{"id":"57ea77a6-cdab-4c91-b9ad-1594d63cf77f","slug":"waymo-flooded-roadway-recall-2026","kind":"recall","headline":"Waymo recalls 3,791 5th/6th-gen ADS vehicles over flooded roadway detection failure","summary":"NHTSA recall 26E026 (filed May 6, 2026): on Apr 20, 2026 an unoccupied Waymo AV encountered an untraversable flooded section of a 40 mph roadway, detected the flood water, but proceeded at reduced speed instead of stopping. Waymo implemented interim operational restrictions (weather-related scope controls + map changes) on Apr 20, 2026 and the Safety Board decided to conduct a recall on Apr 24, 2026. Final remedy still in development. No injuries reported.","occurredAt":"2026-05-06T12:00:00.000Z","reviewStatus":"reviewed","modelId":"c9a56a6c-55d4-40e3-b080-70a6f04e6956","deploymentId":"3eec022d-2a93-4d74-81c4-8915a17059bd","companyId":null,"dataCenterId":null,"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"none","reviewNote":null,"severity":"moderate","rootCauseCategory":"planning_perception_error","rootCauseDetail":"ADS slowed but did not stop for a potentially untraversable flooded lane on a higher-speed roadway.","affectedUnitsCount":3791,"affectedUnitsBasis":"exact","remediationStatus":"in_progress","regulatoryAction":"recall_ordered","regulatoryBody":"NHTSA","propertyDamageEstimateUsd":null,"damageEstimateBasis":null,"bodilyInjurySeverity":null,"fatalityCount":null,"lossCostClass":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"oshaRecordable":null,"oshaCaseNumber":null,"rootCauseDisclosed":null,"publicDisclosureDate":null,"insuranceClaimPublic":null,"formFactor":"av","latitude":{"s":1,"e":1,"d":[29,7604000]},"longitude":{"s":-1,"e":1,"d":[95,3698000]},"autonomyClass":null,"legalOutcomeClass":"unknown","createdAt":"2026-07-09T14:04:49.698Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-21T23:41:56.762Z","model":{"id":"c9a56a6c-55d4-40e3-b080-70a6f04e6956","companyId":"2128addc-20c8-4c31-aef5-be5ada97aede","modelName":"Waymo Driver (6th gen)","slug":"waymo-driver-gen6","description":"The sixth-generation Waymo Driver is Waymo's autonomous driving stack for fully autonomous robotaxi service. The platform integrates 13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, and external audio receivers, with overlapping 360° coverage and a detection range up to roughly 500 meters in nominal conditions. Compared to the fifth-generation system on the Jaguar I-PACE, the sixth-gen system uses 42% fewer total sensors. Waymo says the per-unit hardware cost is targeted under $20,000 — a more than 50% reduction from the 5th-gen system. Currently runs on the Zeekr RT (sold as the “Ojai” robotaxi, purpose-built without a steering wheel or pedals) and the Hyundai IONIQ 5; began fully autonomous commercial operations in February 2026.","formFactor":"av","industryVertical":"passenger_transport","environment":"road","maturityStage":"commercial","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByModelId":null,"specs":{"drive_mode":"fully_autonomous","generation":6,"lidar_count":4,"radar_count":6,"camera_count":13,"vehicle_platforms":"Zeekr RT (Ojai); Hyundai IONIQ 5","external_audio_receivers":true,"detection_range_m_nominal_approx":500,"target_unit_cost_usd_under_waymo_stated":20000},"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/2024/08/meet-the-6th-generation-waymo-driver/","label":"Waymo blog — Meet the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (primary announcement, sensor suite + cost targets)","publishedAt":"2024-08-19"},{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/ro-on-6th-gen-waymo-driver/","label":"Waymo blog — Beginning fully autonomous operations with the 6th-gen Driver (primary, commercial launch)","publishedAt":"2026-02-12"},{"url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/12/waymo-begins-deploying-next-gen-ojai-robotaxis-to-extend-its-us-lead.html","label":"CNBC — Waymo begins deploying next-gen Ojai robotaxis (third-party trade coverage of the launch)","publishedAt":"2026-02-12"},{"url":"https://www.wardsauto.com/news/archive-auto-waymo-6th-generation-driver-autonomous-driving-hardware-robotaxi-lidar-ai/725519/","label":"WardsAuto — Inside the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (third-party deep-dive on the hardware suite)","publishedAt":"2024-08-29"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"manufacturerTermForTeleop":null,"keyFacts":[{"label":"Autonomy level","value":"fully autonomous (SAE Level 4)"},{"label":"Sensor suite","value":"13 cameras, 4 LiDARs, 6 radars, external audio receivers (EARs)"},{"label":"Detection range","value":"up to ~500 meters in nominal conditions"},{"label":"Sensor cost (6th-gen)","value":"Targeted under $20,000 per unit on top of vehicle cost; >50% reduction from 5th-gen"},{"label":"Sensor reduction","value":"42% fewer sensors vs 5th-gen (29 cameras→13, 5 LiDARs→4, radar unchanged at 6)"},{"label":"Camera specs","value":"17-megapixel imager — generation ahead of other automotive cameras in resolution, dynamic range, low-light sensitivity"},{"label":"LiDAR","value":"Waymo custom in-house: 360-degree top lidar + perimeter lidars; cost reduced >90% from $75K off-the-shelf to ~$7,500 (2017), now likely <$1,000/unit"},{"label":"Radar","value":"Waymo custom imaging radar — 360-degree view, enhanced resolution, tracks moving/stopped objects"},{"label":"Compute platform","value":"NVIDIA DRIVE Thor (2,000 TOPS FP8, Blackwell architecture) + Waymo custom Google TPU-based compute; dual redundant computing engines"},{"label":"5th-gen sensor cost (Bloomberg)","value":"~$9,300 per vehicle for 24 sensors (cameras, radar, lidar) on Jaguar I-PACE"},{"label":"Per-mile operating cost","value":"Estimated ~$1.40–$2.31/mi operating cost; passenger price ~$42/mi (vs Uber/Lyft ~$30/mi)"},{"label":"Cash contribution margin","value":"63% cash contribution margins (JPMorgan estimate, Aug 2024); 35% fleet utilization"},{"label":"Price","value":"6th-gen Driver targeted under $20,000 per unit"},{"label":"Vehicle platforms","value":"Zeekr RT (Ojai); Jaguar I-PACE (5th-gen); Hyundai IONIQ 5 (announced)"},{"label":"Fleet size","value":"~3,000 vehicles total (Nov 2025); 500,000+ paid rides/week; 14M+ trips in 2025"},{"label":"Key suppliers","value":"NVIDIA (DRIVE Thor), Waymo in-house (LiDAR, cameras, radar, software), Google (TPU, Gemini), Jaguar Land Rover (I-PACE platform), Geely/Zeekr (MIX platform)"},"5th gen sensor cost=$9,300 per car (24 sensors: cameras, radar, LiDAR — excludes compute)","6th gen Driver cost=Under $20,000 per unit (50%+ reduction from 5th gen)","Vehicle platform=Jaguar I-PACE (luxury EV, ~$70K base MSRP); Zeekr platform next","Compute=NVIDIA DRIVE Thor (or custom Waymo compute)","LiDAR=Waymo custom in-house LiDAR (not external supplier)","Fleet=Thousands of vehicles; expanding to Zeekr platform","Per-mile operating cost=Targeting profitability at scale; 6th gen key to reducing per-mile cost","6th gen launch=Feb 2026, fully driverless operations began, targeting 1M weekly rides"],"createdAt":"2026-05-25T04:41:57.633Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-22T17:18:48.073Z","unitsInFieldClaimed":3500,"unitsInFieldVerified":1500,"unitsManufacturedClaimed":3500,"unitsManufacturedVerified":null,"unitsAsOf":"2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z","unitsSource":[{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/2025/05/scaling-our-fleet-through-us-manufacturing","label":"1,500 vehicles across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin"},{"url":"https://www.theverge.com/news/661025/waymo-fleet-size-factory-arizona-jaguar-robotaxi-zeekr","label":"Waymo says it will add 2,000 more robotaxis into 2026"},{"url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/waymo/comments/1r2xc8p/","label":"Waymo has said it plans on adding only 2,000 more vehicles in 2026, for a total fleet size of 3,500"},{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZBbunKAnFX/","label":"Waymo runs 577 robotaxis in Texas"}],"salesModel":"not_sold","priceUndisclosedSince":null,"autonomyClass":"autonomous","autonomyStatement":null,"autonomyStatementSource":null,"demoForensics":null,"exportControlClass":null,"minCommitment":null,"warrantyTerms":null,"serviceModel":null,"productionRateClaimed":null,"productionRateEvidenced":null,"teleopRatioDisclosed":null,"interventionRateDisclosed":null},"deployment":{"id":"3eec022d-2a93-4d74-81c4-8915a17059bd","modelId":"c9a56a6c-55d4-40e3-b080-70a6f04e6956","versionId":null,"locationId":"27e81299-d721-49a3-b890-de361377ad84","operatorId":"2128addc-20c8-4c31-aef5-be5ada97aede","ownerId":null,"slug":"waymo-driver-gen6-portland-oregon-usa","status":"announced","firstSeen":"2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z","statusChangeReason":null,"contractType":null,"pilotOutcome":null,"endedAt":null,"unitsOnSite":null,"tasksPerformed":["delivery"],"shiftStructure":null,"hoursPerDay":16,"siteType":"port","operatorConfirmed":null,"humanSupervisionOnsite":null,"locationPrecisionTier":"verified_coordinates","deploymentScale":"small_2_10","siteEnvironment":"outdoor","operatorType":null,"sourceQualityTier":2,"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/","label":"Waymo is coming to the Rose City — Portland","title":"Waymo is coming to the Rose City — Portland","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Waymo Blog","publishedAt":"2026-08-04"}],"notes":"Waymo began manually driving vehicles in Portland to familiarize the Waymo Driver with the city's streetscapes; fully autonomous service to follow.","keyFacts":[{"label":"Stage","value":"Manual driving / mapping phase"}],"reviewNote":null,"exposureHours":null,"deploymentMilesEstimate":null,"exposureBasis":null,"customerSegment":"logistics","scaleTier":"pilot_lt10","contractValueUsd":null,"contractValueBasis":null,"customerCompanyId":null,"customerExternalName":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-11T15:06:04.328Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T14:21:59.966Z"},"company":null,"derived":{"status":"active"},"sources":[{"id":"de55c6c6-2689-4528-956c-1399d703fb8c","incidentId":"57ea77a6-cdab-4c91-b9ad-1594d63cf77f","url":"https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E026-6527.pdf","label":"NHTSA (Part 573, 26E026)","publishedAt":null,"notes":null,"title":null,"sourceName":null,"mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-09T14:04:49.698Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-09T14:04:49.698Z"}],"responses":[],"statusEvents":[],"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/waymo-flooded-roadway-recall-2026","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/waymo-flooded-roadway-recall-2026","headline":"Waymo recalls 3,791 5th/6th-gen ADS vehicles over flooded roadway detection failure","description":"NHTSA recall 26E026 (filed May 6, 2026): on Apr 20, 2026 an unoccupied Waymo AV encountered an untraversable flooded section of a 40 mph roadway, detected the flood water, but proceeded at reduced speed instead of stopping. Waymo implemented interim operational restrictions (weather-related scope controls + map changes) on Apr 20, 2026 and the Safety Board decided to conduct a recall on Apr 24, 2026. Final remedy still in development. No injuries reported.","identifier":"57ea77a6-cdab-4c91-b9ad-1594d63cf77f","datePublished":"2026-05-06T12:00:00.000Z","articleSection":"recall","publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"},"author":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"verified","maturity_stage":null,"lifecycle_state":null,"architectural_position":{"cohort":null,"sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":["primary-regulatory-filing"]}}}