A driverless Waymo car decided to turn directly into an active police standoff in downtown Los Angeles, as per TMZ. This whole unbelievable scene was caught on video, which is now spreading like wildfire across social media.

The viral video shows the autonomous ride service vehicle taking a left turn and just cruising right into the middle of what looks like a seriously intense situation involving the LAPD. If driverless cars are truly the future, we might be seeing bizarre incidents like this way more often.

This wasn’t some minor traffic disruption, either. The problem is that the Waymo robotaxi drove right past a man lying face down on the ground next to a truck. Behind the man, you’ve got multiple LAPD cars and officers lined up, shouting commands at the scene. To add to the dramatic effect, there was an LAPD helicopter circling overhead.

Seeing a robot car bumble into the eye of a storm like that is almost impossible not to laugh at

Luckily, the situation resolved quickly for the passengers inside the vehicle. A representative for Waymo told TMZ that the car “cleared the scene in a matter of seconds” and that the people inside “made it safely to their destination.”

That’s a huge relief for the riders, but it makes you wonder what the vehicle’s operating algorithm was thinking when it decided that was the optimal route. It seems like the system completely failed to register the shouts, the commands, and the general presence of a major police operation.

WILD FOOTAGE

Waymo Robotaxi with passengers reportedly drove straight into an ongoing police standoff. pic.twitter.com/DGwr63ngkT

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 2, 2025

While this standoff incident is definitely the most dramatic, Waymo’s rollout in Los Angeles hasn’t been smooth sailing generally. They’ve hit quite a few speed bumps since launching service in the region, especially after Waymo CEO’s bizarre admission about their safety statistics.

This isn’t the first time the company has dealt with police intervention. We’ve seen Waymos getting pulled over by officers before, like the time one got stopped in Beverly Hills for making an illegal turn. That’s frustrating for local law enforcement, but the issues get much more serious than simple traffic violations.

Earlier this summer, Waymo actually had to suspend service entirely. That suspension happened because some of their cars were torched amid protests concerning immigration raids. That’s awful for the company’s bottom line, and it seriously harms public trust in driverless technology.

It’s not just LA-specific chaos, either. We’ve all seen the videos of Waymos struggling with mundane, everyday tasks. Remember the times they got completely stuck in fast food drive-thrus because they couldn’t figure out how to process the order or navigate the tight curves? Or when the cars decided to take riders on scenic tours around in circles instead of dropping them off at the airport on time? The latter isn’t isolated to robotaxis, though.

However, if we’re trusting these vehicles with safety and navigation in high-stress environments, they really need to be able to identify situations like an active police standoff. The fact that the car drove right past the man on the ground and the officers shouting commands shows a serious flaw in scene assessment.

Mechanic Eric, who goes by @ericthecarguy on TikTok, is now taking out all aftermarket LED bulbs from his cars after a scary experience with his daughter’s vehicle. He shared his story on TikTok, explaining why he’s going back to traditional filament bulbs. Eric says the LED upgrades have caused too many reliability problems.

According to Motor1, the problem became clear when Eric’s daughter came to visit him in her Honda Element. Right away, Eric noticed something dangerous: her brake lights weren’t working at all. The aftermarket LED bulbs had completely stopped working.

Eric showed the failed LED bulbs in his TikTok video and didn’t hold back his thoughts. He said these LED parts were in his daughter’s Honda Element, and while regular filament bulbs do burn out sometimes, he’s frustrated by how often LED replacements fail. He now plans to remove LED bulbs from all his vehicles and switch back to regular bulbs.

The real danger of brake light failures

When brake lights don’t work, the risks are serious. Cars without working brake lights can easily get hit from behind. Around 264,000 car accidents happen each year in the U.S. because of brake-related problems. While this number includes mechanical failures, broken lights are a dangerous problem that can be avoided. Honda owners have faced costly repair quotes from mechanics for various vehicle issues.

The issue with LED bulbs goes deeper than just the bulbs burning out. When you replace a regular bulb with an LED in modern cars, it can cause electrical problems. Many newer cars use body control modules that check if bulbs are working properly. These systems test the old-style filaments to see if they’re still good.

@ericthecarguy

What are your thoughts on these LED bulbs? Are they great, or not so great? #led #ledbulb #taillight #opinion #ericthecarguy

♬ original sound – EricTheCarGuy

When you put in an LED bulb instead, the car’s system gets confused. This can lead to false warnings saying a bulb is out. Even worse, the confusion can cause bigger problems like the car not starting or a dead battery. Some companies add resistors to fix this, but that removes the energy-saving benefits that LEDs are supposed to provide.

Heat is another big problem for LED bulbs. While people expect LED bulbs to last up to 50,000 hours, they often fail much sooner. LED bulbs are sensitive electronic parts that can wear out and get dimmer over time instead of just burning out completely. Cheap aftermarket LEDs especially fail early because of poor quality parts and bad heat control.

People have mixed opinions about LED bulbs. Under Eric’s video, some commenters said quality matters, and that major bulb brands make good LED replacements. “I went through the same thing. Some last a long time, but many don’t. Not worth the headache. When back to standard filament bulbs for the consistency and reliability.

Would love to see someone come out with a quality LED replacement bulb lineup that isn’t absurdly expensive,” one user commented. “It all depend on the brand. I put some Auxito in my 2001 F150 with a LED relay. Haven’t had an issue. Your vehicles, your choices. Stay dirty,” another wrote.

Some people like LEDs for reverse lights but not for tail lights that stay on all the time. Similar to auto workers dealing with unexpected issues, mechanics often face tough decisions about recommending aftermarket parts.

A TikTok user found a way to cut down a huge $2,800 car repair bill to just $50, all because she got some smart help from ChatGPT. The user @everything_bylaneise, who calls herself a young Martha Stewart, went viral right away after she showed how she avoided a massive quote for fixing her Honda Accord’s suspension by asking artificial intelligence for help.

According to Motor1, when a mechanic told her she needed to pay almost $3,000 to fix her suspension, she didn’t just say yes to the charge. Instead, she asked the AI tool for a better option. According to her, ChatGPT told her to use a junkyard part, which would only cost around $50. That’s a savings of $2,750, which is just crazy when you think about it.

“Mechanic told me $2,800 to fix my suspension,” she wrote on the screen in her viral video. “ChatGPT told me junk yard $50. Let’s go fix this mess.”

This proves DIY culture is winning against expensive repairs

While this was her first time doing this kind of car work, she wasn’t totally new to fixing things herself. She told viewers she already had the tools she needed because she works as an electrician and does home repairs. She recorded herself putting in the suspension and looked like she handled it without any real problems. This is a big win for people who take matters into their own hands.

Sadly, when you post a DIY video online, especially one about cars, you should expect some quick criticism. After her video got more than 571,300 views, a wave of negative comments from men filled the section. Many said she was doing the job wrong, but the main issue was about safety. This isn’t the first time a TikTok user faced backlash over car content, as the platform often sparks heated debates.

@everything_bylaneise

On a mission. #carmaintenance #tiktokautocampaign

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However, @everything_bylaneise wasn’t going to let the criticism go unchecked. She quickly posted a follow-up video to prove Walt wrong and shut down the critics. She showed viewers that she absolutely did have a jack stand in place and that there was a tire under the frame to keep the car steady.

She then spoke directly to the overly harsh criticism. “If you gonna try to ‘help’ maybe adjust your tone,” she replied. “Esp, when you don’t know what you’re talking about.” It’s clear her way of doing DIY upset some people, but she was following the right steps. With TikTok’s recent watermarking of billions of videos, her content reached an even wider audience than expected.

Despite the early wave of negativity, plenty of viewers cheered her on for her smart thinking. “Hell yeah get it sis You just inspired me to show my repairs online I feel like we can show them women can do all these things as well..” one user wrote. “Proud of you”, another said.

You can learn anything online now, whether you’re fixing a computer or putting in a suspension part. @everything_bylaneise proves that sometimes, asking an AI for a second opinion can save you thousands of dollars, as long as you do the work safely and correctly.