Waymo recalls 3,791 robotaxis over flood risk

Waymo recalled 3,791 robotaxis in the United States on May 12 after federal safety records showed its self-driving software could allow vehicles to slow and then continue into standing water on higher-speed roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the defect could lead to a loss of vehicle control and raise the risk of a crash or injury. Waymo said the recall followed an April 20 incident in San Antonio, Texas, when an unoccupied vehicle drove into a flooded lane during extreme weather. The company said no one was injured, but the episode prompted a review of similar scenarios. ### What exactly did regulators say the software was doing? NHTSA said in its recall acknowledgment letter dated May 11 that certain fifth- and sixth-generation Waymo automated driving systems “may allow the vehicle to slow and then drive into standing water on higher speed roadways.” The agency said entering a flooded roadway can cause a loss of vehicle control. The filing listed the affected population at 3,791 units and identified the component as the autonomous-driving system software. (static.nhtsa.gov) NHTSA assigned the campaign number 26E026. ### What happened in San Antonio on April 20? Waymo said the recall was tied to an April 20 event in San Antonio in which one of its vehicles drove into a flooded lane during severe weather. Reuters reported, citing Waymo, that the vehicle was unoccupied and that there were no injuries. (static.nhtsa.gov) TechCrunch reported that one empty Waymo vehicle was swept away in San Antonio and that the company paused operations there after its fleet struggled to navigate flooding in central Texas. (static.nhtsa.gov) That account matches the timing of the company’s late-April decision to issue the recall. ### Did Waymo already push a fix, or is the remedy still unfinished? (money.usnews.com) NHTSA said the remedy is still under development. The agency said Waymo has already put in place an interim response by narrowing where and when the vehicles operate in bad weather and by updating maps. All affected vehicles received that interim update by April 20, 2026, according to the filing. Waymo said it was “working to implement additional software safeguards” and had refined its extreme-weather operations during periods of intense rain while limiting access to places where flash flooding might occur. (techcrunch.com) ### Which vehicles and markets are covered? The recall covers Waymo vehicles using its fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving systems, according to the NHTSA filing. (static.nhtsa.gov) Because Waymo owns and operates the affected fleet itself, riders are not being asked to bring vehicles in for service; the changes are being managed through software and operating restrictions. That is an inference from the filing’s description of the affected equipment and Waymo’s fleet model. (money.usnews.com) Waymo’s help pages say it operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, and that Waymo rides are also available through Uber in Austin and Atlanta. Waymo said in April that its service had opened to everyone in Miami and Orlando. ### Is this part of broader scrutiny of Waymo’s driverless fleet? NHTSA is separately investigating a January incident in Santa Monica, California, in which a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school, causing minor injuries, Reuters reported. (static.nhtsa.gov) The National Transportation Safety Board also said in March that it was investigating a January incident in Texas in which Waymo vehicles passed a stopped school bus with its lights activated. (support.google.com) TechCrunch reported this is one of several software recalls Waymo has issued since 2024, including fixes related to collisions with a towed vehicle, low-speed impacts with gates and poles, and school-bus behavior. ### What happens next in the recall process? NHTSA told Waymo in its May 11 letter that an amended Part 573 recall report is required because the company has not yet supplied the final remedy. (money.usnews.com) The agency also reminded Waymo that notices and related communications must be submitted within five days after they are sent. Waymo’s next formal step is to file that amended report with the final repair description, while the interim weather restrictions and map updates remain in place. (techcrunch.com) (static.nhtsa.gov)