Key facts
- NHTSA said the recall query covers 2,895 vehicles operated by Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving unit.
- NHTSA said it is assessing whether Waymo's December 2025 recall remedy was adequate.
- NHTSA said most incidents occurred after November 2025, when Waymo said the remedy was complete.
- NHTSA said the query will determine the causes of incidents that occurred after the remedy.
- NHTSA said a separate January probe followed a Waymo vehicle striking a child in Santa Monica, California.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on November 9 that it had opened a recall query into 2,895 vehicles operated by Waymo, the self-driving unit of Alphabet, over continued traffic safety violations involving how the vehicles behave around school buses.
NHTSA said it is reviewing whether a software update Waymo implemented under a December 2025 recall adequately addressed a defect that could cause Waymo vehicles to pass school buses displaying flashing red lights or extended stop arms after initially slowing or stopping. The agency said the query will assess the adequacy of the remedy and determine the causes of incidents that occurred after the remedy.
NHTSA said most of the incidents occurred after November 2025, when Waymo said it had completed the software remedy for all affected vehicles. Separately, the agency said it had opened a probe in January after one of Waymo's self-driving vehicles struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California.