GM’s Cruise robotaxi recalls 1,200 vehicles to close federal probe

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday that it’s ending its investigation into General Motors’ Cruise robotaxi after the company issued a recall affecting nearly 1,200 of its autonomous vehicles. 

The agency opened its probe in 2022 after receiving reports of collisions and injuries related to Cruise’s braking. The GM affiliate said its cars have already received updates to prevent hard-braking incidents in the future. 

NHTSA investigators found 10 collisions involving Cruise vehicles out of the 7,632 analyzed incidents. 

While Cruise disagreed that a recall was necessary, the company agreed to the move to conclude the investigation. 

The probe’s closure is an important step in Cruise’s quest to regain the trust of regulators and customers. 

Last October, a video surfaced of a Cruise robotaxi dragging a California pedestrian under its wheels for 20 feet. The video stirred up much criticism, and the company’s response to the state’s investigation lost the company its license to operate in California. 

In the aftermath, GM announced significant cuts to its robotaxi project, and Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt resigned. The company also halted all robotaxi operations in California and Phoenix. 

Cruise has been slowly rebuilding since 2023, as the company resumed operations in Phoenix in May with safety drivers behind the wheel. However, the company is still under investigation by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission over the October incident.