Waymo is recalling its massive fleet of autonomous vehicles due to a defect that could pose a significant safety risk, according to federal regulators.
This action follows an incident in which a driverless vehicle failed to come to a complete stop after encountering flooded road conditions on a high-speed highway, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a May 6 report.
“Entering a flooded roadway can result in loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury,” the agency said.
The recall covers 3,791 vehicles equipped with the company’s 5th and 6th generation automated driving systems (ADS), which regulators estimate have a 100% defect rate.
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A Waymo autonomous taxi on Bush Street in San Francisco, California, United States on December 17, 2025. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The company currently operates thousands of vehicles across the United States, including San FranciscoLos Angeles, Phoenix and Austin.
According to the report, when a Waymo robo-taxi approaches standing water on high-speed roads, it may slow down but not stop completely after detection.
Federal regulators said the first incident occurred April 20, when an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered an “impossible to drive through flooded section” of road with a speed limit of 40 mph.
The same day, Waymo implemented additional restrictions to reduce the risk of similar incidents during severe weather, including updates to weather controls and changes to the mapping systems used by its vehicles.
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A Waymo car is stopped on the road due to a power outage in San Francisco, California, United States, December 20, 2025. (Reuters photos / Reuters)
All affected vehicles have received an interim software update by April 20, 2026.
Waymo then issued a recall on April 24.
Teleprinter Security Last Change Change % GOOG ALPHABET INC. 383.82 -2.95 -0.76% Federal regulators added that the vehicles concerned were manufactured between March 17, 2022 and April 20, 2026.
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Waymo operates in several major US cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin. (Source: Waymo)
Since Waymo owns the entire fleet of nearly 3,800 affected units, they were able to immediately implement an interim measure without the need for traditional consumer notifications.
Owners seeking additional information can also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.nhtsa.gov.
