Zoox—NHTSA investigated Zoox after two robotaxis braked suddenly causing motorcyclists to rear-end them
In May 2024, NHTSA launched an investigation into Zoox after two Toyota Highlanders equipped with Zoox autonomous technology braked unexpectedly, causing motorcyclists to rear-end the vehicles. Both vehicles were in autonomous mode. Minor injuries were reported. Zoox issued a voluntary recall of 258 vehicles in March 2025, deploying software updates to address sudden braking near bicyclists at crosswalks and misjudging approach of vulnerable road users from the rear. NHTSA later closed the probe.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Safety | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.372 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.66)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (2 signals)
TechCrunch reported Zoox recalled 258 vehicles over sudden braking that endangered cyclists and motorcyclists
In March 2025, Zoox issued a voluntary recall of 258 vehicles to address two braking issues: unnecessary hard braking when bicyclists were near crosswalks during green lights, and misjudging the approach of vulnerable road users like motorcyclists from the rear, causing abrupt braking. The software update was deployed to all affected vehicles by November 7, 2024. NHTSA later closed its investigation.
NHTSA investigated Zoox after sudden braking caused motorcyclist rear-end collisions
In May 2024, NHTSA launched investigation into Zoox after two Toyota Highlanders with Zoox autonomous technology braked suddenly, causing motorcyclist rear-end collisions with minor injuries. Zoox recalled 258 vehicles in March 2025 to address braking issues near crosswalks and approaching vulnerable road users. NHTSA later closed the probe.