Amazon's Zoox Recalls Robotaxis After Vehicle Drove Into Heavy Smoke at Emergency Scene

Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox voluntarily recalled software in 105 of its robotaxis after an incident on June 20, 2026, in Las Vegas. An unoccupied Zoox robotaxi drove into heavy smoke obscuring an active emergency fire scene that was not cordoned off with cones. The vehicle entered the scene, braked hard, and attempted to steer away before stopping. A teleguidance employee instructed it to reverse, and first responders later placed cones. Zoox determined this was the only such event and reported no injuries. The recall follows a directive from NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison calling on autonomous vehicle developers to address interference with first responders. Zoox has issued several software recalls in the past year, including for lane crossings and pedestrian prediction issues, as it competes with Waymo in the robotaxi market.