{"id":"d08240b1-75f9-4137-b2df-8da2b405c623","slug":"waymo-nhtsa-odi-investigation-2024","kind":"regulatory_action","headline":"NHTSA opens a probe into Waymo's 5th-gen ADS after reports of unexpected driving behavior","summary":"NHTSA ODI investigation PE24016 (May 13 2024): unexpected ADS behavior causing single-party crashes and apparent traffic-law violations, including collisions with clearly visible objects and near pedestrians; the review reached 367 incidents (109 crashes / 1 injury). Resolved/closed after the 672- and 1,212-vehicle recalls.","occurredAt":"2024-05-13T12:00:00.000Z","reviewStatus":"reviewed","modelId":"c9a56a6c-55d4-40e3-b080-70a6f04e6956","deploymentId":null,"companyId":null,"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"none","reviewNote":null,"severity":"moderate","rootCauseCategory":"planning_perception_error","rootCauseDetail":"Unexpected ADS behavior: single-party crashes, visible-object collisions, traffic-law violations (367-incident review).","affectedUnitsCount":444,"affectedUnitsBasis":"estimate","remediationStatus":"resolved","regulatoryAction":"investigation","regulatoryBody":"NHTSA ODI","createdAt":"2026-06-04T21:20:10.849Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T21:20:10.849Z","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","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)","sourceName":"Waymo (official)","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)","sourceName":"Waymo (official)","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)","sourceName":"CNBC","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)","sourceName":"WardsAuto","publishedAt":"2024-08-29"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"manufacturerTermForTeleop":null,"createdAt":"2026-05-25T04:41:57.633Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T19:06:37.263Z"},"deployment":null,"company":null,"derived":{"status":"active"},"sources":[{"id":"979a7146-6b05-49aa-b22d-d076fcf2bdad","incidentId":"d08240b1-75f9-4137-b2df-8da2b405c623","url":"https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2024/INOA-PE24016-12382.pdf","label":"NHTSA ODI (PE24016)","publishedAt":null,"notes":null,"title":null,"sourceName":null,"mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-06-04T21:20:10.849Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T21:20:10.849Z"},{"id":"2ad90d4e-6e9e-4b9d-9deb-e4845c04169d","incidentId":"d08240b1-75f9-4137-b2df-8da2b405c623","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/24/feds-add-nine-more-incidents-to-waymo-robotaxi-investigation/","label":"TechCrunch","publishedAt":null,"notes":null,"title":null,"sourceName":null,"mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-06-04T21:20:10.849Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T21:20:10.849Z"}],"responses":[],"statusEvents":[],"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/waymo-nhtsa-odi-investigation-2024","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/waymo-nhtsa-odi-investigation-2024","headline":"NHTSA opens a probe into Waymo's 5th-gen ADS after reports of unexpected driving behavior","description":"NHTSA ODI investigation PE24016 (May 13 2024): unexpected ADS behavior causing single-party crashes and apparent traffic-law violations, including collisions with clearly visible objects and near pedestrians; the review reached 367 incidents (109 crashes / 1 injury). Resolved/closed after the 672- and 1,212-vehicle recalls.","identifier":"d08240b1-75f9-4137-b2df-8da2b405c623","datePublished":"2024-05-13T12:00:00.000Z","articleSection":"regulatory action","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":2,"primary_source_types":["primary-regulatory-filing","secondary-industry-publication"]}}}