Concerns are mounting regarding the safety of Tesla's self-driving technology following reports of five new crashes involving its robotaxi fleet. These incidents, which took place in Austin, were disclosed by Tesla last month and involve Model Y vehicles operating with autonomous systems engaged. The crashes, recorded in December 2025 and January, included collisions with fixed objects and a bus, raising questions about the reliability of Tesla's systems compared to human drivers.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla has now reported a total of 14 crashes since its robotaxi service began in Austin last June. With the fleet achieving approximately 800,000 cumulative miles by mid-January, the crash rate stands at roughly one incident every 57,000 miles, significantly higher than the average U.S. driver’s rate of minor crashes every 229,000 miles.
Tesla's approach to crash reporting has also come under scrutiny, as it has redacted details from incident narratives in the NHTSA database, citing confidentiality. This contrasts with the practices of competitors like Waymo and Zoox, which provide more transparency. Additionally, a previously reported crash was updated to reflect that it involved a hospitalization, highlighting potential concerns about the severity of incidents involving Tesla’s robotaxi fleet.