Waymo Recalls Thousands of Autonomous Vehicles
The autonomous vehicle manufacturer Waymo has initiated a recall of 3,067 robotaxis due to a software issue. This malfunction could have led to a vehicle driving past a stopped school bus with its red warning lights activated and its stop arm extended, significantly increasing the risk of hitting a child.
Regulator’s Response and Problem Details
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documented this case, noting that the involved vehicles were equipped with Waymo’s fifth-generation automated driving system. Interestingly, the software update that fixes the problem had already been installed on all vehicles before the official recall announcement – by November 17, 2025.
The problem was specifically in the software, as Waymo updated the system on all involved vehicles by November 17. Consequently, the recall was resolved even before it was announced.
Investigation and the Incident that Triggered It
This recall occurred approximately a month after the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation began an inquiry into how Waymo’s autonomous driving system interacts with stopped school buses and whether it complies with relevant safety rules.
The investigation was initiated following a report of a specific incident. An autonomous vehicle approached a stopped school bus with its red lights activated and stop devices deployed. Initially, the robotaxi stopped, but then it executed a maneuver: it passed the bus from the front, turned right to avoid a collision, then left, passing in front of the bus, and left again to continue down the road.
Assessing the Scale and Further Actions
The government side described this maneuver as dangerous, noting that the vehicle passed the bus’s extended control arm near exiting students and that there was no safety driver in the vehicle. At the start of the investigation, it was known that Waymo vehicles had collectively covered over 100 million miles, so regulators considered the likelihood of similar incidents in the past to be high.
Although the investigation is likely still ongoing, the implemented software update and recall should help alleviate safety concerns regarding these systems. This case serves as a reminder of the complexity of fully replicating human-level perception and decision-making in dynamic road situations, especially when it comes to protecting vulnerable road users like children. The company’s swift response to the identified defect demonstrates the working mechanisms in the industry for rapidly improving technologies; however, it also highlights the constant need for thorough monitoring and regulation by independent bodies.