Waymo recalls – Waymo is recalling nearly 4,000 robotaxis after multiple incidents in which vehicles entered active highway construction zones, including seven cases in one day in the Bay Area. The company says its software was either prioritizing other freeway hazards or fai
For passengers, it doesn’t take a crash to feel the danger. One Waymo rider says the moment came fast—about 20 seconds—as the robotaxi accelerated into an active construction zone on a highway in the Bay Area.
The incident has helped drive yet another recall. Waymo is bringing back nearly 4,000 vehicles after at least 13 instances in which its cars entered construction zones on highways. The scale of the problem was stark: seven of those incidents happened in a single day in San Francisco on May 18.
In filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Waymo described software performance that, in those cases, either prioritized “the avoidance of other freeway hazards and/or fail[ed] to recognize the construction zone.”
Elliot Slade. who was riding with his fiancée. said the vehicle sped up as construction signs and lights came into view. with police visible in the distance. In comments to CBS News. Slade said. “There were construction signs. ” and “There were lights going on.” He said the vehicle accelerated and he looked at his fiancée as the situation escalated—“we’re done. This is it. We’re dead. We’re going to die right here in the Waymo.”.
Slade said the robotaxi sped up for approximately 20 seconds before pulling off the highway and stopping in a residential neighborhood. He added that Waymo offered him three free rides, up to $40 each, as an apology.
The next day, on May 19, Waymo pulled all of its vehicles from highways. The NHTSA filings say a solution is “currently under development,” while Waymos continued operating on surface streets.
Waymo later issued the recall on June 8. The automaker-style step didn’t arrive in isolation: it comes as the company lays out a major expansion plan, including launches planned for 21 more cities in 2026 alone, with the first Waymos planned for the United Kingdom and Japan.
The pattern is hard to miss. This recall is the sixth for the Waymo robotaxi brand. Previous recalls were motivated by issues including illegal driving around school buses and driving on flooded roads.
Regulators have also been tightening scrutiny. Waymo’s driving software is under investigation by the NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board for a January incident in which a Waymo struck a child during a school drop-off.
And the company has faced public confusion beyond incidents that led to formal recall. In May, Waymo vehicles in Atlanta reportedly converged on a residential cul-de-sace every morning without an obvious reason, sparking online speculation about whether the pattern was intentional.
In a statement provided to Fast Company. a Waymo spokesperson framed the company’s latest move as part of improving safety. “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 spokesperson said. Waymo’s safety impact analyses say its robotaxis get into serious injury or worse crashes 92% less than human drivers.
On the construction-zone issue. the spokesperson said Waymo “identified an area of improvement regarding performance around freeway construction zones.” The company said it voluntarily restricted freeway operations last month while making improvements. proactively notified state and federal regulators. and decided to file a voluntary software recall with the NHTSA. The spokesperson added that Waymo continues to safely serve riders on surface streets in all the cities where it operates.
Behind the technical explanation sits a simple question that passengers and regulators keep testing: what happens when the real-world road is changing faster than the software can read it?
Waymo robotaxis recall NHTSA construction zones highway safety autonomous vehicles San Francisco Elliot Slade software recall freeway hazards
So basically it just ignores construction now? Love that for us.
Wait, it accelerated into a construction zone?? That’s not “robot” that’s just bad programming. Also why were they even on the highway if there were signs and lights, like come on.
I feel like these headlines always leave out the important part. Like did the construction change overnight or was the system just glitching from the camera view? If it pulled off and stopped, that’s kinda better… but then again 4,000 cars recall is wild. My cousin says Waymo is safer than human drivers but idk man.
Three free rides?? That doesn’t undo the part where it sped up and the guy thought “we’re done.” Also 20 seconds sounds short but in traffic that’s like forever. I’m convinced the robotaxis are learning from Tesla or something, because every time there’s construction the maps freak out. Pulling all vehicles off highways is good but they should’ve done it day one.