Waymo is recalling 3,791 robotaxis across the US after a software flaw caused one vehicle to drive into a flooded road in San Antonio at reduced speed rather than rerouting. The NHTSA-flagged recall covers both fifth- and sixth-generation Waymo Driver systems. As an interim fix, Waymo has tightened weather-related operational limits and refreshed its maps. The recall filing inadvertently revealed Waymo's full US fleet size for the first time — 3,791 vehicles across six cities — representing roughly 90% growth since September 2025. This is Waymo's second software recall in six months, following a December recall over vehicles passing stopped school buses. The company also faces an ongoing NHTSA investigation after one of its vehicles struck a child near a Santa Monica school. The incidents highlight growing regulatory scrutiny of autonomous vehicle fleets and the challenge of handling edge-case failures at commercial scale.
