Waymo Recalls Robotaxis Over Risk of Entering Freeway Construction Zones at Speed

Waymo, a leader in autonomous vehicle technology, has filed its fourth safety recall since February 2024, following incidents where its driverless cars were observed entering closed freeway construction zones. This latest recall, submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on June 17, appears to impact Waymo's entire US fleet, encompassing 3,871 vehicles that utilize the company's 5th Generation automated driving system (ADS). The move underscores the ongoing scrutiny and safety measures in the rapidly evolving self-driving industry. NHTSA estimates that 100 percent of the affected units carry the described defect. The safety recall report details the issue as "under certain circumstances, the AV may enter and drive at speed in freeway-construction zones due to inappropriately prioritizing the avoidance of other freeway hazards and/or failing to recognize the construction zone." Waymo began offering highway rides in late 2025, and the core problem seems to stem from a failure in the system's priority logic. This means the ADS either fails to recognize construction zones or, in other instances, actively chooses to drive through them while attempting to avoid other perceived hazards on the freeway, leading to the dangerous outcome of a driverless car moving at highway speeds through a closed work area. The events that prompted this recall began earlier this year. On April 11 and 19, Waymo vehicles operating in Phoenix drove past ramp closure signs and into preplanned construction zones. Waymo’s internal Field Safety Committee responded by implementing restrictions on freeway operations. Subsequently, on May 18, seven Waymo vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area navigated between construction cones and into active lane closures. Although no collisions or injuries were reported from these specific incidents, this second cluster of events was critical in prompting a broader, company-wide ban on freeway operations. Waymo’s Safety Board reviewed the issue on June 1 and formally decided to issue the recall on June 8. In a statement emailed to WIRED, a Waymo spokesperson affirmed, "Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted driver, and the data shows that we’re making roads safer in the communities in which we operate." The company acknowledged the identified "area of improvement regarding performance around freeway construction zones." They further explained, "We voluntarily restricted freeway operations last month while making improvements, proactively notified state and federal regulators, and decided to file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA." This proactive approach highlights Waymo's commitment to addressing safety concerns transparently and swiftly. Crucially, a permanent software fix for this potentially dangerous fault is not yet available, with the NHTSA filing noting that a remedy is "currently under development." As an interim measure, Waymo has implemented a significant operational restriction: all its vehicles are now prohibited from entering freeways entirely. This is a substantial change for a company that previously offered freeway rides in major metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami. Since Waymo owns its entire fleet, there is no need to notify individual owners; the eventual software update will be deployed as an over-the-air (OTA) update to the ADS. This marks the fourth time in approximately 28 months that Waymo has had to issue a safety recall, underscoring the complexities and challenges inherent in scaling autonomous driving technology. Previous recalls include one in May 2025 for 1,212 robotaxis involved in collisions with stationary roadway barriers, and another in May of this year for 3,791 vehicles after a robotaxi drove into a flooded, impassable road in San Antonio and was swept into a creek. It is important to note that this latest recall does not affect Waymo's newest 6th Generation vehicles, and the company's cars will continue to operate service on surface streets across the US without interruption.