EVwire brief: Waymo is recalling 3,791 robotaxis — its whole fleet — after one of its autonomous vehicles drove into a flooded area during severe weather in San Antonio, Texas, on April 20. Waymo has launched an OTA update to limit its robotaxis from entering potentially flooded areas, and the real fix is currently yet to be determined.
The vehicle was unoccupied and no injuries were reported. Still, Waymo said the incident prompted an internal review of how its systems handle flooded roads, high-speed driving environments, and extreme weather conditions.
In a statement, the company outlined the steps it is taking in response:
"We are working to implement additional software safeguards and have put mitigations in place, including refining our extreme weather operations during periods of intense rain, limiting access to areas where flash flooding might occur."
Waymo has expanded its operations to several U.S. cities
Context:
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the Waymo involved in the April 20 incident was overtaken by Salado Creek floodwaters and recovered four days later along the Greenway Trail system near Pletz County Park.
A separate unoccupied Waymo vehicle also required recovery earlier that month after it entered high water near McCullough Avenue and Contour Drive.
As part of the recall response, Waymo rolled out an update to temporarily narrow its operational scope, increase weather-related restrictions, and update its mapping systems. Operations in San Antonio were temporarily suspended as well.
Waymo is testing its vehicles in countries outside the U.S., including London
A permanent software fix is still in development. Affected vehicles are equipped with the company's 5th- and 6th-generation automated driving systems.
As per the NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report:
“Beginning on 4/20/2026, Waymo modified the approved scope of operation of the Waymo ADS to exclude additional operating conditions that present an elevated risk of encountering a flooded, higherspeed roadway. These scope constraints were implemented via weather-related operational controls and changes to the maps used by Waymo vehicles. Waymo is developing the final remedy for this recall.”
Waymo faces regulatory reviews
The San Antonio recall is not the only open matter on Waymo's plate. The NHTSA is separately investigating a January incident in Santa Monica, California, in which a Waymo robotaxi struck a child near an elementary school, resulting in minor injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also looking into a separate January incident in Texas involving a Waymo vehicle passing a stopped school bus with its warning lights active.
Waymo currently operates commercial robotaxi services in 11 cities across the United States. The company expects to deploy its robotaxis in 20 other cities next.
Source: Reuters, San Antonio Express-News
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