Sunnyvale resident Di Jin booked his first Waymo trip to San Jose Mineta Airport on Monday, expecting a seamless autonomous ride. The vehicle pulled up, he stepped out, pressed the trunk‑release button, and watched the compartment stay shut. Within seconds the car left the curb, taking his suitcase with it.

Waymo’s own guidelines state the trunk should open automatically once a passenger exits, with a manual override in the app. Jin called customer support immediately; agents explained the car was already en route to the San Francisco depot and could not be turned around. The luggage arrived at the depot, but the company classified it as lost.

Waymo offered Jin either to cover shipping costs or take two complimentary rides to the depot, a round‑trip that would add roughly two hours to his schedule. Jin rejected both, arguing the fault lay with the vehicle’s software, not his handling. The incident echoes a similar April case in San Francisco where tennis equipment vanished, raising questions about autonomous fleet logistics.

Waymo launched service to the San Jose airport in September, positioning the route as a flagship for its driverless fleet. Repeated trunk failures could erode passenger confidence and pressure the company to refine its exit protocols. Until the software glitch is resolved, riders may need to double‑check trunk status before leaving the vehicle.