Uber Reports Thousands of Items Left Behind in Robotaxis Since March 2025 Launch

Uber reported thousands of items left behind in robotaxis on its ride-hailing network during the past year. ” Additional items included a 15-pound yo-yo, one large black marble duck, a Squishmallow, and a Charli XCX poster. The Waymo on Uber robotaxi service began operating in Austin in March 2025.

Uber and Waymo later added a service in Atlanta. Motional robotaxis in Las Vegas and Avride robotaxis in Dallas were added to the app in the past year, though both still have human safety operators behind the wheel. Riders who leave items in robotaxis follow the same process used for other Uber trips.

They open the app, select the activity tab, choose the relevant trip, and contact customer support by message, chat, or phone. When an item is found, riders may pay $15 for same-day local delivery by an Uber Courier driver or retrieve it in person from an AV depot. Uber Courier is the rebranded name for Uber Connect, which launched in 2020.

Amy Satrom, global head of autonomous support at Uber, said the company has spent the past decade building systems to reunite riders with belongings. She added that the same expertise is being applied to autonomous vehicles by combining fleet operations, support teams, and the hybrid network. Uber announced Uber Autonomous Solutions in February as a new business division.

The unit offers software and support services to companies operating robotaxis, self-driving trucks, or sidewalk delivery robots. Uber plans to offer robotaxi rides through its app in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of the year and intends to become the largest facilitator of AV trips worldwide by 2029. Uber has formed partnerships with Waymo, Motional, and Avride.

The company has spent the past several years securing dozens of partnerships with autonomous vehicle technology firms. Uber reports tens of millions of lost items across its network each year.