Waymo resumed San Antonio robotaxi service Sept. 17, with dozens of vehicles across a 60-mile service area.
Why it matters: The relaunch is a concrete test of Waymo's safety response after a flood-related incident and recall. It also signals how quickly the company can restore credibility as it expands autonomous-vehicle service in new cities.
- Waymo paused San Antonio service after an unoccupied vehicle was swept away in floodwaters on April 20, 2026.
- The company filed a voluntary safety recall on May 1 covering 3,791 vehicles with 5th- and 6th-generation automated driving systems.
- Waymo said the San Antonio relaunch includes dozens of vehicles across a 60-mile service area, including downtown and San Antonio International Airport.
- Waymo said it updated software to better detect and avoid standing water and had already delivered interim fixes by April 20.
Waymo restarted robotaxi service in San Antonio on Sept. 17, about five months after flooding forced it to suspend operations in the city. The company had launched limited public rides there on Feb. 24 as part of a broader expansion that also included Dallas, Houston and Orlando, according to its February announcement.
The pause followed an April 20 incident in which an unoccupied Waymo vehicle entered flooded roadway conditions during severe weather and was swept away, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. Waymo then filed a voluntary recall on May 1 covering 3,791 vehicles with 5th- and 6th-generation automated driving systems after NHTSA said the software may allow vehicles to slow and then drive into standing water on higher-speed roadways, increasing the risk of loss of control and a crash or injury, according to the agency's recall notice.
For the restart, Waymo said the San Antonio service area now spans 60 miles and includes downtown and San Antonio International Airport, with dozens of vehicles available, TechCrunch reported. The company told the Express-News it changed software to better detect and avoid standing water in the future. Waymo's interim fix had already included tighter weather-related constraints and updated vehicle maps, with affected vehicles receiving the update by April 20, according to NHTSA.
By the numbers
- 3,791 vehicles - The size of Waymo's voluntary recall on May 1.
- 60 miles - The reported size of Waymo's San Antonio service area after the restart.
Yes, but: Waymo has described the relaunch and software changes, but the company is still rebuilding trust after a flood-related failure that triggered a recall and public scrutiny.