Waymo Issues Voluntary Recall After Robotaxi Swept Away in San Antonio Flood
The recall affects nearly 3,800 vehicles following a software failure that allowed an empty taxi to enter a flooded road in Texas.
Primary source: BBC World News. Full source links and update notes are below.
Fast summary
Start here
- Nearly 3,800 Waymo robotaxis using fifth and sixth-generation systems are subject to a voluntary recall.
- A software issue failed to prevent a vehicle from entering a flooded road in San Antonio on April 20, leading it to be swept into a creek.
- Waymo has implemented temporary software updates to limit operations during extreme weather while developing permanent safeguards.
What happened
Waymo, the autonomous driving subsidiary of Alphabet, has initiated a voluntary recall of nearly 3,800 robotaxis. The action follows a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding a software flaw that prevents vehicles from adequately identifying and avoiding flooded roadways.
What's new in this update
The recall was prompted by an April 20 incident in San Antonio, Texas, where an unoccupied Waymo vehicle drove into a flooded section of road and was subsequently swept into a creek. In response, Waymo has temporarily suspended its service in San Antonio and is rolling out software updates across its fleet to prevent similar occurrences.
Key details
The recall specifically targets vehicles equipped with Waymo's fifth and sixth-generation automated driving systems. While permanent 'additional software safeguards' are being finalized, the company has already applied temporary updates that restrict where affected vehicles can operate during extreme weather events.
Background and context
Waymo currently operates in several major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Austin, and Miami, facilitating over 500,000 trips per week. This recall adds to a series of recent setbacks for the autonomous vehicle industry, including a 2025 power outage in San Francisco that disabled Waymo taxis and mass outages for competitors like Apollo Go in China.
What to watch next
Waymo plans to resume public rides in San Antonio once the software fix is fully deployed. The company is also moving forward with international expansion plans, including a target to begin operating a robotaxi service in London by September, which may face increased regulatory scrutiny following this disclosure.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical technical limitations in how autonomous systems perceive environmental hazards like flooding, posing risks to fleet safety as operations scale.
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