Waymo Issues Recall After Reports of Self-Driving Cars Illegally Passing School Buses in Texas

Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit Waymo has announced a voluntary recall of its self-driving vehicles after Texas officials reported that the cars illegally passed stopped school buses at least 19 times since the beginning of the school year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which launched a probe in October into Waymo’s behavior around school buses, requested detailed answers from the company by January 20 regarding the incidents.

According to Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña, the company chose to issue the recall after determining that its vehicles were not consistently slowing or stopping as required when approaching school buses. Peña said maintaining strict safety standards includes recognizing when performance must improve. He added that the company has already deployed software updates designed to address the issue and believes these updates have significantly strengthened vehicle behavior.

Waymo explained that a software flaw caused its autonomous vehicles to initially stop or slow for a school bus but then continue driving when they should have remained stopped. The latest software update, which is included as part of the recall, aims to fully correct this behavior. The company said it plans to monitor results and introduce additional improvements if necessary.

However, concerns persist. A letter released by NHTSA from the Austin Independent School District revealed that five more incidents happened in November—even after Waymo implemented earlier fixes. The district urged the company to temporarily halt operations near schools during critical pick-up and drop-off periods, emphasizing that student safety must take priority. One documented incident reportedly involved a Waymo vehicle driving past a stopped bus moments after a student crossed the street.

The district told Reuters that Waymo declined to pause operations. In response, the company maintained that its updated software now performs better than human drivers in these situations and that it will continue operating while monitoring ongoing improvements.