• Thousands of vehicles recalled after flood-related software glitch
• Preventive measures and partial service disruption amid expanding operations and renewed reliability concerns

Waymo has announced the recall of thousands of its self-driving vehicles in the United States, in a move affecting around 3,800 robotaxis, following a software glitch that could cause cars to veer onto flood-submerged roads.

According to a notice published on the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, the recall covers vehicles equipped with the company’s fifth- and sixth-generation autonomous driving systems.

The issue traces back to an incident on 20 April in San Antonio, Texas, where an unoccupied Waymo vehicle entered a flooded roadway and was swept toward a nearby creek.

The company said it is working on strengthening its software systems by adding “additional safety safeguards,” while temporarily suspending public ride services in San Antonio until the required updates are completed.

Waymo also confirmed that temporary restrictions have already been introduced to limit vehicle movement during severe weather conditions as part of broader risk mitigation efforts.

The company currently operates more than 500,000 rides per week across several US cities, including San Francisco, Austin, and Miami, as it continues to expand its autonomous transport services.

The incident comes amid broader concerns over the safety of self-driving technology, following several high-profile disruptions over the past year. These include a widespread Waymo service outage in San Francisco during a major power failure in December 2025, as well as a mass stoppage of Apollo Go autonomous vehicles in Wuhan, China, in April, which left more than a hundred driverless cars stranded in traffic.