Tesla's Robotaxis Hit With Federal Scrutiny After Troubling Videos Emerge

Tesla's long-awaited robotaxis may have just hit a serious speed bump.

On the heels of their public debut in Austin, Elon Musk's self-driving Teslas are now under federal investigation after a string of alarming videos surfaced online. 

AP News reported footage shows the vehicles ignoring traffic markings, veering into opposing lanes, and braking abruptly with no clear cause, prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to step in.

"NHTSA is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information," the agency said in a statement Tuesday.

The agency's inquiry comes just days after Tesla launched its first paid robotaxi rides using Model Y vehicles equipped with an updated version of its Full Self-Driving software. 

Related: Elon Musk Is Betting Tesla's Future on This Risky New Strategy

The initial rollout had drawn praise from investors and fans, including financial analyst Dan Ives, who called his ride "perfect" and declared the test a "huge success."

But not everyone is convinced. Car tech expert Sam Abuelsamid warned the software is still far too unpredictable to be trusted on public roads. 

"This is not a system that should be carrying members of the public," he said, citing the AI's tendency to make dangerous, inconsistent errors despite frequent good performance.

One viral clip shows a Tesla gliding through an intersection from a left-turn-only lane, crossing into an opposing lane and swerving repeatedly before realigning—10 long seconds with no oncoming traffic to intervene. Another video shows a car stopping twice in the middle of the road for no obvious reason.

0:00 Pickup
0:17 Leaving pickup area
0:52 Right turn to main road
2:08 Second right turn
3:58 Merging traffic
6:08 Cadillac gives thumbs up
7:00 Navigation issue / hesitation
7:24 Left turn
8:20 Right turn
9:33 Left turn positioning
10:22 Left turn
12:43 Flashing red stop
13:57…

— Rob Maurer (@TeslaPodcast) June 22, 2025

While some passengers, like money manager Rob Maurer, dismissed the incidents, regulators aren’t taking them lightly. The NHTSA has already forced Tesla to recall 2.4 million vehicles over past Full Self-Driving issues and continues to monitor the company’s rollout closely.

Musk, who insists his system is safer than human drivers, has vowed to flood roads with autonomous taxis by next year. But with rivals like Waymo already logging millions of rides and expanding nationwide, Tesla has little room for missteps—especially now that its every move is under a microscope.

Related: Elon Musk Reclaims Gene Wilder's Former Home in $7M Foreclosure Drama