GoKawiilNHTSA probes whether Waymo's school bus recall fix actually worked
NHTSA has opened a formal investigation into Waymo's software recall meant to stop its robotaxis from illegally passing stopped school buses with extended stop arms. Waymo issued a software fix in mid-November and a formal voluntary recall in December, but the agency says most reported school bus passing incidents occurred after those dates, including one flagged by the NTSB in mid-January.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The case tests whether a voluntary software recall is sufficient oversight for autonomous vehicles, since regulators appear skeptical that Waymo's fix addressed the underlying behavior. Waymo says it hasn't been cited since last March, suggesting improvement, but continued investigation by two federal bodies could pressure the company toward more rigorous validation before claiming issues are resolved.
- NHTSA is formally investigating whether Waymo's recall fixed illegal school bus passing.
- Government data shows most incidents happened after Waymo's software fix and recall.
- Waymo says it hasn't been cited for the violation since last March, months after the recall.
Source: wired.com — Aarian Marshall, 2026-11-09
Published there as: “Waymo Said It Fixed Its School Bus Problem. The US Government Says It Didn’t Work”
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