Dodgy car dealer

Hi all looking for some advice.
We bought a Saab 9-3 convertible 11/3/17 no cash exchanged hands it was a straight swap for a Mini Cooper s. We believed this was a private sale however we're provided with an invoice receipt from a company. More about that later.
Before going to see the car we did all the necessary checks to make sure it wasn't completely dodgy.
At the time of sale we were told of two issues. 1- the bonnet latch had come off the side of the footwell and just needed reattaching. 2- the boot closure was difficult and needed some wd40.
After he drove my partner around my partner was sold. From our earlier searches and asking him I found out the car wasn't taxed and demanded we tax it before agreeing a sale. We went to a post office and paid for 6 months tax to ensure we were covered for the drive home. My partner spoke to his insurance company to insure the car. We received an invoice receipt which detailed the swap and is headed with company name and address etc. All sorted. On the drive home we noticed that the fuel gauge didn't work. It dropped to empty despite us filling it up. We also heard a horrific noise from the front right suspension. The washer fluid wasn't working and the wipers were just weird. Only working on fast. We got home and after a lot of struggling found that the cable to the bonnet is broken not just off the side of the foot well. The bonnet was finally opened through brute force. The washer fluid topped up and still didn't work.
48 hours after buying the car the engine management light came on. Deciding enough was enough we researched the car listing on other sites and saw that the engine management light was on in one of the pictures. So we contacted the bloke who sold us the car. We listed the issues and he admitted he forgot to tell us about the fuel gauge and wipers. He got a bit funny with us when we said this was a lot of issues.
I also went through companies house researching the company listed on the receipt. Same unusual first name as the man who sold us the car... different surname. Same area too as where we met.
We went to three garages for quotes on fixing the wrk. Baring in mind the car is insured for £2000 the cost of fixing the issues is between £800-£1000 not including the engine management issue.
Details of quotes;
Fuel gauge issue
Wiper motor
Fluid pump
Bonnet cable
Engine management investigation charged per hour
I have sent a letter to the address listed on the invoice recorded delivery obviously. No response.

Any advice? Or is it cut our losses?
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Comments

  • facade
    facade Posts: 6,966
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    Have you tried asking him to just swap back? Not sure where you stand as you didn't pay any money, even if he is a trader.

    You need to get rid, they can be real moneypits when things start to go wrong, and it sounds as if you have bought a very neglected one.

    You have tested the hood? My brother had 2. one the hood gave up because one of the many microswitches that control the mechanism failed, which was a cheap fix, the other never worked right due to a hydraulic leak that was too expensive to fix.
    I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....

    (except air quality and Medical Science ;))
  • We've asked to swap back. He's refused and is selling the mini on. We saw it the other day online with trade plates in windows.
    He's stopped talking to us completely. Won't fix the issues or answer any requests to return the vehicle.
    We've got it booked in tomorrow at a garage for a full check. I'll ask the question about it. Thanks for the heads up.
  • maninthestreet
    maninthestreet Posts: 16,127
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    Why buy a Saab? They went out of business almost five years ago.
    "You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"
  • just_trying
    just_trying Posts: 1,010
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post I've been Money Tipped!
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    edited 18 March 2017 at 10:28PM
    facade wrote: »
    Have you tried asking him to just swap back? Not sure where you stand as you didn't pay any money, even if he is a trader.

    You need to get rid, they can be real moneypits when things start to go wrong, and it sounds as if you have bought a very neglected one.

    You have tested the hood? My brother had 2. one the hood gave up because one of the many microswitches that control the mechanism failed, which was a cheap fix, the other never worked right due to a hydraulic leak that was too expensive to fix.[/QUOTE

    Ignore.. never read everything.
  • just_trying
    just_trying Posts: 1,010
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post I've been Money Tipped!
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    Why buy a Saab? They went out of business almost five years ago.

    And, spares are still made.

    They have been taken over, have you not seen newer ones.
  • debtdebt
    debtdebt Posts: 949 Forumite
    You can still get spares but they haven't been taken over. No new models out at all.
  • Nodding_Donkey
    Nodding_Donkey Posts: 2,738
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    Did you really buy a car without opening the bonnet?
  • debtdebt wrote: »
    You can still get spares but they haven't been taken over. No new models out at all.

    SAAB was bought out, by a Chinese firm called NEVS. They did restart production as well for a period, but subsequently lost the rights to the SAAB name a couple of years ago.

    They are planning to restart production again, making their own vehicles under the NEVS name but based on the acquired 9-3 platform.

    This was all talked about at AutoMechanika last year.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,077
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    From our earlier searches and asking him I found out the car wasn't taxed and demanded we tax it before agreeing a sale. We went to a post office and paid for 6 months tax to ensure we were covered for the drive home.

    Impossible, can't be done and hasn't been able to for quite some time now when the rules over SORN changed. When there is a change of owner the existing road tax is cancelled from that date and refunded to the last registered keeper. The new keeper has to tax it again from the date they purchased it.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,077
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    Did you really buy a car without opening the bonnet?

    The first half of the username is similar to someone else who went through a string of buying crap cars without doing even cursory checks and then posting tales of woe and grief.
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