Atlanta — Atlanta passengers are increasingly turning to Waymo’s driverless cars nearly one year into the company’s expansion into the metro. But a man who worked for a company tasked with repairing them says he left after raising concerns about how the vehicles are maintained.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln reached out and learned why he was concerned every day working under the hood of the electric vehicles.
“I just don’t want to see somebody get hurt,” said Michael Shannon.
He said repair technicians at times work on live wires inside the vehicles, and that he asked for equipment to make sure these vehicles were repaired safely.
Shannon is a consultant who started teaching high-voltage vehicle safety across the United States and internationally in 2011. He said he didn’t make it a year at a West Midtown shop working on Waymo vehicles after he repeatedly pushed for safety upgrades for technicians.
“Everybody wants to keep their jobs so they just shut up and go with it,” Shannon said.
Until earlier this year, he worked with other mechanics fixing the Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles that Waymo uses in their Atlanta fleet.
“There were arguments almost every day about getting proper tools and why cars couldn’t be fixed without having those pieces of equipment,” Shannon said.
Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines require companies provide proper safety equipment for technicians working on high voltage vehicles. OSHA also references voluntary standards set by industry groups to guide their official enforcement.
One group, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, suggests equipment like insulated gloves and tools be inspected every six months.
Shannon claims in 2025, workers did not have basic protective equipment, including insulated gloves and tools designed to protect mechanics from electrocution.
He showed us the insulated tools and high voltage gloves he purchased on his own after pushing the shop to provide them, saying the equipment costs several thousand dollars in total.
“Once you take the lid off the battery, there’s, you know, live wires,” Shannon said.
Shannon says Atlanta technicians weren’t the only ones raising concerns.
According to a message one San Francisco mechanic texted to Shannon, another shop across the country did not have arc flash suits or power battery tables, “even though we do the most battery repairs.”
Shannon responded, telling the mechanic that the company was not willing to provide the proper equipment.
“They don’t like people that don’t go with the flow,” read the mechanic’s reply.
“Not having the safety stuff there is the biggest issue by far,” Shannon said.
Lincoln requested to tour the Atlanta Waymo site. The company denied that request but provided a statement addressing the concerns.
“Safety is our highest priority,” the Waymo statement says. “We thoroughly reviewed the concerns raised and found that all technicians were, in fact, provided with the appropriate tools and equipment to perform their roles safely and effectively.”
Waymo noted that the mechanics at the Atlanta division are contracted by a third-party vendor called AutoNation.
“Our expectations for safety standards are clear, consistent, and rigorously upheld across our entire partner ecosystem,” Waymo’s statement says. ”We work closely with our partners to ensure those safety standards are met, and we regularly evaluate compliance.”
Waymo’s representatives said it is AutoNation who would be responsible for handling the majority of workers’ concerns.
“At AutoNation, our commitment to safety has always been and continues to be a priority,” a statement AutoNation provided to Channel 2 Investigates says. “We work closely with our partners to ensure our Associates always have the necessary tools, training, and equipment to perform their roles safely and effectively. We regularly review our practices to support ongoing compliance.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
But Shannon said workers were also often instructed to make repairs with used parts, swapping components from out-of-service Waymo vehicles to complete repairs.
“Those were the battles that we were having,” Shannon said. “Well, I was having every day.”
The vehicles themselves are manufactured by Jaguar Land Rover.
In emails between Shannon and JLR warranty representatives last December, he raised concerns about being directed to use used parts.
“I do not feel the best about doing repairs in that fashion,” Shannon wrote according to one email.
A JLR representative responded, saying it is never appropriate to install a used part on a vehicle under warranty.
And in an email from Waymo, the company told Lincoln that “The issue being discussed in these emails is regarding claims for parts warranties with JLR, and does not involve mechanical safety or compromised repair practices. JLR is simply stating a warranty claim ticket should not be issued, NOT that replacing a wiper motor is against their repair policy or unsafe in some way.”
While Shannon is still raising concerns about the repair process, he did note that he feels the vehicles are safe for the everyday rider.
“Really my only goal was safety and to make sure that things are done properly,” Shannon said. “I just hope that the people that are still there working are safe.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]