Waymo Recalls Nearly 3,800 Robotaxis Over Risk of Driving Into Flooded Roads

SAN FRANCISCO — Waymo is recalling 3,791 of its self-driving vehicles in the United States over a software flaw that could allow the robotaxis to drive into flooded roadways, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The voluntary recall covers vehicles equipped with the company’s fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving systems. The recall notice was posted on the agency’s website on Tuesday.

What the Defect Involves

According to the recall report, on higher-speed roads the software may cause a vehicle to slow down, but not stop, after detecting a lane that is potentially impassable because of standing water. Entering a flooded roadway can lead to a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash or injury, the filing said.

The recall follows an incident on April 20 in San Antonio, Texas, in which an unoccupied Waymo vehicle entered a flooded road and was carried into a creek. No injuries were reported.

Interim Measures

Waymo said a permanent software remedy is still under development. As an interim measure, the company tightened weather-related limits on where and when its vehicles operate and updated its maps. All affected vehicles had received the interim update by April 20, according to the recall documents.

A Waymo spokesperson told the BBC that safety was the company’s primary priority and that it was working on additional software safeguards. The spokesperson said mitigations already in place include limiting access to areas where flash flooding may occur.

The company’s San Antonio service remains temporarily suspended. Waymo said public rides there would resume once the necessary software fix had been deployed.

Rapid Expansion

Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, says it now provides more than 500,000 paid trips per week across several U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Austin and Miami. The company has also said it hopes to launch a robotaxi service in London later this year.

The rapid growth of driverless services has brought increasing scrutiny of how the vehicles respond to unusual conditions. In December 2025, a large power outage in San Francisco caused many Waymo vehicles to stop operating around the city, creating significant traffic disruption.

Experts on Operating Limits

Jack Stilgoe, a professor of science and technology policy at University College London, told the BBC that all self-driving systems have limits on where and when they can operate safely, and that those limits often become apparent only when something goes wrong. He said more such problems are likely to emerge as more autonomous vehicles are deployed, while noting that the technology could still be hugely beneficial.

Because the fix involves software, Waymo can update its fleet remotely rather than requiring vehicles to visit a service center, as is typical for many recalls involving self-driving systems. Regulators have increasingly used the recall process to address software behavior in automated vehicles, and NHTSA has opened several inquiries into robotaxi operators in recent years.