Waymo recalls massive autonomous fleet after incident flags major safety issue

Waymo is recalling its massive fleet of autonomous vehicles over a defect that may pose significant safety risk, according to federal regulators. 

The action follows an incident in which a driverless vehicle failed to come to a complete stop after encountering flooded road conditions on a high-speed roadway, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a May 6 report.

“Entering a flooded roadway can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury,” the agency said.

The recall covers 3,791 vehicles equipped with the company’s 5th and 6th generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS), which regulators estimate have a 100% defect rate. 

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The company currently operates thousands of vehicles across the U.S., including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin.

According to the report, when a Waymo robotaxi approaches standing water on higher-speed roads, it may slow down but fail to come to a full stop after detection.

Federal regulators said the first incident occurred on April 20, when an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered an “untraversable flooded section” of roadway with a 40 mph speed limit. 

That same day, Waymo implemented additional restrictions to reduce the risk of similar incidents in inclement weather, including updates to weather-related controls and changes to mapping systems used by its vehicles.

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All affected vehicles received an interim software update by April 20, 2026.

Waymo then initiated a recall on April 24. 

Federal regulators added that the affected vehicles were manufactured between March 17, 2022, and April 20, 2026.

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Because Waymo owns the entire fleet of nearly 3,800 affected units, they were able to apply an interim remedy immediately without the need for traditional consumer notifications.

Owners seeking additional information may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.nhtsa.gov.