Waymo robotaxis collide with gates and chains in 16 incidents, triggering NHTSA investigation and recall

Summary

Between December 2022 and April 2024, Waymo autonomous vehicles experienced at least seven low-speed collisions with stationary and semi-stationary objects such as gates and chains — obstacles that human drivers would normally avoid. NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation in May 2024. Waymo subsequently reported nine additional collisions with similar barriers, bringing the total to 16. No injuries were reported. The failures were attributed to the fifth-generation Automated Driving System's inability to reliably classify thin or semi-stationary objects under certain conditions. Waymo deployed a software fix in November 2024 and formally issued a recall for 1,212 vehicles in May 2025 after the fix had already been applied. The recall followed two earlier 2024 Waymo software recalls: one in February after two robotaxis struck the same tow truck, and one in June after a vehicle hit a telephone pole in Phoenix.