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Waymo Recalls 3,800 Robotaxis After Software Glitch Raises Highway Safety Concerns

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Autonomous driving’s most visible success story hits another speed bump.

Waymo, the autonomous ride-hailing company owned by Alphabet, has issued a voluntary recall affecting approximately 3,800 robotaxis after identifying a software issue that could allow its vehicles to enter closed highway work zones at normal driving speeds. The recall, announced through a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), adds to a growing list of challenges facing the industry’s most advanced self-driving operation.

According to federal regulators, the software defect could cause Waymo vehicles to incorrectly navigate through highway construction areas that have been closed to traffic. While there have been no reports of injuries or confirmed crashes linked to the issue, the potential consequences were serious enough for the company to proactively limit highway operations while engineers develop a fix.

“We identified an area where we can improve vehicle performance near highway work zones,” Waymo said in a statement. The company noted that it voluntarily restricted highway driving, informed regulators, and initiated a software recall while working on corrective updates.

Unlike traditional recalls that often require vehicles to visit service centers, Waymo’s latest action highlights the unique reality of software-defined transportation. The affected Jaguar I-Pace-based robotaxis aren’t being pulled from service. Instead, the recall serves primarily as a formal notification that the company intends to deploy updated software across its fleet.

The issue arrives at an awkward time for Waymo, which has spent years positioning itself as the autonomous driving industry’s benchmark for safety and reliability. Highway operation represents one of the most technically demanding environments for self-driving systems, requiring vehicles to process rapidly changing traffic conditions, construction zones, lane closures, and high-speed decision-making.

Waymo only recently expanded its highway operations. In Phoenix, the company’s robotaxis first gained approval to operate on freeways in 2024, initially carrying employees before eventually transporting paying passengers. Prior to that milestone, highway driving required the presence of a human safety driver behind the wheel.

The recall also marks the company’s second major software-related action in just over a month.

In May, Waymo recalled 3,791 vehicles after one of its autonomous Jaguars entered a flooded roadway in San Antonio. The unoccupied vehicle was swept away by flash-flood waters, though fortunately no injuries were reported. Earlier recalls have addressed even more concerning scenarios, including instances in which some Waymo vehicles failed to properly stop behind school buses displaying active stop signs and flashing warning lights.

Taken together, the incidents illustrate the difficult reality of autonomous vehicle development: even systems capable of handling millions of miles of routine driving can struggle with edge cases that human drivers encounter only occasionally.

Yet despite the recent recalls, Waymo’s broader safety record remains impressive. The company says its autonomous fleet has been involved in 92 percent fewer crashes resulting in serious injuries or worse compared with human drivers operating over similar distances. Waymo also reports a 92 percent reduction in crashes involving pedestrians.

Those figures help explain why regulators have generally allowed the company to continue expanding service despite periodic software corrections. In the world of autonomous driving, recalls increasingly resemble smartphone updates rather than traditional automotive defects—a reminder that the cars of the future may spend as much time receiving code revisions as they do getting mechanical maintenance.

For Waymo, the latest recall is unlikely to derail its expansion plans. But it does reinforce a reality that has followed autonomous vehicles since their inception: even the most sophisticated artificial intelligence still has lessons to learn when the road ahead suddenly changes.

Source: Waymo

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Waymo Robo-Taxi Rolls Through LAPD Arrest Scene, Raising Questions About AV Street Smarts

Autonomous driving has racked up some serious milestones in the last decade, but even the most advanced systems still have moments that remind us they’re not quite human. Waymo—widely considered one of the frontrunners in the driverless-car race—found itself back in the spotlight this week after one of its robo-taxis wandered into the middle of an active police arrest in Los Angeles.

A now-viral video shows a Waymo vehicle calmly approaching an intersection just as LAPD officers were in the process of detaining a suspect. A pickup truck sits on the side of the road, driver’s door open. The suspect is seen complying with police orders while officers move in. During this, the Waymo vehicle rolls forward, slows, and briefly stops near the scene before continuing through the intersection as if nothing unusual were happening.

According to NBC, the incident occurred around 3:40 a.m., and police later stated that the arrival of the driverless vehicle didn’t alter their tactics. Waymo added that the entire interaction lasted roughly 15 seconds.

“Safety is our highest priority, both for the people who choose to ride with us and for the people we share the streets with,” a Waymo spokesperson said. “When we encounter unusual events like this, we learn from them as we continue to improve road safety and operate in dynamic cities.”

Waymo’s safety record is, by the numbers, one of the strongest in the industry. By mid-2025, its fleet had logged more than 100 million autonomous miles. But public confidence in robo-taxis is a fragile thing, and moments like this—no matter how harmless the outcome—have a way of reigniting the debate over how autonomous vehicles should behave in unpredictable real-world scenarios.

This isn’t Waymo’s first brush with viral awkwardness. Earlier this year, pranksters in San Francisco managed to herd 50 Waymo vehicles into the same intersection, causing a goofy but highly publicized traffic jam. Not long after, a protest in Los Angeles escalated into vandalism that left five Waymo cars burned.

Incidents like these illustrate a strange tension facing the autonomous-driving world. The technology is far more mature than it was even a few years ago, yet it’s still navigating the messy, unscripted reality of human behavior—crime scenes included. The LA arrest didn’t result in danger or interference, but it’s a reminder of a bigger challenge: designing a car that not only understands the rules of the road, but also interprets human unpredictability in real time.

For now, Waymo’s robo-taxis continue to expand service across major cities. As they do, every odd encounter—whether it’s a protest, a prank, or a police stop—becomes another test case in the long road toward autonomy that truly works everywhere, all the time.

Source: NBC

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Waymo’s Driverless Jaguars to Hit London Streets in 2026

Next year, a fleet of self-driving Jaguar I-Pace SUVs will start rolling silently through the streets of London, not as posh Chelsea runabouts but as fully autonomous taxis, courtesy of American tech firm Waymo. Backed by the UK government and cheered on by the motoring industry, this pilot marks the country’s boldest leap yet into the driverless future.

Waymo’s no rookie either. The company already has its robo-taxis roaming across six U.S. states, with cars that have collectively clocked up more than 100 million miles. It’s also gone international, recently launching in Japan. Now, with a few British tweaks — likely including a penchant for roundabouts and an innate fear of cyclists — Waymo’s machines are headed for the capital.

The Robot Invasion Begins

London will be the first testing ground, where Waymo’s electric Jaguars will quietly map, learn, and ferry passengers through some of the most chaotic streets this side of Mumbai. It’s part of a new government-backed framework that allows companies to run autonomous services before personal driverless cars become legal — currently pencilled in for 2027.

In other words, while you still can’t legally let your Tesla drive you to Tesco, you can soon hail a taxi that does exactly that.

And Waymo won’t be alone. Uber, clearly not wanting to be outgunned by Silicon Valley rivals, has confirmed its own driverless trials will begin next spring — in collaboration with British AI mapping firm Wayve. Because nothing says “trust us” quite like the combined forces of a taxi giant and a startup run by machine learning PhDs.

The Government’s Grand Vision

UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander is understandably chuffed. She calls the move “cutting-edge investment” that will make Britain a “world leader in new technology.” Lofty words, but not without merit — the UK’s regulatory framework for autonomous driving is among the most advanced globally, and this pilot could finally bring some Silicon Roundabout sparkle to Britain’s roads.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has even dubbed the project a “landmark moment.” Its chief, Mike Hawes, hailed it as proof that Britain’s ambition is translating into a “social and mobility revolution.”

Translation: if all goes to plan, you might one day flag down a taxi that never misses a turn, never gets distracted, and — crucially — never asks if you’ve “got any cash, mate.”

Why It Might Actually Work

Waymo insists this isn’t just a publicity stunt. The company already has engineering hubs in London and Oxford, and it claims the project will support the capital’s transport goals — namely, reducing collisions and improving accessibility.

“We’re making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate,” says Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo’s co-CEO. The firm argues that removing the human from the driving equation could drastically improve safety — a point backed by Road Safety GB director James Gibson, who puts it bluntly: “Autonomous vehicles hold the potential to significantly improve road safety because, quite simply, the human driver is removed.”

Ouch. Sorry, Clarkson.

But Let’s Be Honest…

Of course, we’ve heard the promises before. Nissan’s been running autonomous Leafs around UK roads for years, claiming to have brought driverless tech “one step closer to reality.” And yet, the reality is still full of messy edge cases — rogue delivery vans, double-parked Range Rovers, and pedestrians who think zebra crossings are optional.

Still, there’s something undeniably exciting about the idea. For all our British cynicism, seeing a Waymo silently glide down Oxford Street — steering itself, watching every cyclist, never missing a green light — might just be one of those moments where you realize: the future’s arrived, and it doesn’t need a steering wheel.

So, next year, when a driverless Jaguar pulls up outside your flat and flashes its lights, don’t panic. Just get in, sit back, and let the car do what it was built for — everything.

Source: Autocar