an automated stacker system broke down at Rathbone Square, near Oxford Street, and vehicles were stuck there for 28 months, starting in December of 2022 (utterly absurd amount of time, and likely, all the fuel in all those vehicles went bad, some interiors might have gotten moldy)

A van used by a furniture store was reportedly one of more than 40 vehicles stuck while the cars' owners waited on repairs to the parking mechanism. 

The vehicle owners had to rent substitutes in the 28 months they waited for the stacker system to be repaired... many had no choice, and had to out of pocket for the rentals, as insurance was not paying roughly 1200 a month for rentals. 

Multiple parties have denied responsibility for the mechanical failure, citing ongoing investigations and delays in sourcing specialist parts, and say they cannot comment on compensation claims.

Despite repeated attempts by the BBC to contact AXA XL, the building's public liability insurer, the company has not responded to questions about the delays.

Deka, the German investment fund that owns the Rathbone Square development, and CBRE, the managing agents for the building, both said they were not responsible for the failure of the parking system.

Klaus Multiparking, the manufacturer of the mechanical stacker, said investigations were ongoing but its understanding was that a broken chain caused the breakdown.

Double Parking Systems, the UK company responsible for maintaining the equipment, said it had never been the owner, operator or insurer of the car park.

It said the time taken to resolve the situation was not down to them, and they had advised vehicles could have been retrieved seven months before they were finally released.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2xx3k5ldo

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx207jwknp5o

https://www.doubleparking.co.uk/rathbone.php

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a64644394/van-stuck-stacked-parking-lot-london-two-years/