Waymo has issued a voluntary recall of more than 1,200 self-driving vehicles following a series of low-speed collisions involving roadside barriers such as gates and chains. The company said the underlying issue was resolved through a software update rolled out to the fleet in late 2024 and emphasized that current operations are unaffected.
The recall applies to vehicles operating with Waymo’s fifth-generation Automated Driving System, which powers much of the company’s growing robotaxi service. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Waymo’s autonomous fleet in May 2024 after reports of several collisions involving stationary objects.
In documents filed with regulators, Waymo acknowledged 16 such collisions between 2022 and the end of 2024, but none resulted in injuries. The company said a software fix was developed and deployed fleetwide by December.
The NHTSA investigation remains open. According to the agency, some of the incidents involved “collisions with clearly visible objects that a competent driver would be expected to avoid.” Waymo said it will continue cooperating with regulators.
“Waymo provides more than 250,000 paid trips every week in some of the most challenging driving environments in the US,” a Waymo spokesperson told the Daily Press. “We hold ourselves to a high safety standard and our record of reducing injuries over tens of millions of fully autonomous miles driven shows our technology is making roads safer. NHTSA plays a vital role in road safety and we will continue to work collaboratively with the agency as part of our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver.”
The company currently operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin and is preparing to expand into Atlanta, Miami and Washington, DC.
This is not the first time Waymo has recalled vehicles. In February 2024, the company removed 444 cars from service after a software flaw led to misjudgments involving towed vehicles. A separate recall in June involved more than 670 vehicles after one struck a wooden utility pole in Phoenix. Waymo said those incidents were also addressed through targeted software updates.
Waymo has repeatedly pointed to its safety record compared with human drivers. Over 50 million autonomous miles, the company reports an 81 percent reduction in injury-causing collisions and even greater reductions in incidents involving pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Property damage and bodily injury claims are down by more than 85 percent in rider-only trips compared with industry benchmarks.
Still, not all concerns about the company’s technology are safety-related. In Santa Monica, where Waymo operates a vehicle charging station, some residents have lodged complaints about persistent noise. Neighbors near Broadway and Euclid Street say the backup alerts and electronic beeping from the company’s Jaguar vehicles have disrupted sleep and daily life.
Waymo said it is working with Santa Monica officials and has implemented noise-reduction measures such as limiting vacuuming hours, slowing vehicle speeds in alleyways and installing landscaping buffers. The city confirmed that sound levels do not violate local codes, but residents argue the impact on quality of life remains unresolved.
Despite localized tensions, Waymo continues to promote its technology as a safer alternative to human driving. It remains the only autonomous vehicle developer to publicly release performance data that is independently downloadable and reviewable. With the software fix now in place and the NHTSA investigation ongoing, Waymo says the recall reflects its commitment to transparency and public trust.
scott.snowden@smdp.com