Waymo Robotaxi Recall Hits 3,871 Vehicles Over Freeway Construction Zone Flaw
Waymo has issued a voluntary software recall for 3,871 robotaxis after its autonomous vehicles drove into closed freeway construction zones across Phoenix and San Francisco. The Alphabet-owned company filed the recall notice with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration following 13 documented incidents across April and May. No collisions or injuries occurred. However, NHTSA confirmed that the flaw gives a 100 per cent defect likelihood across the entire recalled fleet.
The Waymo robotaxi recall stems from a software flaw in the company’s fifth-generation Automated Driving System. The issue affects vehicles built between May 2022 and May 2026. In Phoenix, six robotaxis failed to detect ramp closure signs. They drove directly into planned freeway construction zones. In the San Francisco Bay Area, seven vehicles entered active construction lanes. They passed between lane-closure cones in adjacent lanes. According to Waymo’s filing with NHTSA, the system either failed to recognise the construction zone or prioritised avoiding other freeway hazards. Driving at high speed through active construction areas increases the risk of collisions.
In one May incident, a passenger told CBS San Francisco that his Waymo vehicle sped through a construction zone before police chased it. Waymo suspended all freeway operations on May 19, 2026. That means the company’s robotaxi fleet in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami is now restricted to surface streets only while the software fix is finalised.
NHTSA also has an open probe into Waymo, dating to a January 2026 school bus incident in Austin, Texas. The recall gives regulators another data point as they assess whether autonomous driving systems are ready for the full range of conditions US roads produce.
