Overview
- Waymo filed a voluntary NHTSA recall covering about 3,871 fifth‑generation robotaxis after identifying a software flaw that can let vehicles enter closed freeway construction zones.
- The NHTSA report says the automated driving system can either fail to recognize construction zones or misprioritize avoiding other hazards, and it estimates 100% of the affected units carry the defect.
- Clusters of incidents in Phoenix in April and in the San Francisco Bay Area on May 18 prompted Waymo to stop freeway operations on May 19 and for its safety board to decide on a recall on June 8.
- Waymo says a permanent remedy is currently under development and will be delivered as an over‑the‑air software update to company‑owned vehicles, while the affected cars remain barred from freeways.
- The recall adds to several recent Waymo software fixes and has intensified federal scrutiny from NHTSA and the NTSB, raised public concern after social‑media video and police involvement, and could constrain the company’s planned city expansions.