- As per the report, all five of the newly-reported crashes involved Model Y vehicles operating as robotaxis in Austin.
- In January, Tesla launched robotaxis with no safety monitors, marking a key step towards CEO Elon Musk’s ambitions of deploying autonomous vehicles in as much as half of the U.S. by year-end.
- Tesla has about 500 Model Y vehicles operating as robotaxis across the Bay Area and Austin, Musk said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in late January.
Tesla Inc.’s (TSLA) robotaxis have reportedly been involved in 14 crash incidents since its first deployment in Austin in June 2025.
Electrek reported on Tuesday, citing data from U.S. auto safety regulator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), that Tesla submitted five new crash reports in January which occurred from December 2025 to January 2026.
Shares of the company traded 1% lower at the time of writing.
Details Of Crash
As per the report, all five of the newly-reported crashes involved Model Y vehicles operating as robotaxis in Austin. These include a collision with a fixed object at 17 mph while the vehicle was driving straight, a crash with a bus while the Tesla was stationary, a collision with a heavy truck at 4 mph, and two separate incidents where the Tesla backed into objects, one into a pole or tree at 1 mph and another into a fixed object at 2 mph.
The company also updated one of the earlier crashes to include a hospitalization injury, Electrek said.
Tesla launched a number of its Model Y vehicles equipped with its full self-driving (FSD) technology as robotaxis in Austin in June 2025, albeit with a safety monitor in the front seat to take over as required. In January, Tesla launched robotaxis with no safety monitors, marking a key step towards CEO Elon Musk’s ambitions of deploying autonomous vehicles in as much as half of the U.S. by year-end.
The company has about 500 Model Y vehicles operating as robotaxis across the Bay Area and Austin, Musk said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in late January. However, the company is being cautious while scaling the service, he added.
FSD, which is also deployed on passenger vehicles as a driver assistance system, has been under the radar of the NHTSA over alleged traffic law violations.
The NHTSA opened a probe into approximately 2.9 million Tesla vehicles in October due to concerns about traffic safety law violations involving vehicles equipped with FSD. The regulator stated that its Office of Defects Investigation identified several incidents where FSD-induced vehicle behavior violated traffic safety laws, including scenarios where a vehicle operating with FSD proceeded into an intersection despite a red traffic signal. The regulator then stated it is aware of a total of 58 incidents, including 23 injuries and 14 crashes or fires that may be related to the potential defect.
How Did Stocktwits Users React?
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TSLA stock has gained 16% over the past 12 months.
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