Zoox, the Amazon-owned self-driving car company, has issued a software recall after one of its robotaxis failed to properly navigate a smoke-filled emergency fire scene in June. The update, rolled out to the company's fleet of 105 vehicles, adds the ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke obscuring an emergency scene, addressing a gap that regulators have flagged as a serious safety concern for the wider self-driving industry.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the incident occurred on 20 June when a Zoox vehicle encountered heavy smoke at an uncordoned fire scene, braked hard while trying to steer away, and came to a stop; a remote teleoperator then reversed it clear so responders could place traffic cones. No one was on board and no injuries were reported. The recall, issued on 7 July, came just a day before NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison warned self-driving firms that failing to detect emergency scenes was a "functional insufficiency" needing urgent fixes, and follows Waymo's own history of run-ins with first responders. It is Zoox's fourth recall since March 2025, as the company continues expanding free-ride testing in Las Vegas and San Francisco ahead of a planned commercial launch.