Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis

Waymo said on May 19 that it was recalling about 3,800 robotaxis in the United States after identifying a software issue that could allow some vehicles to enter flooded roads under certain conditions. The recall followed an April 20 incident in San Antonio, Texas, when an unoccupied Waymo vehicle drove into a flooded lane during extreme weather, according to Waymo’s filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. No injuries were reported, and the company said the vehicle did not make contact with any other road users. NHTSA’s safety recall filing lists 3,791 affected vehicles using Waymo’s fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving system. ### Which vehicles are covered, and what exactly is being fixed? NHTSA recall 26E026 applies to 3,791 vehicles equipped with Waymo’s automated driving system, according to the agency’s acknowledgment letter and Part 573 safety recall report. The filings describe the defect as software that may allow a vehicle to drive onto a flooded roadway. Waymo told NHTSA that the interim remedy changed the approved operating scope of its automated driving system to exclude additional conditions that present an elevated risk of encountering a flooded, higher-speed roadway. (carriermanagement.com) The company said production vehicles now operate using the latest scope-of-operation rules. ### What happened in San Antonio on April 20? (static.nhtsa.gov) San Antonio is the city cited in Waymo’s filing as the site of the triggering event. During severe weather on April 20, a Waymo vehicle encountered standing water on a road with a 40 mph speed limit and continued into the flooded lane at a reduced speed, according to coverage that cited the company’s recall disclosure. (static.nhtsa.gov) Waymo said the vehicle was unoccupied at the time. Carrier Management, citing Reuters, reported that the incident prompted the company to identify a risk that vehicles could enter flooded roads with higher speed limits under some conditions. ### Why is floodwater a specific problem for robotaxis? Waymo’s recall filing frames the issue as an operating-domain problem rather than a mechanical failure. (carriermanagement.com) The company told NHTSA that the software needed tighter restrictions in situations where flooded, higher-speed roadways could be encountered. TechCrunch reported that the remedy was a software update across the fleet, while CNBC described the issue as one that could allow robotaxis to drive into standing water. (carriermanagement.com) Those accounts matched the language in the NHTSA filing that the automated driving system “may allow” a vehicle to enter a flooded roadway. ### When did Waymo decide to recall the fleet? (static.nhtsa.gov) April 20 is the date Waymo said it implemented added operational restrictions after the San Antonio event. Four days later, on April 24, Waymo’s Safety Board reviewed the issue and decided to conduct a recall, according to the Part 573 report filed with NHTSA. May 11 is the date on NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter for recall 26E026, and May 19 is the date Reuters reported Waymo publicly described the recall. (techcrunch.com) The difference reflects the federal recall filing process and later public reporting, based on the documents and news accounts reviewed. ### Has Waymo faced other software recalls before? NHTSA’s recall database shows Waymo has previously filed software-related recalls involving its automated driving system. (static.nhtsa.gov) One 2025 filing cited situations involving school buses and the system’s behavior around flashing lights and stop arms. Waymo says on its safety site that its vehicles operate under a defined safety framework and approved operating conditions. (static.nhtsa.gov) In this case, the next reference point for the public is NHTSA recall 26E026, where the company’s remedy and affected population are recorded in the federal database. (waymo.com) (static.nhtsa.gov)