Waymo to issue software recall over how robotaxis behave around school buses

Waymo plans to voluntarily issue a software recall to federal safety regulators regarding how its robotaxis operate around school buses, the Alphabet-owned company told TechCrunch.
The voluntary software recall will be filed early next week, the company said. Waymo said that as soon as the issue was identified, it updated its software on November 17. The company contends that this update has meaningfully improved performance to a level better than that of human drivers in this critical area.

Software recalls have become increasingly common in the era of modern passenger vehicles — and now robotaxis — where operations depend heavily on software. These updates or fixes are often implemented before the official recall filing but still carry weight once submitted to the federal government.

Waymo’s decision comes amid increased scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and criticism from officials in Atlanta and Austin over how its autonomous vehicles behave around school buses.

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened its initial inquiry into Waymo in October after observing footage of one of its autonomous vehicles manoeuvring around a stopped school bus — with its stop arm extended and lights flashing — that was unloading children in Atlanta. In that incident, a Waymo robotaxi crossed in front of the school bus from the right. The vehicle then executed a left turn around the front of the bus before driving down the road.

Similar incidents later surfaced in Austin, where Waymo operates a robotaxi service in partnership with Uber. Austin School District officials stated, in a letter posted on NHTSA’s website, that at least five of these incidents occurred even after Waymo said it had updated its software.

On December 3, the agency sent a letter to Waymo requesting additional information about its autonomous driving system and operational behaviour following reports from the Austin School District that its vehicles had illegally passed school buses 19 times this year. Regulators requested detailed documentation regarding its fifth-generation self-driving technology and deployment practices.

“While we are incredibly proud of our strong safety record showing Waymo experiences twelve times fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians than human drivers, holding the highest safety standards means recognizing when our behavior should be better,” Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña said in an emailed statement. “As a result, we have made the decision to file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA related to appropriately slowing and stopping in these scenarios. We will continue analyzing our vehicles’ performance and making necessary fixes as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.”

According to Waymo, no injuries occurred in connection with the behaviours addressed by this recall. The company reiterated that safety remains its top priority and that it will continue working closely with NHTSA.

Waymo says it will continue to investigate, monitor, and implement further updates as needed.

Earlier this year, the company issued a voluntary software recall, as well as two recalls in 2024 — including one triggered after a Waymo vehicle in Phoenix, operating without a human safety driver, collided with a telephone pole in an alley during a low-speed manoeuvre.