Waymo Recalls Nearly 3,800 Self-Driving Cars Over Flood Risk

Waymo has recalled nearly 3,800 self-driving vehicles in the United States after one of its robotaxis reportedly drove into a flooded road and was swept into a creek during severe weather in Texas.

According to reports, the incident occurred on April 20 in San Antonio when an unoccupied Waymo vehicle entered a waterlogged roadway despite detecting hazardous flood conditions. The vehicle was later carried away by floodwaters into a nearby creek. No injuries were reported because the robotaxi had no passengers onboard at the time.

The voluntary recall affects vehicles operating with Waymo’s fifth- and sixth-generation autonomous driving systems. The company said a software issue may have allowed the vehicles to continue driving through flooded roads instead of avoiding them completely.

Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., confirmed that it has already begun deploying software updates aimed at improving the vehicles’ ability to recognize and respond to dangerous weather conditions. The company also temporarily suspended operations in San Antonio following the incident and restricted robotaxi access to flood-prone areas while implementing additional safeguards.

The recall was filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has been closely monitoring autonomous vehicle safety as driverless taxi services expand across major American cities.

The incident has renewed debate over the reliability of autonomous driving technology during extreme weather events. Industry experts say self-driving systems still struggle with unpredictable real-world situations such as flooding, emergency zones, and rapidly changing road conditions.

Waymo currently operates commercial robotaxi services in several U.S. cities and remains one of the leading companies in the autonomous vehicle sector despite growing regulatory scrutiny and recent safety concerns.