Robotaxi recalls, pauses and investigations
Robotaxi companies in the US report safety defects to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the fixes so far have been software updates. This page explains that process and sets out the recorded recalls, service pauses and federal reviews in date order, with campaign numbers and vehicle counts.
Updated . By the Robotaxi Atlas desk.
How a robotaxi recall works
A recall is a formal filing with NHTSA saying that a group of vehicles has a safety-related defect and describing the fix. Each filing gets a campaign number, such as 26E035000, and states how many vehicles it covers. The public record for each campaign can be looked up on NHTSA's site.
For a robotaxi, the defect is usually in how the automated driving system behaves in a particular situation, and the remedy is a software update sent to the fleet. Riders have nothing to do, because the operator installs the update on its own cars. In several of the filings below, the fix was in place before or shortly after the recall was published.
NHTSA also has tools short of a recall. A preliminary evaluation is the first stage of a defect investigation. An audit query reviews how a manufacturer handled a process, such as self-certifying a vehicle to federal standards. A defect petition review looks at a request from outside the agency to open an investigation. A Special Order is a legally binding demand for information.
Waymo
On Dec 8, 2025, Waymo recall 25E084000 covered 3,067 vehicles running its fifth-generation driving system, which could pass a stopped school bus. The software had been fixed by Nov 17, 2025.
Waymo recall 26E026000, dated May 1, 2026, covered 3,791 vehicles with fifth- and sixth-generation systems that could drive into standing water on higher-speed roads. It followed an incident in San Antonio on Apr 20, 2026. Waymo paused San Antonio service in April and restarted it on Sep 17, 2026 in a limited area that includes the airport.
On May 21, 2026, Waymo suspended freeway rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami over how its cars handled construction zones. Recall 26E035000, dated Jun 13, 2026, covered 3,871 vehicles that could enter closed freeway construction zones, with a software update from Jun 16, 2026. TechCrunch reported that the filing followed at least 13 instances of driving into closed zones. The NHTSA record says freeway operations resumed on Jun 25, 2026. Public freeway rides began returning on Jul 29, 2026, starting in Phoenix.
Separately, Waymo paused Atlanta service on May 20, 2026 after a car got stuck in floodwater and resumed on May 27, 2026, as reported by Atlanta News First.
Zoox
Zoox has four recalls on record. 25E019000 (Mar 14, 2025) covered 258 vehicles that could brake hard unexpectedly. 25E029000 (Apr 25, 2025) covered 270 vehicles that could mispredict a slowly approaching perpendicular vehicle, with the fix in by Apr 17, 2025. 25E090000 (Dec 19, 2025) covered 332 vehicles that could cross the center line near intersections, fixed by Dec 29, 2025. 26E044000 (Jul 10, 2026) covered 105 vehicles whose software could fail to detect heavy smoke.
The AutoWire reported that NHTSA granted Zoox a temporary exemption from federal motor vehicle safety standards on Jul 31, 2026, running through Jul 31, 2028, for up to 2,500 vehicles a year. Only one secondary source has reported it.
Avride
On May 6, 2026, NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation of Avride after 16 crashes in Dallas and Austin, as reported by CBS Austin and TechCrunch. Avride's cars on Uber in Dallas run with a specialist behind the wheel.
Tesla and the Cybercab
Each item in this section comes from a news report and has not been confirmed by Tesla or matched to an NHTSA document. On Sep 4, 2026, TechCrunch reported that NHTSA opened audit query AQ26002 into how Tesla self-certified the Cybercab to federal safety standards. On Sep 10, 2026, NHTSA issued Tesla a Special Order on how the Cybercab meets those standards, with a response due on Sep 30, 2026. Fines for incomplete answers can reach $139M, according to electrive.
On Oct 9, 2026, NHTSA opened defect petition review DP26010 on claims that about 1,000 model year 2026 Model Y and Cybercab robotaxis speed in active school zones, as reported by Tesla North.
Dated timeline
- NHTSA opens defect petition review DP26010 on claims that about 1,000 MY2026 Tesla Model Y and Cybercab robotaxis speed in active school zones. Reported. Source
- Waymo adds freeway trips on MoPac, I-35, US 183 and US 290 for select Uber rides in Austin. Reported. Source
- Waymo restarts San Antonio service in a limited area that includes SAT, after an April flood pause. Source
- NHTSA issues a Special Order asking Tesla how the Cybercab meets federal safety standards, with a response due Sep 30, 2026. Reported. Source
- NHTSA opens audit query AQ26002 into how Tesla self-certified the Cybercab to federal safety standards. Reported. Source
- NHTSA granted Zoox a temporary FMVSS exemption through Jul 31, 2028 for up to 2,500 vehicles a year. Reported. Source
- Waymo resumes freeway rides, starting with Phoenix. LA and the Bay Area are next. Source
- Waymo began restoring freeway trips, starting in Phoenix, after pausing freeway service in May. Reported. Source
- Zoox recall 26E044000 covers 105 vehicles whose software could fail to detect heavy smoke. The software has been updated. Source
- An NHTSA recall record says Waymo resumed vehicle operations on freeways on Jun 25, 2026. Public riders got freeway trips back later, from Jul 29, 2026 in Phoenix. Reported. Source
- Waymo recall 26E035000 covers 3,871 vehicles with the 5th-generation ADS that could enter closed freeway construction zones. A software update began Jun 16, 2026. Source
- Waymo filed a recall with NHTSA covering nearly 4,000 robotaxis after at least 13 instances of driving into closed freeway construction zones. Reported. Source
- Waymo suspends all freeway rides in SF, LA, Phoenix and Miami over its performance in construction zones. Source
- Waymo confirms it has suspended freeway rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami over construction-zone behavior. Source
- Waymo paused Atlanta service after a car got stuck in floodwater. Service resumed May 27, 2026. Reported. Source
- NHTSA opens a preliminary evaluation of Avride after 16 crashes in Dallas and Austin. Source
- Waymo recall 26E026000 covers 3,791 vehicles with the 5th- and 6th-generation ADS that could drive into standing water on higher-speed roads. It followed a Apr 20, 2026 incident in San Antonio. Source
- Waymo begins rolling out highway access in Miami to select riders. Source
- Zoox recall 25E090000 covered 332 vehicles that could cross the center line near intersections. The fix was done by Dec 29, 2025. Source
- Waymo recall 25E084000 covered 3,067 vehicles with the 5th-generation ADS that could pass a stopped school bus. The software was fixed by Nov 17, 2025. Source
- Tesla expands its Austin area to about 173 sq mi including freeways, with a safety driver in the driver's seat on freeway routes. Source
- Zoox recall 25E029000 covered 270 vehicles that could mispredict a slowly approaching perpendicular vehicle. The fix was done by Apr 17, 2025. Source
- Zoox recall 25E019000 covered 258 vehicles that could brake hard unexpectedly. A software update fixed it. Source
Questions people ask
How do robotaxi recalls work?
A robotaxi recall is a filing with NHTSA that names a safety defect, the number of vehicles affected and the fix. For robotaxi fleets, the fixes on record have been software updates installed by the operator.
How many recalls has Waymo filed?
Waymo has three recalls on record. Recall 25E084000 covered 3,067 vehicles that could pass a stopped school bus, 26E026000 covered 3,791 that could drive into standing water, and 26E035000 covered 3,871 that could enter closed freeway construction zones.
Why did Waymo stop freeway rides in 2026?
Waymo suspended freeway rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami on May 21, 2026 over construction-zone behavior. Public freeway rides began returning on Jul 29, 2026, starting in Phoenix.
Is NHTSA investigating Tesla's Cybercab?
According to news reports, NHTSA opened audit query AQ26002 into the Cybercab's self-certification on Sep 4, 2026 and issued a Special Order on Sep 10, 2026. Tesla has not confirmed these details on its own pages.