US Opens New Waymo School Bus Probe Into 2,895 Robotaxis After Recall Fix

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday, November 9, 2026, that it has opened a new recall query into 2,895 vehicles operated by Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving unit, over continued safety violations around school buses. The agency is reviewing whether a software update from a December 2025 recall actually fixed a defect that let Waymo cars pass school buses with flashing red lights or extended stop arms after slowing or stopping. Most of the incidents happened after November 2025, when Waymo said the remedy was complete.

Key Points

• NHTSA opened a recall query on Monday, November 9, 2026, into 2,895 Waymo vehicles over safety violations around school buses.
• The agency is checking whether a December 2025 software update fixed a defect that let Waymo cars pass buses showing flashing red lights or extended stop arms.
• Most incidents happened after November 2025, when Waymo said the remedy was complete on all affected vehicles.
• The original investigation began in October 2025 after footage showed a Waymo driving around a stopped, unloading school bus in Atlanta on September 22.
• The Austin school district documented 24 incidents by January 15, 2026, and asked Waymo to pause operations during school-bus hours, which Waymo declined.

What Happened

NHTSA said the query will assess the adequacy of the remedy Waymo applied under safety recall 25E-084, filed December 10, 2025 and covering 3,067 vehicles, and determine the causes of incidents reported after it was installed. Waymo said the fix was complete by November 2025; the query covers 2,895 vehicles, slightly fewer than the recall total.

A recall query goes beyond the preliminary evaluation that opened the original investigation. It signals the regulator is not satisfied the first fix worked, and it can end with no further action, a new recall, or enforcement. Such queries typically take months.

The defect is narrow but serious: a Waymo vehicle can slow or stop for a school bus, then proceed past it while the bus still shows flashing red lights or an extended stop arm. In most US states, passing a stopped school bus with red lights flashing is illegal, because children cross in front of and behind the bus, often out of a driver's line of sight.

Background and Context

The problem first drew federal attention in autumn 2025. NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened a preliminary evaluation on October 17, 2025, after footage circulated of a Waymo driving around a stopped, unloading school bus in Atlanta on September 22. That evaluation led to the December 10, 2025 recall, under which Waymo updated the software on 3,067 vehicles. The incidents did not stop.

The Austin school district documented 20 incidents during the school year, rising to 24 by January 15, 2026. The district asked Waymo to pause operations during school-bus hours, which Waymo declined. The Austin pattern matched the defect: vehicles that slowed or stopped, then passed the bus while its signals were still active.

The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary findings traced a January 12 pass in Austin to a remote-assistance agent in Novi, Michigan, who wrongly answered "no" when the car asked whether the bus had active signals. Waymo cars can call on remote operators when they cannot resolve a situation alone, and the operator's answer appears to have cleared the car to proceed. Separately, NHTSA opened a probe in January after a Waymo vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California.

Waymo School Bus Probe: What NHTSA Is Examining

The query has two questions. The first is whether the December 2025 software update actually fixed the defect. If updated vehicles still pass stopped school buses, the remedy was inadequate, and NHTSA can require a new one. The second is why the incidents continued: whether the fault lies in the vehicle's perception of the bus, its decision-making once it has recognised the signals, or the remote-assistance chain.

The NTSB finding suggests the problem is not only about what the car's sensors see. A remote agent answering a yes-or-no question wrongly is a failure of the human backup, not of the cameras. If that failure mode is systemic, a software patch aimed at the vehicle alone would not fix it.

Reactions and Quotes

No direct quotes from NHTSA or Waymo were in the sources available for this report, and none are invented here. NHTSA's announcement was limited to the fact of the query and its scope: 2,895 vehicles, and a review of the December 2025 remedy and the causes of the post-remedy incidents. Waymo has said its remedy was complete for all affected vehicles in November 2025, a position the new query now tests.

The Austin district's position is on the record from January: it counted the incidents rising to 24 and asked Waymo to pause operations during school-bus hours; Waymo declined. The stakes are commercial too: Waymo is expanding into new cities and vehicle types, including the Toyota bZ4X robotaxi it plans to deploy in Japan and the UK, and a finding that its remedy failed would slow that expansion.

Why It Matters

School buses are one of the few places where American traffic law is close to absolute: when the red lights flash and the stop arm is out, traffic stops, in both directions. The rule protects children crossing a road they may not be able to judge safely. A self-driving system that sometimes gets this wrong is failing at a rule that exists because the consequences are severe.

The case also matters because of how it was supposed to have been fixed: find the defect, issue an update, confirm it is installed. If incidents continued after that, the recall process needs verification beyond confirming an update was delivered. NHTSA's query is that harder look.

What Happens Next

First, NHTSA will gather incident reports and Waymo's data on how the December 2025 update was designed and tested. Second, Waymo must explain why incidents continued after the remedy. Third, the agency will decide whether the remedy was adequate, whether a new recall is needed, or whether the matter can be closed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new Waymo investigation about?

NHTSA opened a recall query on November 9, 2026, into 2,895 Waymo vehicles over reports they passed school buses showing flashing red lights or extended stop arms, even after a December 2025 fix.

What is a recall query?

It is a formal NHTSA step used to check whether a previous recall remedy actually worked. The agency gathers evidence, then can close the matter, require a new recall, or take enforcement action.

How many school-bus incidents were reported in Austin?

Austin's school district documented 20 incidents in the school year, rising to 24 by January 15, 2026. It asked Waymo to pause operations during school-bus hours, which Waymo declined.

What did the NTSB find about the January 12 Austin incident?

Its preliminary findings traced the pass to a remote-assistance agent in Novi, Michigan, who wrongly answered "no" when the car asked whether the bus had active signals.

Is this Waymo's only open federal safety probe?

No. NHTSA separately opened a probe in January after a Waymo vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California. That probe continues separately.