Alphabet’s Waymo is recalling 1,212 self-driving vehicles to update software and address safety risks after U.S. auto safety investigators opened an inquiry last year.
The recall affects Waymo’s fifth-generation automated driving system (ADS) software, with the vehicles operating in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. The company confirmed 16 incidents between 2022 and late 2024, where vehicles collided with chains, gates, and other barriers, although no injuries were reported.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched its investigation in May 2024, following reports of Waymo’s robotaxis exhibiting driving behaviors that potentially violated traffic laws. The agency noted that some incidents involved collisions with visible objects that a human driver would be expected to avoid. Waymo has since addressed the issue with its latest sixth-generation self-driving software, which was deployed across its fleet by the end of December.
Waymo, which operates more than 1,500 vehicles, continues to emphasize its safety record, stating it provides over 250,000 paid trips weekly in challenging driving conditions. The company added that its technology has contributed to reducing injuries over millions of autonomous miles driven.
The recall follows previous incidents, including a February 2024 recall of 444 vehicles due to a software error that could lead to miscalculations of a towed vehicle’s movement. In June 2024, Waymo recalled more than 670 vehicles after one of them struck a wooden utility pole in Phoenix. Other self-driving companies, including General Motors’ Cruise and Amazon’s Zoox, have faced similar regulatory scrutiny and recalls following incidents involving their autonomous vehicles.
