Alphabet’s Waymo is recalling over 1,200 self-driving vehicles due to software issues that could lead to collisions with chains, gates, and other barriers. This decision comes after U.S. auto safety investigators launched a probe into the company’s automated driving systems last year.
The recall affects 1,212 vehicles equipped with Waymo’s fifth-generation automated driving software. The company operates more than 1,500 vehicles in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, Texas, and it provides over 250,000 fully autonomous rides each week. Waymo is also planning to expand its services to Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C.
Waymo reported that between 2022 and late 2024, there were 16 incidents involving collisions with barriers. Fortunately, none of these accidents resulted in injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation in May 2024 after receiving reports of Waymo’s robotaxis engaging in behavior that might violate traffic laws. The investigation is still ongoing, focusing on incidents where the vehicles collided with visible objects that a human driver would typically avoid.
To address these safety concerns, Waymo has implemented a software update that began in November and was completed by the end of December. The company emphasized that its extensive experience in challenging driving environments has contributed to reducing injuries over millions of miles driven autonomously.
Earlier this year, in February 2024, Waymo recalled 444 vehicles following two minor collisions in Arizona due to a software error that affected the vehicles’ ability to predict the movements of towed objects. Additionally, in June, over 670 vehicles were recalled after one struck a utility pole in Phoenix, revealing another flaw in the software.
The scrutiny on self-driving vehicles is increasing, especially after a serious incident involving a pedestrian and a vehicle from General Motors’ Cruise division in 2023. Following that event, GM reduced funding for Cruise and integrated it into its broader operations.
In a related development, Amazon’s self-driving unit, Zoox, recently decided to recall 270 driverless vehicles after one of its robotaxis was involved in a minor crash with a passenger car in Las Vegas, although no injuries occurred in that instance.