Waymo has recalled nearly 4,000 of its self-driving vehicles due to issues with the automated driving system. The recall, submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, states that the system may cause the vehicles to enter and drive at speed in freeway construction zones.

Incidents in Arizona and California

The recall centers on the 5th Generation Automated Driving System in 3,871 of Waymo’s vehicles. According to the report, there were incidents in April and May where Waymo’s self-driving vehicles entered freeway construction zones in Arizona and California. In one incident on April 11, 2026, a Waymo vehicle did not recognize and drove past ramp closure signs into a pre-planned freeway construction zone in Phoenix, AZ.

In another incident on May 18, 2026, seven Waymo vehicles entered freeway lanes with active construction in the San Francisco Bay Area by driving between cones designating lane closure. Waymo’s Field Safety Committee implemented freeway driving restrictions until the root causes could be identified and addressed.

To remedy the issue, Waymo has called for software improvements to avoid entering a construction zone and detecting that the vehicle is within a construction zone, as well as additional operational protocols.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.