Waymo recalls more than 3,500 self-driving cars after defect allows vehicle to drive into flooded roadway

Waymo, 1 of the largest self-driving car companies, is recalling much than 3,500 vehicles aft a defect allowed a car to thrust into a flooded roadway during torrential rainfall successful San Antonio past month. The conveyance was bare astatine the clip and nary 1 was hurt.

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According to the FOX Forecast Center, determination were 2 Flash Flood Warnings successful effect successful the San Antonio country connected April 20, some of which were tagged with a "Considerable" threat. 

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Automated rainfall gauges and tempest reports to the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed a accelerated h2o emergence successful low-lying areas and determination was astatine slightest 1 swift-water rescue northeast of San Antonio International Airport.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) acknowledged Waymo's voluntary callback of 3,791 vehicles connected May 1.

The defect successful definite 5th and 6th Generation Automated Driving Systems whitethorn let cars to slow, but inactive thrust done flooded roads and lasting h2o connected higher velocity roadways, according to the NHTSA callback filing.

The institution said it is moving to amended conveyance effect to "untraversable flooded lanes."

"We are moving to instrumentality further bundle safeguards and person enactment mitigations successful place, including refining our utmost upwind operations during periods of aggravated rain, limiting entree to areas wherever flash flooding mightiness occur," a Waymo spokesperson told FOX Weather.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 09: Waymo robotaxi driven by a information specializer is seen connected Centre Street connected April 09, 2026 successful New York City. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is nary longer capable to trial its vehicles successful NYC owed to its licence expiring connected March 31st. The institution has been investigating 8 vehicles with trained information specialists connected committee successful Downtown Brooklyn and southbound of 112th Street successful Manhattan since past year. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

"Waymo provides implicit fractional a cardinal trips each week successful immoderate of the astir challenging driving environments crossed the U.S.," the spokesperson said.

According to NHTSA, each affected vehicles received an interim update by April 20.

San Antonio International Airport received 4.42 inches of rainfall connected April 20, marking their third-wettest azygous time successful April connected record.

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