Steve L

Car needed new engine in 4 months

I bought a Saab 93 Turbo Saloon from Sutton Motors in July 18. Just out of the 3 month warranty a misfire problem developed, effectively meaning it needed a new engine. As I‘d bought the car for my wife (putting the title in her name but buying on a credit card in MY name), the credit card companies would not uphold the 6 month consumer rights for goods not being up to standard. Sutton Motors were lucky to get away with it on that technicality. Naturally Sutton Motors were not interested and ignored subsequent communications. It would have been a waste of time taking them to court. Out of being unduly reasonable I had already spent a fair bit sorting out new tyres and the computer diagnostics which was time consuming and complicated. This was out of respect for Sutton Motors saying they had put in a new clutch. They had put something in, I don’t know exactly what as they never sent me the receipt I repeatedly asked them for. In retrospect I should have taken the car straight back to them and got a refund. Despite some other niggles with the car I was lucky that my mechanic eventually found a brand new engine out the box in January of 2019 for a good price. I’d spent 6k on the car, twice the 3k of the purchase price. Their website is misleading to say the least. Their stock is in dusty car park at the back of Hackbridge station in front of their workshop. There was nobody there when my wife and I arrived on either occasion, the workshop / concealed office was closed and all communications were by mobile phone. It was clear by their own admission they had not looked much, if at all at, at my Saab which we waited to be driven in from somewhere else. They let me drive back down the M25 with a nail in the back tyre. Thanks guys! The chap we dealt was stressed and struggling running around doing car sales from his café. To get hold of them on mobile phone was difficult though not impossible when they were interested in a sale. Sutton Motors did not have the integrity to contribute money towards my Saab needing a new engine within a few months of buying it from them! Unfortunately what goes around comes around. It’s a punt buying a second hand car. Get your own mechanic to check the car before buying and don’t put the title of the car in a name not on the credit card. I would avoid Sutton Motors based on my experience of them.