Cruise (GM) — Multiple locations, USA

Location

Multiple locations, USA — urban roads

Various cities where Cruise operated

Description

Cruise issued a voluntary recall of 1,194 vehicles due to a software defect causing unexpected hard braking events. The vehicles would brake suddenly and without apparent cause, leading to rear-end collisions by following vehicles. Multiple incidents were reported where the unexpected braking caused injuries to occupants of following vehicles. The recall addressed the prediction software that was incorrectly assessing the behavior of oncoming vehicles in certain scenarios.

Impact

Traffic disruption: moderate

Emergency Response

Resolution: software recall and OTA update

Root Cause

prediction software defect

Software incorrectly predicted oncoming vehicle trajectories, triggering unnecessary hard braking; the prediction model overestimated collision risk in certain traffic configurations

✅ Confirmed

Systemic Issues

• Prediction model overly conservative in specific oncoming traffic scenarios
• Hard braking without sufficient warning creates secondary collision risk
• Pattern of incidents accumulated before recall was initiated

Regulatory Action

NHTSA recall (23V-579). Cruise issued voluntary recall and deployed OTA software update to address the prediction software defect.

Sources

• Entire Cruise robotaxi fleet recalled for unexpected braking - Smart Cities Dive
• Cruise recall and NHTSA probe closure - TechCrunch