US regulator opens school-bus recall query into 2,895 Waymo vehicles

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a recall query into 2,895 Waymo vehicles over continued traffic safety violations involving school buses, the regulator said on 9 November 2026.

The query follows an earlier investigation and a December 2025 software recall. The regulator will assess whether the update adequately addressed a defect that could cause vehicles to pass buses with flashing red lights or extended stop arms after initially slowing or stopping. It will also determine the causes of incidents after the remedy.

The earlier recall

The regulator opened a preliminary evaluation of school-bus incidents on 17 October 2025. Austin Independent School District in Texas documented 19 distinct violations, including one in which a driverless vehicle briefly stopped and then moved on while a student was crossing the street. Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia, recorded 6 other violations, CNA said.

Waymo notified the regulator on 10 December 2025, of a voluntary recall to update software in 3,067 vehicles equipped with its fifth-generation automated driving system. Waymo said the update was intended to make vehicles slow down appropriately and remain stopped, and that it had been fully deployed by mid-November 2025. The regulator said most incidents occurred after November 2025.

Incidents after the update

In a preliminary account of a 12 January 2026, incident in Austin, the National Transportation Safety Board said an unoccupied Waymo vehicle passed a school bus that was loading students with its red lights flashing and stop arms extended. No crash occurred.

The vehicle had initially stopped and asked a remote assistance agent whether the bus had active signals. The agent replied “No,” after which the vehicle resumed travel, the board said. It is investigating that incident and similar incidents involving Austin school buses to determine their probable cause and issue safety recommendations.