Waymo Recalls Nearly 3,800 Vehicles After Robotaxi Enters Flooded Roadway

Waymo autonomous vehicles may slow but not stop after detecting a potentially untraversable flooded lane, a report shows.

A Waymo autonomous self-driving Jaguar taxi is stopped at a light in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 14, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Autonomous driving company Waymo announced it is voluntarily recalling 3,791 robotaxis due to a software issue that could cause the vehicles to continue traveling on flooded roadways.

The recall was prompted by an incident in San Antonio, Texas, on April 20, when a Waymo robotaxi entered a flooded lane during inclement weather, a recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated. The roadway had a posted 40-miles-per-hour speed limit, and while the autonomous vehicle detected that the roadway might be impassable, it proceeded ahead at reduced speed.