1,212 Waymo Self-Driving Cars Recalled in US After Probe Into Safety Concerns

Waymo, the subsidiary of Alphabet formed when Google spun off its self-driving car project, has recalled 1,212 of its vehicles even as a federal safety probe by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues. The probe began in May 2024, following reports of multiple minor collision incidents involving barriers and obstructions that human drivers would be expected to see and avoid.

The vehicles in question, just over 80 percent of the company’s entire fleet in the US, have been recalled so that software updates can be applied, as per a Reuters report. All of them were running the company’s 5th Gen software. Waymo recently announced that it currently operates 250,000 autonomous rides per week in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Austin, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona.

The collisions being investigated involved road barriers such as gates and chains. Sixteen incidents in total were reported between 2022 and 2024, none of which caused any human injuries. The NHTSA’s investigation into safety and potential violations of regulations is still open. Waymo has issued recalls in the past, including in June 2024 after a vehicle collided with a telephone pole. 

Also read: Toyota Partners With Waymo To Accelerate Autonomous Driving Tech

The news comes just a week after competitor Zoox issued a recall because one of its autonomous cars collided with another vehicle after misjudging its driver’s intention at an intersection. 

Waymo published a blog post just two weeks ago touting its safety record. After having notched up 56.7 million miles (approximately 9.12 crore km), the company claimed 92 percent fewer crashes resulting in pedestrian injuries, and 82 percent fewer crashes resulting in injuries to cyclists and bike riders. It also claimed 96 percent fewer crashes at intersections and 85 percent fewer crashes resulting in serious injuries, compared to incidents involving only human drivers.