Overview
- Waymo filed a voluntary safety recall with the NHTSA on June 17 covering 3,871 vehicles that run its fifth‑generation automated driving system.
- NHTSA documents say the software can either fail to recognize ramp closures or prioritize avoiding other hazards and drive at speed into closed freeway construction zones.
- The recall follows at least 13 incidents this spring, with six events in Phoenix in April and seven in the San Francisco Bay Area in May where robotaxis entered planned or active lane closures.
- As an interim safety step Waymo has barred the affected cars from freeway operation but continues surface‑street service, and it plans to deploy a permanent remedy as an over‑the‑air software update once the fix is developed.
- The action adds to a string of recent Waymo software recalls and ongoing NHTSA and NTSB reviews, a pattern that could limit highway‑dependent services such as faster commutes and airport trips and slow the company’s near‑term growth.