The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) initiated an inquiry on December 12, 2022, into unexpected braking and immobilization issues in Cruise autonomous vehicles. This investigation followed three reported incidents where Cruise vehicles, operating autonomously in “supervised mode” with safety drivers on board, executed hard braking maneuvers that resulted in rear-end collisions.
Throughout 2023 and during a suspension of operations from October 26, 2023, to May 13, 2024, Cruise implemented multiple software updates. These updates aimed to enhance the vehicles’ perception, prediction, and path planning capabilities, specifically to mitigate the risk of sudden braking incidents. According to the NHTSA, Cruise demonstrated compliance with all requests for information and provided extensive documentation, including videos, for the agency’s review.
Cruise engaged in follow-up meetings with the NHTSA on February 29 and May 9, 2024, to present the improvements and effectiveness of its updated software. Despite these updates, the NHTSA, after completing its analysis, requested on July 17, 2024, that Cruise initiate a safety recall. Cruise complied on August 9, 2024, prompting the ODI to close its investigation into the sudden braking issue. However, the ODI retains the right to take further action if new incidents are reported.
The investigation by the ODI included data analysis from 7,632 hard braking events triggered by the Cruise vehicles’ software. Additionally, the ODI gathered information from five other autonomous vehicle operators for comparative analysis. The investigation determined that the software issue was a significant factor in 10 crashes, four of which involved vulnerable road users, resulting in injuries. The ODI noted that the braking problem was influenced by the vehicle’s location and the automatic activation of hazard lights, which affected the vehicle’s detectability.
In January 2024, the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission launched investigations into an October 2023 incident in San Francisco, where a Cruise robotaxi struck and dragged a pedestrian. This incident led to the suspension of Cruise’s operating permits in California and subsequent investigations by the NHTSA and the California Public Utilities Commission.
Following this, Cruise underwent significant leadership changes, dismissing nine top executives and laying off 24% of its workforce in December 2023. This followed the resignation of Cruise co-founders, former CEO Kyle Vogt and Daniel Kan, in November 2023.
Despite these setbacks, Cruise resumed mapping operations on public roads in Phoenix in April 2024 and is now cautiously expanding its testing in Dallas and Houston. However, the vehicles are not yet transporting paying passengers, as the company continues to refine its autonomous driving system. GM CEO Mary Barra expressed confidence in the company’s path to resuming driverless operations with improved safety technology during a recent earnings call.
