Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis after glitch allowed some vehicles to 'drive into standing water'

A Waymo vehicle exits a charging lot on Jan. 15, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

Brandon Bell | Getty Images

Waymo is recalling about 3,800 robotaxis in the U.S. to fix software issues that could allow them to "drive onto a flooded roadway," according to a letter on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.

The voluntary recall is for Waymo vehicles that use the company's fifth and sixth generation automated driving systems (or ADS), the U.S. auto safety regulator said in the letter posted Tuesday.

Waymo autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas were recently seen on camera driving onto a flooded street and stalling, requiring other drivers to navigate around them. Similar incidents have occurred in other locations, the latest safety-related issues for the Alphabet-owned AV unit that's rapidly bolstering its fleet of vehicles and entering new U.S. markets.

Waymo has drawn criticism for its vehicles failing to yield to school buses in Austin, and for the performance of its vehicles during widespread power outages in San Francisco in December, when robotaxis halted in traffic, causing gridlock.

The company said in a statement on Tuesday that it's "identified an area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes specific to higher-speed roadways," and opted to file a "voluntary software recall" with the NHTSA.

"Waymo provides over half a million trips every week in some of the most challenging driving environments across the U.S., and safety is our primary priority," the company said.

Waymo added that it's working on "additional software safeguards" and has put "mitigations" in place, limiting where its robotaxis operate during extreme weather, so that they avoid "areas where flash flooding might occur" in periods of intense rain.

The company currently operates a commercial robotaxi service in 11 U.S. markets, with broad public access in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Miami. In a few markets, the service is available to select riders.

Waymo also told CNBC on Tuesday that its robotaxi service in San Antonio, Texas, remains temporarily suspended.

On April 20, a Waymo AV in San Antonio entered a flooded road and was swept away into a creek with no passengers on board, kicking off a NHTSA probe and leading to the latest voluntary recall.

The company said it is "readying operations to resume public rides" in San Antonio.

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