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Waymo initiates voluntary recall of nearly 3,800 robotaxis
Waymo is recalling thousands of its autonomous vehicles in the United States after a software flaw allowed a car to enter a flooded roadway, leading to a submersion incident in San Antonio, Texas.
Incident triggers safety review
On April 20, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle drove into a flooded area in San Antonio and was subsequently swept into a creek. The incident prompted the company to file a voluntary recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday.
The recall affects approximately 3,800 robotaxis equipped with Waymo's fifth and sixth-generation automated driving systems.
Company responds with software updates and operational changes
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, stated that safety remains its "primary priority" and confirmed that immediate mitigations have been implemented. These include restricting vehicle access to areas prone to flash flooding.
The company's San Antonio service remains suspended pending a software fix, though Waymo plans to resume operations once the update is deployed.
"We are working on additional software safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future,"
Waymo spokesperson
Broader concerns over autonomous vehicle safety
Waymo currently operates over 500,000 trips per week across multiple U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Austin, and Miami. However, recent incidents have raised questions about the reliability of self-driving technology.
Jack Stilgoe, a professor of science and technology policy at University College London, told the BBC that autonomous vehicles have inherent operational limits that often become apparent only after failures occur.
"As more self-driving cars hit the roads, we're likely to see more such issues emerge. That doesn't mean the technology won't be beneficial, but regulators would prefer to identify risks proactively rather than reactively."
Jack Stilgoe, Professor of Science and Technology Policy, UCL
Recent disruptions highlight ongoing challenges
Waymo is not the only company facing setbacks. In December 2025, a power outage in San Francisco caused Waymo taxis to stall across the city, leading to widespread traffic disruptions.
Similarly, in April, an outage affecting Apollo Go robotaxis in Wuhan, China, left over a hundred autonomous vehicles stranded in traffic, further underscoring the vulnerabilities of large-scale autonomous fleets.
What's next for Waymo?
The company remains committed to expanding its services, including plans to launch a robotaxi service in London by September. However, the recall and recent incidents may prompt closer scrutiny from regulators and the public.
