tldr:

GPT-5.5 Codex model exhibits a clustering phenomenon in which reasoning_output_tokens cluster at fixed values spaced 518 apart.

These stuck responses at fixed thresholds are strongly correlated with errors in complex tasks.

Observed phenomenon is specific to GPT-5.5; it is much less prevalent in GPT-5.4 and almost absent in GPT-5.2 and 5.3

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