Waymo Recalls Software After Robotaxi Drives on Flooded Road

Waymo has initiated a recall of its self-driving software after one of its unoccupied robotaxis drove through a section of flooded road. The action targets approximately 3,791 vehicles running the company's fifth- and sixth-generation systems.

Documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report that the vehicle detected the hazard on a roadway posted for 40 mph but still "proceeded at reduced speed." The Alphabet subsidiary stated it is developing a permanent fix. Until then, it has pushed an over-the-air update "to increase weather-related constraints and updated the vehicles maps."

No injuries occurred during the episode. The event underscores challenges that autonomous-vehicle operators face when road conditions change because of severe weather. During its initial years, Waymo limited commercial operations to warmer, drier markets such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin.

The company is now preparing to enter several East Coast cities, including Boston, New York City and Washington, DC. Its capacity to manage harsher weather is therefore expected to face a decisive test.

This marks the first recall for the sixth-generation platform, which debuted earlier this year for "high volume production." The existing Jaguar I-Pace fleet relies on fifth-generation hardware and software introduced in March 2020. That earlier version has undergone five prior recalls, among them incidents involving passing stopped school buses and striking stationary objects.

Engineers designed the sixth-generation stack to operate across different vehicle platforms, beginning with the Zeekr RT minivan that the company rebranded as Ojai and continuing with the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Waymo is reportedly negotiating with additional manufacturers, including Toyota, for future integrations.