Overview
- Waymo filed a voluntary safety recall with NHTSA for 3,871 vehicles running its fifth‑generation Automated Driving System on June 17 after internal reviews found a software defect.
- The defect is in the ADS priority and recognition logic so the cars can fail to detect construction zones or choose to drive through them while avoiding other freeway hazards.
- Thirteen known incidents triggered the action, with clusters in Phoenix in April and in the San Francisco Bay Area in May where vehicles drove past ramp closures or between cones into active lane work.
- As an interim step Waymo has limited the affected fleet from freeway driving but continues surface‑street service; Gen 6 vehicles are reported unaffected and fixes will be pushed as an over‑the‑air software update when ready.
- The recall adds to multiple recent Waymo software recalls and federal probes, raising regulatory scrutiny and creating short‑term limits on faster routes such as airport and freeway trips that are key to the company’s commercial expansion.