Waymo, an Alphabet-owned robotaxi company, is recalling more than 3,800 of its self-driving taxis because of a software flaw that could cause them to enter closed freeway construction zones at potentially high speeds. This issue was identified in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) bulletin. In response, Waymo has voluntarily restricted freeway driving for its robotaxis and is working on a software fix to address the problem.
The company's Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis were initially permitted on Phoenix freeways in 2024, first with employees and then with paying customers. Following the discovery of this software vulnerability, Waymo made the decision to temporarily pause all freeway operations across its US markets, which include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. The company confirmed that surface street operations remain active during this period of adjustment.
This is Waymo's second recall in just over a month. In May, 3,791 robotaxis were recalled after one drove onto a flooded road in San Antonio, an incident where the unoccupied vehicle was swept away, though no injuries occurred. Prior to that, another fleet recall was prompted by robotaxis failing to stop for school buses with deployed stop signs and flashing lights. Waymo stated that these recalls are notices of intent to fix software issues, not a directive to remove vehicles from service.
Waymo's public statement indicated that it "identified an area of improvement regarding performance around freeway construction zones." The company voluntarily restricted freeway operations last month while making improvements, proactively notifying state and federal regulators, and filed a voluntary software recall with NHTSA. Despite these incidents, Waymo claims its vehicles have been involved in 92% fewer "serious injury or worse" crashes and 92% fewer pedestrian crashes compared to human drivers.
