(Credit: Uber/Waymo)
Alphabet-owned Waymo has recalled 1,212 of its robotaxis to fix a software glitch that may cause the cars to run into roadway barriers, such as chains and gates.
According to a recall report shared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall is for cars equipped with the 5th generation of Waymo's automated driving systems (ADS) running software versions released before November 7, 2024. A software update rolled out by December 26, 2024 has "significantly reduced the likelihood of collisions with chains, gates, and other gate-like roadway barriers," the report adds.
The recall arrived after the NHTSA initiated a probe against Waymo in May 2024. The agency found seven incidents of collisions with chains or gates between 2022 and 2024, and an internal Waymo investigation found the occurrence of nine more similar incidents in 2024. Thankfully, none of these collisions resulted in injuries.
"We hold ourselves to a high safety standard, and our record of reducing injuries over tens of millions of fully autonomous miles driven shows our technology is making roads safer," a Waymo spokesperson said in a statement. "NHTSA plays a vital role in road safety, and we will continue to work collaboratively with the agency as part of our mission to be the world's most trusted driver."
This comes after Waymo published a safety report comparing its autonomous vehicles (AVs) with human-driven cars. Per the report, Waymo cars recorded 81% fewer injury-causing crashes and 64% police-reported crashes in Phoenix and San Francisco through 2024.
Waymo has issued recalls in the past, too. In February 2024, the company recalled its entire autonomous fleet after two of its cars collided with a backward-facing truck that was being towed. A few months later, 672 vehicles were recalled after a car hit a wooden utility pole in Arizona.
Waymo currently has a fleet of 1,500 AVs operating in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, according to Reuters. The ride-hailing service services 250,000 paid rides a week.