Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis

Waymo disclosed two separate software-related problems in May: a federal safety recall covering 3,791 robotaxis and a routing issue that sent empty vehicles repeatedly through a northwest Atlanta cul-de-sac. The recall, posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on May 12, said Waymo’s automated driving system could slow but fail to stop for potentially untraversable flooded lanes on higher-speed roads. Local television reports published May 15 showed a different problem in Atlanta, where residents said empty Waymo vehicles had begun circling their dead-end street in large numbers early in the morning. Waymo said it had already addressed that routing behavior with its fleet partner. ### How big is the recall, and what exactly is being fixed? NHTSA’s Part 573 filing says the recall covers 3,791 Waymo vehicles equipped with the company’s fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving systems built between March 17, 2022 and April 20, 2026. The filing describes the defect as a case in which a Waymo autonomous vehicle on higher-speed roads “may slow but not stop” after detecting a potentially untraversable flooded lane. (static.nhtsa.gov) Waymo told CNBC on May 12 that it had identified “an area of improvement” involving flooded lanes on higher-speed roadways and had chosen to file a voluntary software recall. The company said it had already put mitigations in place, including limiting operations during extreme weather to avoid areas where flash flooding might occur, while it worked on additional software safeguards. (static.nhtsa.gov) ### What happened on the flooded roadway? Waymo’s recall report says an unoccupied autonomous vehicle encountered an untraversable flooded section of a 40-mph roadway on April 20 and proceeded at reduced speed. The filing says entering an untraversable flooded roadway can result in loss of vehicle control. CNBC reported that the April 20 incident happened in San Antonio, where a Waymo vehicle entered a flooded road and was swept into a creek with no passengers on board. (cnbc.com) CNBC also reported that Waymo’s commercial robotaxi service in San Antonio remained temporarily suspended as of May 12. ### What were Atlanta residents seeing on Battleview Drive? (static.nhtsa.gov) WSB-TV reported on May 15 that residents on Battleview Drive in northwest Atlanta said dozens of empty Waymo vehicles had been circling their cul-de-sac for hours without passengers. One neighbor told the station that about 50 Waymo vehicles came through between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on one morning. (cnbc.com) Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ABC News, citing WSB-TV’s reporting and resident video, said neighbors had noticed Waymo vehicles in the area for about two months, with larger groups appearing in the previous couple of weeks. Residents told local media they were worried about children, pets and morning school-bus traffic on the dead-end street. (wsbtv.com) ### What has Waymo said about the Atlanta routing issue? Waymo told WSB-TV it was “committed to being good neighbors” and had already addressed the routing behavior. In a separate statement reported by ABC News, the company said it had already worked with its fleet partner to address the issue. (ajc.com) 11Alive and Fox 5 Atlanta reported that Waymo linked the Atlanta problem to fleet positioning and said it was working with its partner to prevent a repeat. Fox 5 said the company described staging vehicles in heavily traveled areas to respond quickly to demand, while adding that neighborhood peace of mind should not be compromised. (wsbtv.com) ### Are the recall and the Atlanta circling incident the same problem? The dates, filings and company statements indicate they are separate issues. NHTSA’s recall record is tied to flooded-road behavior and says Waymo’s Safety Board decided on April 24 to conduct a recall after the April 20 flooding event. The Atlanta reports surfaced on May 15 and describe a routing or fleet-positioning pattern on residential streets, not the flooded-road defect named in the federal filing. (11alive.com) Waymo’s next formal step on the recall is a software remedy still under development, according to NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter. For Atlanta residents, the most immediate public record is the company’s statement to local outlets saying the routing behavior has already been addressed with its fleet partner. (static.nhtsa.gov 1) (static.nhtsa.gov 2)