Amazon’s self-driving unit Zoox has initiated a voluntary software recall for 270 of its autonomous vehicles after a crash in Las Vegas on April 8, 2025. The incident involved an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi colliding with a passenger vehicle at an intersection. According to the company and reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), no injuries occurred, and both vehicles sustained only minor damage. Zoox responded by pausing its driverless operations for several days to review safety protocols and analyze the root cause of the collision.

The crash occurred when a passenger vehicle rapidly approached the lane occupied by the Zoox robotaxi from a perpendicular driveway. The robotaxi, anticipating that the car would continue forward, slowed down and veered right. However, the passenger vehicle unexpectedly came to a full stop, yielding to the Zoox vehicle and remaining in the shoulder lane. Despite hard braking, the robotaxi was unable to avoid contact with the stopped car. Zoox’s analysis revealed that its software made an incorrect assumption about the other vehicle’s movement, leading to the collision.

Zoox determined that the flaw was present when its vehicles traveled above 40 mph and encountered vehicles entering from perpendicular driveways. The software would sometimes make an “overly confident” prediction that the other vehicle would proceed, failing to account for sudden stops. To address this, Zoox issued a software update between April 16 and 17, which was deployed to all affected vehicles. The company stated that all Zoox vehicles, including its test fleet and purpose-built robotaxis, now operate with the updated software.

This recall follows previous safety concerns involving Zoox’s automated driving system. Earlier, the NHTSA probed Zoox after two incidents where its Toyota Highlander-based robotaxis braked unexpectedly, causing rear-end collisions with motorcyclists. Zoox has emphasized its commitment to transparency, regulatory compliance, and rider safety as it continues to expand operations and prepare for public robotaxi services in cities like Las Vegas and San Francisco.