Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent Alphabet, has issued a recall for more than 1,200 autonomous vehicles after identifying a software problem that increased the risk of collisions with chains, gates, and other roadway barriers. This move comes as U.S. auto safety regulators intensify their oversight of self-driving technology.
The recall targets 1,212 vehicles operating with Waymo’s older fifth-generation automated driving system (ADS) software. Waymo’s robotaxi fleet numbers over 1,500 vehicles across major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin.
According to the company, there were 16 reported incidents involving collisions with chains, gates, or similar barriers between 2022 and late 2024. Fortunately, none of these incidents resulted in injuries. Waymo detailed the events in a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Last year, the NHTSA began investigating Waymo after receiving complaints that some of its self-driving vehicles had exhibited driving behavior that may have violated traffic safety laws. Investigators noted that some incidents involved collisions with clearly visible objects that a competent human driver would be expected to avoid. The probe is still ongoing.
Waymo says the issue has been resolved in its latest sixth-generation self-driving software, which was fully deployed across its fleet by the end of December. “Waymo provides more than 250,000 paid trips every week in some of the most challenging driving environments in the U.S.,” the company noted in a statement. “Our record of reducing injuries over tens of millions of fully autonomous miles driven shows our technology is making roads safer.”
This is not the first recall for Waymo. In February 2024, the company recalled 444 vehicles after two minor crashes in Arizona, caused by a software glitch that misjudged the movement of a towed vehicle. Waymo also recalled over 670 cars in June after a robotaxi hit a wooden utility pole in Phoenix.
The spotlight on self-driving safety extends beyond Waymo. Last week, Amazon’s Zoox unit agreed to recall 270 driverless vehicles following a crash involving an unoccupied robotaxi in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, rival GM’s Cruise division has faced major regulatory setbacks after a 2023 incident in which a pedestrian was seriously injured, prompting GM to cut funding and fold Cruise into broader operations.
Waymo’s latest recall underscores the intense scrutiny facing the self-driving vehicle industry, as companies work to balance innovation with the highest standards of safety and reliability.
