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Waymo Addresses Software Glitch with Recall of 1,212 Robotaxis

The recall, prompted by minor collisions with barriers, involved software already updated fleet-wide by December 2024.

A Waymo One vehicle serving riders in San Francisco
A Waymo One vehicle serving riders in Los Angeles. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, recalled more than 1,200 self-driving vehicles late last year following a series of minor collisions with stationary barriers such as gates and chains, according to regulatory filings made public this week.
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The 5th-generation Waymo Driver on the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, recalled more than 1,200 self-driving vehicles late last year following a series of minor collisions with stationary barriers such as gates and chains, according to regulatory filings made public this week.

Overview

  • Waymo voluntarily recalled 1,212 fifth-generation self-driving vehicles after 16 low-speed collisions with chains, gates, and similar barriers from 2022 to late 2024.
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Waymo's automated driving system in May 2024; the probe remains ongoing.
  • Waymo resolved the barrier-collision issue with a software fix rolled out across its entire fleet by December 2024, prior to the recall announcement.
  • This marks Waymo's third software-related recall within a year, following separate recalls in February and June 2024 addressing other autonomous driving issues.
  • Waymo continues to operate over 1,500 robotaxis across four U.S. cities, delivering more than 250,000 paid trips weekly and emphasizing its strong safety record compared to human drivers.