Waymo robotaxis kept illegally passing school buses after software fix, feds say

Federal safety regulators have opened a recall query on Waymo’s robotaxi fleet after the vehicles continued to pass school buses illegally even after a software fix was deployed. Coverage from FOX 32 Chicago and FOX 2 Detroit reports that the investigation centers on continued school bus violations by Waymo’s autonomous vehicles. Quartz reports that NHTSA opened the recall query on Waymo as school bus violations continued after the fix. Yahoo Finance reports that the recall query covers 2,895 robotaxis and notes that Alphabet’s earnings will not feel the impact, but its $126 billion bet might.

The coverage emphasizes that this is a federal safety matter involving the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. FOX 32 Chicago and FOX 2 Detroit both frame the story as a federal investigation into a Waymo recall after continued school bus violations. Quartz focuses on the regulatory mechanism, noting that NHTSA opened the recall query as the violations persisted after the software fix. Yahoo Finance adds the financial context, stating that Alphabet’s earnings will not feel the impact but its $126 billion bet might.

The background involves Waymo’s autonomous vehicle operations and its relationship with Alphabet, which has made a substantial financial commitment to the robotaxi business. The fact that violations continued after a software fix suggests the initial remediation did not fully resolve the safety issue. School bus passing is a serious traffic violation because it endangers children boarding or exiting buses, which is why regulators are treating this as a recall-level matter rather than a minor software update. The scale of 2,895 vehicles indicates this is not an isolated incident but a fleet-wide concern.

What to watch next depends on how NHTSA proceeds with the recall query and whether Waymo must issue a formal recall, modify its software again, or restrict operations near school buses. Coverage does not yet specify a timeline for the investigation, what penalties might apply, or whether any injuries or accidents resulted from the violations. Regulators may require additional data from Waymo, order operational changes, or mandate a full recall of the affected robotaxis.