Zoox Recalls 105 Robotaxis After Smoke Detection Failure at Fire Scene
Amazon's Zoox recalled 105 autonomous vehicles after one unoccupied robotaxi failed to detect heavy smoke and entered an active emergency fire scene in Las Vegas on June 20, 2026. The vehicle braked and attempted to steer away, then was manually reversed by a teleguidance operator after first responders blocked the scene with traffic cones.
What happened
On June 20, 2026, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke obscuring an active emergency fire scene in Las Vegas that was not cordoned off with cones.
The vehicle entered the scene, braked hard while attempting to steer away, then came to a stop. A Zoox teleguidance employee instructed the vehicle to reverse, after which first responders placed traffic cones blocking the scene.
Reported impact
Zoox identified the smoke detection deficiency as a software issue affecting its ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke at emergency scenes, potentially impeding emergency personnel.
No injuries were identified in the incident.
Index analysis
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documented multiple instances of robotaxis driving into active emergency scenes and blocking emergency responders, prompting the agency to call on autonomous vehicle developers to address these failures.
Zoox determined this was the only event of this kind in its fleet.
Governance controls
Zoox notified NHTSA of the recall on July 8, 2026 and issued a voluntary recall of 105 vehicles.
The company deployed a software update to enhance its existing capability of detecting and responding to heavy smoke.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.