Robot incidents in 2025
The Machine Record holds 69 incidents involving commercial robots in 2025, most involving Waymo: 43 where a person was hurt, 5 of them fatal, and 12 that reached a regulator, a recall or a court.
Counts measure what was reported in the press the register reads and cleared verification, not how many events took place. Fleet sizes are not public, so none of this is a rate. The rules are on the methodology page.
Reading the numbers
The 69 cases dated 2025 are spread over 12 months, with December 2025 the busiest at 16. The newest case is dated 2025-12-29: A humanoid robot kicked a man in the groin area during a sparring session, drawing Elon Musk's reaction.
Waymo accounts for 29 of the 69 cases (42%), followed by Tesla with 8; 10 cases name no company. By kind of machine, autonomous vehicles make up 64% of the set, ahead of humanoid robots (14). Most cases are placed in the United States (49), with 5 other countries represented.
In 43% of the cases someone was slightly hurt. 43 cases (62%) record a person hurt, 5 of them fatal. The most common type of event is collision (35). 12 cases (17%) went beyond the first report to an investigation, a regulator, a recall, a fine or a court.
By outcome
Cases
Every case dated 2025
Newest first. Each one links to its timeline and to the sources it rests on.
- 2025-12-29A humanoid robot kicked a man in the groin area during a sparring session, drawing Elon Musk's reaction.Report
- 2025-12-28Man wearing motion capture suit suffered injury while controlling a Unitree G1 humanoid robotReport
- 2025-12-23Amazon's Zoox recalls 332 US robotaxi vehicles due to a software error.Recall
- 2025-12-20During a widespread power outage affecting approximately 130,000 PG&E customers in San Francisco, multiple Waymo robotaxis stalled in traffic and clogged roadways, prompting the company to suspend its ride-hailing service until the following day.Follow-up
- 2025-12-14A Waymo robotaxi stalled on a narrow bridge over the Venice Canals during a holiday boat parade, causing a 45-minute traffic backup of at least a mile.Report
- 2025-12-12Three Waymo robotaxis became deadlocked on a San Francisco street after two navigated into a dead end and a third behaved erratically, requiring a human Waymo employee to manually move each vehicle.Report
- 2025-12-09A delivery robot rammed into the back of a pedestrian's leg in Lincoln Park, Chicago, prompting a petition calling for a pause on robot deliveries citing collisions with people, pets, and bicyclists.Report
- 2025-12-07A Baidu Apollo RT6 robotaxi operated by Hello collided with two pedestrians on Yanjiang Road in Zhuzhou, China, trapping one person beneath the vehicle; both a man and a woman were transported to the ICU.Regulator action
- 2025-12-06A Tesla Optimus humanoid robot fell backward during a public demonstration at a Tesla store in Miami, dropping water bottles and making hand motions consistent with a teleoperation headset being removed.Follow-up
- 2025-12-05Waymo announced a voluntary software recall after its robotaxis were found to have illegally passed stopped school buses with extended stop signs and flashing lights on multiple occasions in Atlanta and Austin, with no injuries reported.Recall
- 2025-12-03Tesla Autopilot disengaged mid-curve on a rural road in Cocoa, Florida on December 3, 2025, causing a collision with a utility pole that seriously injured the front-seat passenger.Lawsuit
- 2025-12-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with non-motorist: cyclist in Palo Alto, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-12-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with passenger car in Phoenix, AZ, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-12-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with passenger car in Atlanta, GA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-12-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with suv in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-12-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with van in Los Angeles, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-11-20Figure AI retired its Figure 02 humanoid robots after an 11-month deployment at BMW Manufacturing's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant, where they loaded sheet-metal parts and contributed to the production of over 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles, accumulating visible wear and tear but no reported injuries.Report
- 2025-11-10Russia's AIdol humanoid robot lost balance and fell on stage during its official debut at a technology event in Moscow on November 10, 2025, leaving pieces on the stage and prompting staff to hide it behind a screen.Follow-up
- 2025-11-05A private Tasmanian hospital is being sued over an injury claim related to robotic surgery.Report
- 2025-11-05A Unitree G1 humanoid robot tested by YouTuber Cody Detwiler spilled food on the floor while attempting to cook stir-fry, slipped on the scattered food, and fell, also causing the owner to slip.Report
- 2025-11-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with passenger car in Austin, TX, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-11-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with suv in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-11-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with non-motorist: pedestrian in Scottsdale, AZ, reported to NHTSA as moderate w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-11-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with passenger car in Tempe, AZ, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-11-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with suv in Scottsdale, AZ, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-10-22An Uber Eats delivery robot developed by Avride allegedly cut off a cyclist in the bike lane on Varick Street in Jersey City, causing him to go airborne and sustain a concussion and broken clavicle.Report
- 2025-10-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with passenger car in Atlanta, GA, reported to NHTSA as moderate w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-10-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with non-motorist: cyclist in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-10-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with passenger car in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-10-01Tesla reported an eighth crash involving its Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, occurring in October 2025, with no injuries reported, while the vehicle was proceeding straight and came into contact with an unspecified object or party.Report
- 2025-09-17Tesla reported three accidents involving its Robotaxi service Model Y vehicles in Austin, Texas, in July 2025, including one with a minor injury and two with only property damage, while redacting narrative details from NHTSA filings.Report
- 2025-09-14A Waymo robotaxi slowing to turn into a parking lot on Rural Road near Arizona State University was rear-ended by a motorcyclist, who was then struck by a hit-and-run human driver and later died at the hospital.Report
- 2025-09-13A Serve Robotics delivery robot collided with a man with cerebral palsy riding a mobility scooter on a sidewalk near the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, causing his scooter to jolt backward.Follow-up
- 2025-09-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with motorcycle in Tempe, AZ, reported to NHTSA as a fatalityReport
- 2025-09-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with pickup truck in Atlanta, GA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-09-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with non-motorist: cyclist in Atlanta, GA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-09-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with suv in Los Angeles, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-09-01Former Figure AI principal robotic safety engineer Robert Gruendel sued the company in the Northern District of California, alleging he was dismissed in September 2025 after warning executives that the company's humanoid robots were powerful enough to fracture a human skull, and citing a malfunction in which a robot carved a quarter-inch gash into a steel refrigerator door.Lawsuit
- 2025-08-26Zoox issued a voluntary software recall affecting 332 vehicles after its autonomous driving system caused robotaxis to cross center lane lines or block crosswalks near intersections, with 62 such instances recorded between August 26 and December 5, 2025, and no collisions reported.Recall
- 2025-08-23A Unitree G1 humanoid robot deviated from its planned martial arts demonstration at a UFC event in Shanghai and moved toward UFC boss Dana White, who dodged away unharmed.Report
- 2025-08-15Humanoid robots fell, crashed, and malfunctioned repeatedly at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing from August 15 to 17, 2025.Report
- 2025-08-15A Unitree H1 humanoid robot struck a bystander during the 1500-meter race at the Humanoid Robot Sports Games when two human operators failed to issue an evasion command in time during a remote-control handover.Report
- 2025-08-06A Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi carrying a female passenger fell into a deep construction pit in Chongqing, China; the passenger was uninjured and rescued by local residents using a ladder.Report
- 2025-08-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with suv in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as moderate w/o hospitalizationReport
- 2025-08-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with heavy truck in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-07-25Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot production is reported to be severely behind schedule due to technical bottlenecks with robot hands, with mostly complete units missing hands piling up at Tesla's facility.Report
- 2025-07-06A Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y) drove into the side of a parked Toyota Camry in the parking lot of Home Slice Pizza in Austin after completing a drop-off, lightly grazing the Camry's right tire.Report
- 2025-07-03Humanoid robots competed in China's inaugural RoBoLeague football tournament in Beijing, with some falling and requiring 'rescue' during play.Report
- 2025-07-01A Zoox autonomous vehicle (Toyota Highlander) was involved in a crash with passenger car in Spring Valley, NV, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-07-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with suv in Santa Clara, CA, reported to NHTSA as moderate w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-07-01A Tesla autonomous vehicle (Tesla Model Y) was involved in a crash with suv in Austin, TX, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-06-22A Tesla Robotaxi safety monitor pressed a stop button on the center touchscreen to prevent a near-collision with a reversing UPS truck as the autonomous vehicle attempted to pull into a parking spot in Austin, Texas.Follow-up
- 2025-06-12Medtronic issued an urgent field safety notice in Europe for its Hugo surgical robot's surgeon consoles due to potential main power supply failures, with 25 complaints received including six non-serious injuries and no serious patient harm reported.Report
- 2025-06-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with non-motorist: cyclist in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-06-01A Waymo autonomous vehicle (Jaguar I-Pace) was involved in a crash with passenger car in San Francisco, CA, reported to NHTSA as minor w/ hospitalizationReport
- 2025-05-26An employee of N&C Enterprises Ltd. in Kilmeague was struck and killed by a rotating robotic arm after entering a restricted area through a retrofitted gate that bypassed the plant's safety protections.Report
- 2025-05-14Waymo recalled 1,212 robotaxis after NHTSA opened a probe into 16 collisions between 2022 and late 2024 in which Waymo vehicles struck chains, gates, and other roadway barriers, with no injuries reported.Recall
- 2025-05-08An unoccupied Zoox robotaxi was struck by an electric scooter at a San Francisco intersection after braking to yield, causing the rider to fall; the robotaxi continued moving and completed a turn before stopping without making further contact with the rider, who sustained minor injuries.Recall
- 2025-05-06Zoox issues software recall for 270 robotaxis following a collision in Las VegasRecall
- 2025-05-03An 'out of control' humanoid robot caused a disturbance in China, alarming engineers nearby.Follow-up
- 2025-04-28An Osaka Metro autonomous EV bus rolled into a concrete wall at the Maishima staging area on April 28, 2025, after the driver left the seat to consult a manual following an error display.Report
- 2025-04-12An Aiper Seagull Pro ZT6001 robotic pool vacuum cleaner caught fire while charging in Canada, prompting a Health Canada recall of 2,606 units sold between July 2023 and April 2024.Recall
- 2025-04-01Class certified for purchasers in antitrust lawsuit against surgical robot manufacturerReport
- 2025-03-19Zoox issued a voluntary software recall for 258 vehicles equipped with autonomous driving software released before November 5, 2024, following two incidents in which motorcyclists collided with the rear of Zoox-equipped Toyota Highlanders that were operating with their autonomous systems engaged.Report
- 2025-03-07Pool cleaner robot: Poolrunner Battery Pro PerformanceRecall
- 2025-02-22A humanoid robot malfunctioned at a festival in China and moved toward attendees, prompting security guards to intervene; authorities confirmed the malfunction was unexpected and that the robot had passed prior tests.Follow-up
- 2025-01-27A cat named Sarabi was fatally crushed by an Autoscooper 11 self-cleaning litter box in a Bronx apartment on January 27, 2025, when the device's safety mechanism failed to stop when the animal was inside.Report
- 2025-01-19An unoccupied Waymo robotaxi stopped at a traffic light was rear-ended in a multi-vehicle collision at Sixth and Harrison Streets in San Francisco, killing one person and injuring seven others.Report
- 2025-01-16Globus Medical Excelsius GPS surgical robot allegedly malfunctioned during spinal surgery on January 16, 2025, causing misplaced pedicle screws and persistent neurological deficits in the patient, according to a federal lawsuit filed December 5, 2025.Lawsuit
New cases, once a week, by email
Every case added to the register in the last seven days, with its sources. Free, no account, and the register is the only sender.