Waymo, a leading autonomous vehicle company, has issued a voluntary recall of 3,871 vehicles equipped with its 5th Generation Automated Driving System. The recall was prompted by the discovery that the software may allow a Waymo vehicle to enter a closed freeway construction zone and continue driving.

Construction Zone Risks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has assigned the recall the campaign number 26E035000. According to Waymo, the autonomous vehicle may enter and drive at speed in freeway construction zones because the software may fail to recognize the zone or may prioritize avoiding other freeway hazards.

The recall affects Waymo vehicles using the company’s 5th Generation ADS, and the company has restricted freeway operations while it works on a fix. Waymo says no collisions or injuries were reported from these events, but the company has decided to temporarily restrict freeway operations while it works on additional software safeguards.

Software Updates

Waymo will update the Automated Driving System to better detect when vehicles are in a construction zone and avoid entering one. The remedy also includes additional operational protocols. Because Waymo owns the affected vehicles, it will apply the remedy itself and update the filing after the fix is deployed.

Waymo’s own safety material adds important context, noting that its rider-only vehicles have driven 170.7 million miles without a human driver through December 2025. The company also says the Waymo Driver had 92% fewer serious injury-or-worse crashes compared to an average human driver over the same distance in its operating cities.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.