The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into Avride, a robotaxi service in partnership with Uber, following reports of over a dozen crashes, including one minor injury. This inquiry is focused on the performance of Avride's self-driving technology, which has faced challenges in lane changes, interactions with other vehicles, and navigating around stationary objects.
According to the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), all 16 identified incidents occurred while Avride vehicles were monitored by a safety operator. Avride has not clarified why these monitors did not intervene during the events. The company emphasized that it has complied with reporting requirements as per the NHTSA's 2021 guidelines on automated driving.
In a statement, Avride highlighted its commitment to safety, mentioning the implementation of targeted technical and operational improvements based on insights gained from the incidents reported between December 2025 and March 2026. The company noted that while its operations are expanding, the frequency of incidents relative to mileage has seen a steady decline.
Uber has yet to comment on the investigation. Avride, which gained recognition for its sidewalk delivery robots, is a subsidiary of Nebius, previously known as Yandex NV, a company that divested its Russian operations in 2024. Avride has been actively developing self-driving vehicles and entered into a partnership with Uber in 2024, which included a commitment of up to $375 million in strategic investments.
This investigation follows Uber's recent launch of Avride robotaxi services in Dallas, Texas, where many of the reported crashes took place. Some incidents were also recorded in Austin, Texas, with at least one crash involving a passenger-carrying robotaxi.
The probe comes at a time when numerous companies are intensifying testing and deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies across the U.S., drawing significant attention from regulatory bodies. For instance, Waymo is also under scrutiny by both NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board for various incidents involving its robotaxis.
The ODI has completed a preliminary review of video footage from the Avride crashes, revealing that the vehicles often changed lanes into the paths of adjacent vehicles, failed to slow down for stopped traffic, and collided with stationary objects. One incident reported a minor injury in December 2025 when an Avride-operated Hyundai Ioniq 5 struck the open door of a parked truck.
As autonomous vehicle technology continues to evolve, this investigation highlights the critical need for rigorous safety measures and oversight to ensure public confidence in self-driving systems.
