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The saga of 25 vehicles trapped for nearly three years in a malfunctioning automated car park in central London has escalated into a major financial and legal headache, leaving motorists collectively claiming losses exceeding £1 million with no compensation paid as of November 2025.
The ordeal began in December 2022 at the Rathbone Square underground car park, just off Oxford Street, when a "mechanical malfunction" crippled the state-of-the-art stacker system. For a staggering 28 months, vehicles remained inaccessible, finally retrieved only in April 2025 after a lengthy repair process.
The Human and Financial Fallout
For the affected owners, the financial strain has been catastrophic. Mark Lucas, co-owner of HCS Furniture in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, parked his electric Vauxhall Vivaro van just before the breakdown. He has since seen his debts spiral to an estimated £60,000, accumulating from months of costly van hire, legal fees, the subsequent purchase of a replacement vehicle, and ongoing loan repayments for the original, trapped van. Mr. Lucas has described living with a "daily fear" of losing his business due to the debts.
Another victim, identified only as Chris, a former insurance professional, estimated his personal losses at over £100,000. He was forced to enter a high-value monthly hire deal for a vehicle comparable to his trapped BMW 5 Series, with no clear end date for the mechanical failure. The combined claims of the two dozen drivers are now estimated to exceed £1 million.
An Endless Loop of Blame and Delay
Despite the vehicles being freed in early 2025, the crucial question of liability and compensation remains dangerously unresolved. The motorists maintain they have not received "a penny" of the millions claimed.
Multiple corporate parties involved—including the building owners, managers, the system manufacturer (Klaus Multiparking), and the maintenance firm—have been in a prolonged dispute, citing ongoing investigations and complex legal issues.
Double Parking Systems, the UK company responsible for maintenance, previously stated that a major fault occurred in December 2022, and while they responded quickly, the primary delays were "prolonged procurement approval processes and delays in receiving specialised parts from overseas suppliers—factors entirely outside of our control." The firm insists it acted "in good faith."
However, affected drivers like Mr. Lucas demand an urgent resolution. He stressed that multiple large companies with insurance are involved and need to quickly "get to the bottom of who is at fault" for a situation that has lasted nearly three years and caused such severe financial hardship.
The car park’s public liability insurer, AXA XL, has reportedly been contacted multiple times but has yet to issue any public comment on the compensation claims, leaving the desperate motorists in a prolonged legal and financial limbo. Legal experts have suggested that, in addition to direct monetary losses, owners may also be able to claim for the inconvenience and "loss of enjoyment" of their vehicles, though quantifying these losses in court will be the next major hurdle for the aggrieved drivers.
