Waymo recalls 3,791 robotaxis after one drove into a flooded road and was swept into a creek

SAN ANTONIO, May 2026 — Waymo's robotaxis could detect deep water on fast roads but slow down rather than stop, its recall filing says. Here's what happened, what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of May 2026)

Vehicles recalled: 3,791 vehicles with Waymo's 5th- and 6th-generation driving system (driving-system units produced Mar. 17, 2022 to Apr. 20, 2026). (NHTSA)
Fix: interim only, applied Apr. 20, 2026: weather-related operating limits and map changes. "Waymo is developing the final remedy for this recall." (NHTSA)
Service lost: San Antonio paused from Apr. 20; five cities paused after May 20 flooding; Atlanta back after about a week. (BBC, AJC)
Injuries: none reported; the San Antonio car was unoccupied. (Houston Public Media)
Cost to Waymo: not disclosed.

What happened in San Antonio

On April 20, 2026, an unoccupied Waymo "encountered an untraversable flooded section of a roadway that has a 40 mph speed limit," Waymo told NHTSA. It "detected potentially untraversable flood water and proceeded at reduced speed." The car was swept into Salado Creek during heavy rain, Texas Public Radio reported.

The rain prompted Waymo to pause San Antonio service, KSAT reported on April 21. "Safety is our highest priority at Waymo, both for people who choose to ride with us and those with whom we share the streets," the company said.

What Waymo told regulators

Waymo's filing describes the defect: "On higher speed roadways, the Waymo AV may slow but not stop in response to detecting a potentially untraversable flooded lane." The safety risk: "Entering an untraversable flooded roadway can result in loss of vehicle control."

Waymo added operating restrictions the same day as the incident, and its Safety Board decided to recall on April 24. The interim remedy changes where and when the cars may drive "via weather-related operational controls and changes to the maps." Because Waymo owns every affected vehicle, no owner notices were needed.

In a statement reported by CNBC, Waymo said it had "identified an area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes specific to higher-speed roadways" and was working on "additional software safeguards."

Jack Stilgoe, professor of science and technology policy at University College London, told the BBC: "We often see these limits only when something goes wrong." He added: "But policymakers would prefer to know about these things in advance rather than discovering them in hindsight."

Then Atlanta

On May 20, flash flooding in Atlanta stranded several Waymos, the AJC reported. Waymo said only one ultimately needed recovery. A Waymo spokesperson told the BBC it expanded the pause to five cities, four in Texas plus Atlanta, "out of an abundance of caution." The AJC named Atlanta, Austin, Dallas and Houston among them. Separately, Waymo pulled freeway service in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami, citing construction zones, the BBC reported, citing Reuters.

"We are beginning to resume service in our previously paused locations, and each city will resume independently based on local weather conditions," a spokesperson told Atlanta News First. Georgia Tech professor Glen Chou said lidar and radar are not "particularly well-suited" to estimate "how deep a particular puddle is."

What's changed

This is the starting point for the series. Waymo's fix so far is to avoid the conditions, not to make the car handle them.

What went wrong

Detected, not stopped. The car saw the water and kept going at lower speed.
Interim fix only. Limits on where the cars drive in bad weather, while Waymo develops the final remedy, per the filing.
A second city. The Atlanta flooding came after the recall was filed.
What we don't know yet: when the final remedy ships, and when San Antonio reopens.

Our follow-up question for Waymo

What will the final remedy change in the software, and will Waymo file an amended recall report when it ships?

Sources

Waymo LLC, “Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26E026,” submitted to NHTSA May 6, 2026. static.nhtsa.gov
Spencer Heath, KSAT, “Waymo temporarily pauses San Antonio operations after vehicle entered flooded road,” April 21, 2026. ksat.com
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, “Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis after glitch allowed some vehicles to 'drive into standing water',” May 12, 2026. cnbc.com
Marian Navarro, Texas Public Radio, via Houston Public Media, “Waymo recalls almost 3,800 robotaxis after flooding incident in San Antonio,” May 13, 2026. houstonpublicmedia.org
Laura Cress, BBC News, “Thousands of Waymos recalled after robotaxi swept into a creek,” May 13, 2026. bbc.com
Laura Cress, BBC News, “Waymo pauses robotaxis in five US cities after cars drive into flooded roads,” May 22, 2026. bbc.com
Carson Bonner, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Waymo resumes robotaxi service in Atlanta after flash flood pause,” May 28, 2026. ajc.com
Craig Johnson, Atlanta News First, “They're back: Waymos return to Atlanta streets after 'pause' due to flood hazards,” May 28, 2026. atlantanewsfirst.com

Disclosure: [not in copy] Editor placeholder