NHTSA opens probe into Waymo 5TH Generation ADS: Waymo AV striking a child in the area of a school.
On January 29, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE26001) into Waymo 5TH Generation ADS, concerning the electrical system. A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage of an NHTSA defect investigation: ODI gathers information from the manufacturer and from owner reports to decide whether to close the case or take it further. As of NHTSA’s latest data it is still open.
- Action
- PE26001 (Preliminary Evaluation)
- Status
- Open
- Component
- Electrical System: Adas: Autonomous/Self Driving: Software
- Listed
- 1 make/model/year entry in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Make | Waymo |
|---|---|
| Model | 5TH Generation ADS |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
On January 23, 2026, Waymo LCC (Waymo) reported to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that a Waymo Automated Vehicle (AV) had struck a child near an elementary school earlier that day. Waymo provided its required report under SGO 2021-01 on January 28, 2026. NHTSA is aware that the incident occurred within two blocks of a Santa Monica, CA elementary school during normal school drop off hours; that there were other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles in the vicinity; and that the child ran across the street from behind a double parked SUV towards the school and was struck by the Waymo AV. Waymo reported that the child sustained minor injuries. At the time of the incident, the Waymo AV was operated by Waymo’s 5th Generation Automated Driving System (ADS). No safety operator was present in the vehicle. ODI has opened this Preliminary Evaluation to investigate whether the Waymo AV exercised appropriate caution given, among other things, its proximity to the elementary school during drop off hours, and the presence of young pedestrians and other potential vulnerable road users. ODI expects that its investigation will examine the ADS’s intended behavior in school zones and neighboring areas, especially during normal school pick up/drop off times, including but not limited to its adherence to posted speed limits. ODI will also investigate Waymo's post-impact response.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for PE26001, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
Timeline
- ODI opens preliminary evaluation PE26001
- OpenNo closing date yet
What this means for owners
- An investigation is not a recall. NHTSA has not made a defect finding here, and owners are not asked to do anything yet. If a safety defect is confirmed, the manufacturer recalls the vehicles and the repair is free.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search PE26001 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.