Waymo’s robotaxi fleet is being recalled again, this time for failing to stop for school buses
To prevent its robotaxi fleet from overtaking stopped school buses, Waymo is issuing another software recall in 2025. Although not a traditional recall that takes vehicles off the road, Waymo is voluntarily updating the software for its autonomous fleet in response to an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to Waymo, the recall will be filed with the federal agency early next week.
Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s chief safety officer, said in a statement that Waymo sees far fewer accidents involving pedestrians than human drivers, but that the company knows when “our behavior should be better.”
“As a result, we have made the decision to file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA regarding appropriate slowdown and shutdown in these scenarios,” Peña said in a statement to multiple media outlets. “We will continue to analyze the performance of our vehicles and make necessary corrections as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.”
According to the NHTSA investigation, some Waymo autonomous vehicles failed to stop in front of school buses with their stop signs and flashing lights displayed. The federal agency said in the report that there have been instances of Waymo cars driving past stopped school buses in Atlanta and Austin, Texas.
Earlier this year, Waymo issued another software recall after some members of its robotaxi fleet were seen hitting doors, chains and similar objects. Last year, Waymo also filed two other software recalls, one involving a fleet vehicle crashing into a telephone pole and another fixing how two separate robotaxis hit the exact same van that was being towed.
