A Waymo self-driving taxi in front of Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, on February 3, 2026.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Waymo is recalling about 3,900 robotaxis in the U.S. to fix a software issue after some vehicles entered highway construction zones, according to a notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Voluntary recall means alphabetThe filing is the second in more than a month, following 13 known incidents in which Waymo robot taxis entered construction zones on freeways in Phoenix and entered lanes of freeways under construction in the San Francisco area, according to filings released Thursday.
Waymo’s notice applies to vehicles equipped with the company’s fifth-generation self-driving system, according to a letter posted on the regulator’s website. “Driving through closed construction zones increases the risk of accidents,” the letter said.
“We have identified areas for improvement regarding performance around highway construction zones,” Waymo said in an emailed statement. “Last month, we made the decision to voluntarily limit highway operations while we continue to make improvements, proactively notify state and federal regulators, and file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA. We continue to provide safe service to our passengers on the roads in every city in which we operate.”
Waymo said it is developing a “remedy” for the problem, but in the meantime it is restricting the use of robotaxis on highways. Waymo served regular passengers on freeways in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami.
Waymo has experienced performance problems, including problems with its vehicles failing to yield to school buses in Austin, Texas, and other locations, and during a major power outage in San Francisco in December, when vehicles were stuck in gridlocks, causing chaos and traffic jams.
The company issued another voluntary recall in May after some robotaxis entered flooded areas or standing water.
The NHTSA Safety Board launched an investigation into Waymo after a robotaxi illegally passed a stopped school bus in January.
Waymo currently operates commercial robo-taxi services in 11 U.S. markets, with limited ridership available in select cities. Waymo is planning its first overseas expansion to London and Tokyo this year. Earlier this month, the company announced a new $29.99/month subscription tier for dedicated users in high-demand cities.
Grayson Brulte, co-founder of autonomous driving tracker Autnmy AI, praised the company’s “proactive decision.”
“However, we believe that Waymo’s rate of expansion will be fundamentally constrained until the freeway patch is deployed and validated,” he said.
—CNBC’s Jennifer Elias contributed reporting.
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