NHTSA launches formal probe into Uber partner Avride following 16 self-driving crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a formal investigation into Avride, a robotaxi operator partnering with Uber, following the identification of more than a dozen crashes and one minor injury. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has determined that all 16 incidents stem from deficiencies in the competence of Avride's self-driving system. These failures specifically involve struggles with changing lanes, responding to other vehicles in the same lane, and avoiding stationary objects.

Crucially, the NHTSA notes that every identified crash occurred while a human safety monitor was seated in the driver's seat. The regulator completed a preliminary review of video footage from each incident, which revealed instances where autonomous vehicles changed lanes into the path of other traffic, failed to slow for stopped vehicles, and struck stationary objects partially obstructing the lane. One specific incident in December 2025 in Dallas resulted in a minor injury to an occupant of a parked pickup truck when an Avride-equipped Hyundai Ioniq 5 clipped its open driver-side door.

Avride, a subsidiary of Nebius, stated in a response that it has implemented targeted technical and operational mitigations to address the findings from the reported incidents between December 2025 and March 2026. The company claims that while total operations have continued to grow, the frequency of incidents relative to mileage has steadily declined. However, when reached for comment regarding why the safety monitors did not intervene in the crashes, Avride declined to explain, noting only that one report described an attempt to intervene.

The investigation covers incidents that primarily took place in Dallas and Austin, Texas. This regulatory scrutiny arrives as the industry expands testing and deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies across the United States. The probe coincides with similar actions against other market players; Waymo is currently facing separate investigations by the NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board regarding illegal behaviour near school buses and a January crash involving a child.

Avride, best known for its sidewalk delivery robots, struck a partnership with Uber in 2024. The following year, Uber and its parent company Nebius agreed to strategic investments and commitments worth up to $375 million for the autonomous vehicle unit. The company reported the crashes to the NHTSA as required by the agency's 2021 Standing General Order on automated driving, a compliance step that has now triggered this deeper formal inquiry into the safety of its operations.