NHTSA probes Uber partner Avride following 16 crashes involving their self-driving fleet

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a formal investigation into Avride, a key autonomous vehicle partner for Uber, following a string of collisions that have raised serious questions about the software’s "competence" and decision-making logic.

The probe, announced on May 8, 2026, focuses on 16 separate incidents involving Avride’s fleet of modified Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles, primarily in Dallas and Austin, Texas.

A pattern of "insufficient capability"

In an unusually blunt assessment, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) stated that Avride’s autonomous driving system (ADS) demonstrated "excessive assertiveness and insufficient capability." Federal investigators are looking into several dangerous behaviors observed during public passenger trips on the Uber platform:

• Aggressive maneuvers: Vehicles reportedly changed lanes directly into the path of moving traffic.

• Failure to yield: The system failed to slow or stop for slow-moving or stationary vehicles ahead.

• Collision with objects: Robotaxis struck stationary objects, including a dumpster and the open door of a parked pickup truck.

• Human oversight failure: Despite each vehicle having a trained safety operator on board, an intervention was attempted in only one of the 16 reported crashes.

One minor injury, multiple violations

While most of the incidents resulted only in property damage, the NHTSA noted one minor injury in December 2025. The agency warned that the observed driving patterns "may also constitute traffic safety violations," signaling that Avride could face more than just technical recalls.

For its part, Avride has defended its record, stating that many of the incidents were "precipitated by the actions of other road users" and occurred at low speeds. The company is cooperating with the agency to provide a "deeper understanding" of its safety protocols.

Impact on Uber’s "platform-first" strategy

The investigation is a significant blow to Uber’s 2026 growth strategy. Since "hanging up its boots" as an in-house developer of self-driving tech, Uber has pivoted to a platform model, integrating third-party fleets like Waymo, Zoox, and Avride.

While this model reduces Uber’s capital expenditure, it exposes the brand to the safety records of its partners.

Growth at stake

In its Q1 2026 earnings, Uber reported that autonomous trips grew tenfold year-over-year. A prolonged investigation or a mandated suspension of Avride’s fleet could slow that momentum as Uber aims to expand robotaxi service to 15 cities by the end of the year.

The road ahead

The NHTSA probe will assess the scope and severity of the potential defects, as well as the effectiveness of Avride’s existing safeguards. As the federal government ramps up its oversight of the "robotaxi" sector, the results of this investigation could set a new precedent for how "assertive" an AI driver is allowed to be on public roads.