Zoox audit query AQ23001
Certification. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this audit query about the unknown or other on 3 model years (2023–2026). Opened Mar 3, 2023, closed Aug 4, 2025 after 2.4 years without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedIn July 2022, Zoox announced that it had certified a self-driving vehicle as being compliant with all applicable FMVSS. Zoox described these “purpose-built� vehicles as bi-directional, equipped with an automated driving system, and lacking traditional driving controls. Zoox was an outlier in the industry, having self-certified these vehicles rather than seeking an available exemption. Publicly available materials depicting Zoox’s vehicles suggested that they may not be compliant with certain FMVSS. On September 6, 2022, NHTSA issued a Special Order directing Zoox to answer certain questions and provide information relating to the company’s basis for certifying that the vehicle met all applicable FMVSS. Zoox responded to the Special Order on November 7, 2022. Based on Zoox’s response and other available information, NHTSA opened this Audit Query (AQ23001) on March 3, 2023, to examine the process and technical data on which Zoox relied when certifying the Zoox vehicle and related issues. During this investigation, NHTSA continued its evaluation of information provided by Zoox regarding its vehicles and basis of certification. NHTSA additionally conducted an on-site inspection of two Zoox vehicles. In December 2024, NHTSA issued Zoox an inspection report documenting its findings, which included multiple apparent noncompliances with applicable FMVSS. Following dialogue with the agency during the course of this investigation, Zoox decided to apply for an FMVSS exemption for the subject vehicles. Specifically, in June 2025, Zoox requested an exemption under § 30114(a) for the purposes of demonstration of its purpose-built vehicles. NHTSA carefully evaluated Zoox’s exemption request under the agency’s Automated Vehicle Exemption Program. On August 4, 2025, NHTSA granted Zoox an exemption subject to certain conditions, including that Zoox obscure or remove all existing statements that the purpose-built vehicle complies with or conforms to all applicable FMVSS. This exemption covers all Zoox vehicles encompassed by this investigation, apart from certain 2023 model year vehicles, which Zoox has discontinued from public road operation. As a result, all of the purpose-built vehicles manufactured by Zoox that are now operating on public roads in the United States are doing so pursuant to an FMVSS exemption issued by NHTSA. In view of these actions, NHTSA is closing this investigation. NHTSA will monitor Zoox vehicles under both its Automated Vehicle Exemption Program and other oversight authorities and will take additional action if warranted.
A Audit Query is an audit of the manufacturer's own reporting obligations — early-warning data, recall notices, remedy — rather than of a vehicle condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one is closed. A audit query ends with NHTSA’s finding on the recall it examined — the remedy stands, is widened, or a new campaign follows; the file names the recall it concerned and NHTSA’s closing resume carries the reasoning.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2023 Zoox Zoox Robotaxi; 2024 Zoox Zoox Robotaxi; 2026 Zoox Zoox Robotaxi.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs AQ23001 a recall?
No. A audit query is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is AQ23001 still open?
No. It closed on Aug 4, 2025 without a recall.
Which vehicles does AQ23001 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2023 Zoox Zoox Robotaxi, 2024 Zoox Zoox Robotaxi, 2026 Zoox Zoox Robotaxi. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.