A Tesla Robotaxi Kept Driving In Circles, Stumped By A Parking Lot

The safety monitor in the passenger seat didn’t do anything to stop the car from driving in a loop.

Tesla Robotaxi stuck in a parking lot loop

Photo by: Dan Burkland

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Aug 1, 2025 at 3:59am ET

Add InsideEVs as a preferred source in Google

Comment

A Tesla Robotaxi in Austin, Texas, kept driving in a loop in a busy parking lot, trying to find the exit.
The whole thing was recorded by the backseat passenger, who was on his 16th Robotaxi ride.
The safety monitor sitting in the front passenger seat didn’t do anything, so the client had to call for support.

As Tesla aims to expand its Robotaxi service to as many American cities as possible, one of its driverless cabs needed remote help to get out of a busy parking lot.

An autonomous Tesla Model Y that picked up a passenger in Austin, Texas, found it impossible to exit a busy parking lot, so it just kept driving in circles, trying to find a way out.

Dan Burkland, who describes himself as an EV enthusiast, was the passenger on that ride, and he recorded the whole trip.

The parking lot exit had been closed off with traffic cones, and the car recognized that. However, the EV didn’t find a way to the temporary exit, which was the same as the entrance. To get to the temporary exit, the car would have to drive on a piece of road that had markings showing that traffic was only allowed in the opposite direction.

More Robotaxi Stuff

Tesla Robotaxi Expands To San Francisco–With Drivers Behind The Wheel

A Tesla Robotaxi Already Had Its First Accident

Is The Tesla Robotaxi A Revolution, Or Another Debacle?

'Downright Unsafe': Austin Man Takes a Tesla Robotaxi Ride. Here's What To Know Before Hailing One Yourself

A human driver would have been able to adapt to this situation, but the car didn’t. Neither did the safety monitor sitting in the front passenger seat, who did nothing to fix the problem, so the customer had to call support after the car went on its sixth loop.

"It looks like your vehicle seems to be failing to make progress," the support agent said. Another lap later, a second support agent dials in and brings the car to a stop. About a minute later, the Model Y starts to move again, albeit extremely slowly, at roughly one to two miles per hour.

What do you think?

View

Comments

Burkland said that he suspected a teleoperator was controlling the vehicle from afar, judging from the delayed movements. After about five to six minutes, the car eventually resumes normal driving with updated navigation guidance. "I'm glad Tesla support has a process for this," Burkland said.

Yesterday, Tesla expanded its Robotaxi service to the San Francisco Bay Area, where the cars have a safety driver behind the wheel. In Austin, Texas, the cars don’t have safety drivers, but safety monitors who sit in the front passenger seat.

Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox.

back

Subscribe For more info, read our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Insideevs.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The InsideEVs team

Share this Story

GO TO COMMENTS

(

)

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@insideevs.com

View all comments ( )

Trending

Kia EV3 Lease Deals Are Here, And It’s Cheaper Than The Chevy Bolt And Nissan Leaf

I Let Android Auto Plan My EV Roadtrip. Here’s How It Worked

This Chevy Bolt Has 470,000 Miles. Here’s How Much A New Battery Was

Here's What It's Like To Take Delivery Of A Rivian R2