 where its driverless robotaxis performed maneuvers that, while not dangerous, deviated from the company’s safety standards. These included wide turns causing vehicles to drift into oncoming lanes and stopping in crosswalks while attempting to avoid blocking intersections at red lights. While no crashes have been directly linked to these issues, Zoox acknowledged the potential for increased collision risk.
How Zoox Responded
The company took swift action, deploying software updates on November 7 and again in mid-December to correct the errors. According to Zoox, these updates successfully addressed the root causes of the incidents. The recall is presented as a move toward transparency and continuous refinement of the technology.
“We’re submitting a voluntary software recall because transparency and safety is foundational to Zoox, and we want to be open with the public and regulators about how we are constantly refining and improving our technology.”
A Pattern of Recalls
This is not the first software recall for Zoox this year. In March, the company issued a similar update following a NHTSA investigation into reports of sudden, hard braking that led to rear-end collisions with motorcycles. This latest recall highlights the ongoing challenges of deploying autonomous systems in real-world conditions.
The need for frequent software corrections underscores that even advanced AI-driven vehicles require continuous monitoring and adjustments to ensure safe operation. The company is currently in discussions with NHTSA to understand the severity and underlying causes of these occurrences.
The incident serves as a reminder that self-driving technology, despite rapid progress, remains under development. Real-world testing will inevitably uncover unforeseen edge cases, demanding ongoing vigilance and refinement from manufacturers like Zoox.
