Waymo has officially recalled 1,212 self-driving vehicles after identifying a software flaw that caused robotaxis to collide with stationary objects like gates, chains, and similar barriers.
According to the recall document posted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, the issue stems from Waymo’s fifth-generation Automated Driving System (ADS) software, used in its driverless vehicles operating in cities like Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Waymo says some of its vehicles were involved in multiple low-speed collisions where the software failed to correctly detect or respond to gate-like roadway barriers. The recall was first reported by Reuters.
Waymo began addressing the problem in late 2024, rolling out a software update to its fleet starting November 7, 2024. The update, which was fully deployed by December 26, 2024, significantly improved object detection and vehicle response, sharply reducing the risk of similar incidents.
While the software fix was applied months before the recall notice, Waymo’s Safety Board decided on May 1, 2025, to initiate an official recall to “fulfill regulatory reporting obligations” with the NHTSA.
While Waymo has now formally issued this recall notice, the NHTSA continues its investigation into Waymo’s ADS system. The investigation began in May 2024 following seven reported incidents where robotaxis struck chains and gates between December 2022 and April 2024. Waymo later disclosed an additional nine collisions with similar objects through the end of 2024. None of the incidents resulted in injuries.
This is not Waymo’s first recall involving its autonomous software. In early 2024 the company issued recalls after robotaxis collided with towed vehicles and in a separate incident, collided with a telephone pole in Phoenix.
You can read the full NHTSA recall below.
