Waymo recalled 3,871 robotaxis after a software glitch let some vehicles enter closed freeway construction zones and keep traveling at posted speeds. The recall covers cars with Waymo's 5th Generation Automated Driving System. Riders using the service on surface streets in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin were not part of the freeway problem.
Waymo's 3,871-vehicle recall
The company said the recall is voluntary. It affects almost 4,000 vehicles, and Waymo estimated that all 3,871 vehicles covered by the recall are affected. The defect matters because a driverless vehicle that misses a closure sign can keep moving into a restricted freeway area instead of stopping before the work zone.
NHTSA said affected vehicles may avoid or fail to recognize certain construction-zone closures because of the software defect. That is the narrow failure here. It is not a general driving issue across all road types.
Late April to June 13
Waymo's Field Safety Committee began reviewing the issue in late April after examining six incidents in which robotaxis drove past ramp closure signs and entered freeway construction zones. The committee met again in May after identifying seven additional instances involving active construction zones in the San Francisco Bay Area.
As of June 13, a software remedy remained under development. That leaves owners and riders waiting on a code fix rather than a hardware change, which is the practical distinction that determines how quickly a recalled fleet can return to freeway operations.
Surface streets keep running
Waymo says it continues to operate its service as normal on surface streets in all cities. The company also said it has not yet provided freeway service to Texas. The tension is simple: the fleet is still carrying riders in daily service, but freeway-driving restrictions stay in place until engineers finish the remedy and the recall can be closed out.
The unresolved issue is when Waymo will finish that software remedy and restore freeway operations for the affected robotaxis.
