Waymo recalls over 3,000 vehicles for software fix in US

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet, has recalled 3,100 vehicles in the US due to a software issue, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The affected vehicles, equipped with Waymo’s 5th generation automated driving system, reportedly failed to stop for school buses, raising crash risks.

Waymo addressed the problem with a software update, and the NHTSA said all impacted vehicles were fixed by November 17, 2025.

The recall follows reports from Texas officials that Waymo vehicles had illegally passed stopped school buses at least 19 times since the start of the school year.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

School bus violations expose edge-case gaps in autonomous vehicle rules

Waymo logged 19 violations in Austin, 1.5 per week 1. Five incidents came after a Nov. 5 letter on software updates, so the defect lasted months and tripped on flashing lights or stop arms (the fold-out stop sign) 1.
At least one case that triggered the probe involved a vehicle with no safety operator (a trained human who can take control) 1. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) set a January 20, 2026 deadline for responses and is reviewing automated driving system (ADS) behavior around stopped school buses 2.
Waymo cites 91% fewer serious injury crashes than human drivers 3, yet misses on a common scenario erode trust with regulators and families.

School bus lapses open V2X paths for tech vendors and transit agencies

Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X), part of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), can send dashboard alerts for school bus stops and school zones 4. That could fix Waymo’s recognition gap and spur buys for Applied Information, a traffic tech supplier piloting Connected School Bus Systems in Georgia’s Fulton County 4.
States and cities may speed V2X funding after failures. Districts can use pilots, like Newfoundland (a Canadian province)’s camera program with $500–$1,200 fines, to back proactive communication systems over reactive enforcement 5.
Self-driving operators and advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) developers could add C-V2X receivers to manage regulatory risk 2. NHTSA is scrutinizing autonomous vehicle (AV) behavior near stopped school buses 2.