Carmax - What's Your Experience?

spunkyblond · January 2012

Two things people hate to deal with the most, going to the dentist and taking their car to the shop.

Are you still driving the truck? Doesn't sound like you bought Maxcare andyou did buy a used car. It's a bit premature to start shouting lawsuit. Do you want to spend more in legal fees than you paid for your truck?
No other car dealership will give you 100% of your money back five days after purchase. It just happened to be three days outside of the 5 days you started having a concern.

I recommend you contact the Carmax General Manager at the store you purchased it from and explain what has been going on. You're almost outside of your initial 30 days, they will not refund your money outside of their 5 day return; however, depending on the severity of the problem you may be having, Carmax may allow you to exchange your truck for another vehicle.

silveradoking · January 2012

"Two things people hate to deal with the most, going to the dentist and taking their car to the shop. "

I hate shady, dishonest dealerships more. There is NO way this problem just started right after I bought the truck. I worked as a mechanic when I got out of high school, so I well aware that you can jerry-rig a vehicle to pass a test drive. I am feeling more and more like this is the case. Especially when I was unable to get a name or contact information for the transmission shop where they sent my vehicle.

"Are you still driving the truck?"

Nope. They gave me a loaner, Mercury Mariner, which is clearly NOT comparable to a half-ton pickup.

"Doesn't sound like you bought Maxcare "

Yep...sure did.

"andyou did buy a used car. "

Yea...from a dealer who allegedly runs their vehicles through the ringer and puts them through a 12 hours minimum reconditioning (not true, by the way)

"It's a bit premature to start shouting lawsuit"

I am not shouting lawsuit. I am, however, looking into Lemon Laws and the, apparently numerous, class action lawsuits involving Carmax. I am looking into all of my options. I am also more than irritated by the fact that the dealer initially claimed the problem was nothing to be concerned about and now it is going back and forth between shops.

"Do you want to spend more in legal fees than you paid for your truck?"

FYI: it only costs a few hundred bucks to handle a Lemon Law suit here in TX if it comes to that.

"No other car dealership will give you 100% of your money back five days after purchase."

Do me a favor and don't make patently false statements.

"It just happened to be three days outside of the 5 days you started having a concern. "

Check the dates. It "just happened" over a federal holiday weekend. There was nothing I could have done about it anyway. How convenient for them. I must also note that the entire time the truck was driven in that period was less than 50 miles. I was at home preparing to move, so I wasn't really going anywhere.

"I recommend you contact the Carmax General Manager at the store you purchased it from and explain what has been going on. "

They have been contacted and have not returned messages. Not surprising, really.

"You're almost outside of your initial 30 days, they will not refund your money outside of their 5 day return; however, depending on the severity of the problem you may be having, Carmax may allow you to exchange your truck for another vehicle."

I am sure there are ways around that 5 day thing. That is what I am looking into. Plainly stated, the vehicle had a pre-existing condition that they weaseled around and now it is being a problem and I am without my vehicle that I am still paying for and insuring.

Honestly, I am half-tempted to wait until the truck is repaired and then sell it just to get out from under this nonsense. I am not willing to do business with them any further. This is ridiculous.

dwynne · January 2012

Sorry you are having troubles, but you purchased a 6 year old truck with (unstated) thousands of miles on it and you expect it to be perfect? Even a new car can break as soon as it is driven, one 6 years old has a far greater chance of having a problem.

I am not sure what "grinding in the accelerato pedal" could mean, but if the problem is in the pedal then it seems like something you could live with or have fixed cheap. I am not sure how Carmax could have rigged something up to fool you into buying the truck - have it work for days and then fail. Carmax auctions and has dealer sales for vehicles they can't sell and something with a problem they knew about would likely be sold wholesale to a dealer and not retailed to a buyer.

As far as I know there are no used car lemon laws, by their very nature used cars will fail without warning or usually warranty. Most used car dealers don't offer a buy back program either. At best, you could swap for something on the lot. Many would offer no help at all for buyer's remorse or problems post sale.

In hindsight, if offered a buy back guarantee then I would make sure I did a lot of driving under varied conditions to wring out any problems and make sure I would be happy. Driven enough, there would be no way to "rig something up" to pass a short test drive.

You state you purchased Carmax's extended warranty "MaxCare" which might help, but then you complain because you moved to a location where a trip to the nearest Carmax with 3 hours one way?

I am no Carmax fan boy, I think their no haggle price is way too high compared to working a deal with another dealer. "In theory" they have nice vehicles that are inspected, but like you I am not sure how much extra value should be placed on that inspection (or those by any other dealer). I think they get the bulk of their vehicles from auctions so they don't get to inspect them completely pre-purchase. Like any dealer with any used vehicle they can have issues after purchase no matter how much or how little they were inspected.

What *I* would do is find a quality local shop and get the problem diagnosed and an estimate for the repairs - this may cost you a little out of pocket. Once you know what the problem is and the repair, then work with Carmax to make sure it is covered and repaired. I would then ask for my up front money back. It might be cheaper and easier than making 6 hour round trips.

Good luck!

silveradoking · January 2012

"Sorry you are having troubles, but you purchased a 6 year old truck with (unstated) thousands of miles on it and you expect it to be perfect? Even a new car can break as soon as it is driven, one 6 years old has a far greater chance of having a problem."

Please, show me where I expected the vehicle to be perfect. Just one line that indicated that. Ok...now that we've covered just making things up, let's see what I did expect. What I expected was that Carmax would thoroughly inspect their vehicles to ensure these kinds of issues would be addressed. I forgot to mention, the truck only has about 55k on it. Also, don't insult my intelligence with statements about the truck having potential for problems. I am well aware of that. Thus my reasons for going to a dealer that claims to do all kinds of reconditioning prior to sale.

"I am not sure what "grinding in the accelerato pedal" could mean, but if the problem is in the pedal then it seems like something you could live with or have fixed cheap. I am not sure how Carmax could have rigged something up to fool you into buying the truck - have it work for days and then fail. Carmax auctions and has dealer sales for vehicles they can't sell and something with a problem they knew about would likely be sold wholesale to a dealer and not retailed to a buyer."

Let me explain: This model of truck is "drive by wire," meaning there is no longer a physical connection between the gas pedal and the throttle body assembly. Such a grinding is evidence of any number of things, including a bad transmission/torque convertor, bad driveshaft/spider gears/u-joints, bad throttle valve motor, etc. In my shop experience, none of these "just happen" and there would have been evidence of damage or defect. As far as rigging it to work, that isn't hard to accomplish either, especially considering how far the truck actually drove during that time.

"As far as I know there are no used car lemon laws, by their very nature used cars will fail without warning or usually warranty. Most used car dealers don't offer a buy back program either. At best, you could swap for something on the lot. Many would offer no help at all for buyer's remorse or problems post sale."

Lemon Laws, apparently, also apply to Breach of Representation, which is what this looks like. As I said, now three times, I am looking into these options if they do not rectify this situation.

"You state you purchased Carmax's extended warranty "MaxCare" which might help, but then you complain because you moved to a location where a trip to the nearest Carmax with 3 hours one way?"

Not complaining, just stating a fact that it is a waste of gas to have to make that drive.

"What *I* would do is find a quality local shop and get the problem diagnosed and an estimate for the repairs - this may cost you a little out of pocket. Once you know what the problem is and the repair, then work with Carmax to make sure it is covered and repaired. I would then ask for my up front money back. It might be cheaper and easier than making 6 hour round trips."

I asked if that was an option an was told it is not. The ONLY reason it is at Carmax is because I purchased their coverage. Now, if they can't fix it, I am looking into a replacement because I don't have time to be in and out of a vehicle.

rangem · March 2012

i sold my 2011 ss camero to the tinley park il carmax they claim they will issue you a bank draft they did not give me one they gave me a regular company check for 29.000 i deposited it and the bank ran it wells fargo refused to pay. a couple of weeks later they sent me a cashiers check i deposited the bank ran it once again wells fargo refused to pay it they have my car and title and i have 29.000 in worthless checks. stay as far away from this company as you can they are liars

jsgriffin65 · April 2012

My wife and I purchased a 2009 Nissan Murano at Carmax in Dulles/Sterling VA. A few days later we realized that there was a growing puddle of oil in our garage. So, we took the car back. They promised (and it states clearly in their contract) that we would receive a refund within 3-6 days. Well, we are at day 12 and counting. The car cost $20k and we gave them $5k in cash (from the private party sale of our old car) plus a $1000 check. We financed the balance. No one there seems to know how to refund money! We just keep getting the run around from the people in the business department! I can't help thinking that if we owed them $20,000 and we were late in paying we would be subject to penalties. Not to mention our credit score taking a hit. Why is it a business can get away with these kinds of activities but individuals get hammered?

I am about to call a lawyer. Maybe I can file a lien against the dealership and their inventory until I get paid! That should motivate them!

This is the third car we have purchased from Carmax. It is going to the the last. A business is only as good as their word and right now, their word is worthless.

sjwoo · November 2012

I'm thinking about having my 2008 Hyundai Elantra SE appraised by CarMax. I'm pretty much equidistance from Lancaster, PA and East Haven, CT. I figure the one in East Haven would give me a better deal (since they probably have more traffic), but what do you think?

- Sung

koctailz · November 2012

Does CarMax allow the vehicle to be taken off their lot to have it inspected by an independent mechanic? Also in regards to no haggle pricing. What has people's experience been on negotiating with them. I like to haggle and will not pay their inflated prices.

voicemailking · November 2012

No, you have to purchase the vehicle, then you have an unconditional 5 day return policy, you can return the car for any reason at all, no money is lost. Or you can bring a mechanic with you but will not have access to a lift. No haggle, you can try, but they have and never will allow it, all prices are etched in stone.

koctailz · November 2012

Thanks for the info. The no haggle thing is a deal breaker for me as their prices are a little inflated imo. It's too bad because it does appear they score some nice vehicles at auction. They have a lot of luxury vehicles with low mileage that have come off leases. They must be able to use their clout at these auctions to get fair prices too. Then mark up $4k and sell. Good for them and bad for the consumer. Why are people so afraid to negotiate. I just don't understand this.

Sandman6472 · March 2013

Why would anyone buy from this place? They have ridiculous prices and the stories in here make me sick as to their shady tactics and problems paying their bills. Folks, please stay away...far away from these clowns. There are plenty of legitimate places to purchase a vehicle. When I read these stories, glad I buy new cars now. Would rather buy a less expensive new that an inflated lemon with issues that are covered up before purchase.
Folks, use your brains and do not bu from CarSux!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

voicemailking · March 2013

Carmax is very legitimate. They are used cars! They warranty them, offer extended warranties, and have a 5 day money back guarantee, unconditional. Yea, like anywhere, they have issues sometimes, but they put out a decent product and the price is worth knowing you did not buy a wrecked car.

ken117 · March 2013

Carmax sells vehicles at high prices. Supposedly their pricing is non-negotiable which rarely results in the best price. Carmax may be convenient but at a price. Having shopped Carmax on multiple occassions, savy buyers can find better pricing elsewhere.

And, since Carmax sells all brands, I would question the ability of their mechanics to work on all brands.

hot_in_oxnard · April 2013

Just before Christmas 2012 I bought a car from Carmax Oxnard to the tune of $30,700.00 I paid by cashier's check from my credit union which happens to be just across the freeway from the Carmax. Certainly close enough to call and verify the legitimacy of the cashier's check if they thought it was a fake.
Now here it is April and my credit union just called to tell me they are releasing their lienholder status on my car because I never had a loan through them to begin with.

But I am TRULY thrilled that Carmax gave my bank the legal authority to lay claim to a car i ultimately paid cash for. There was NO disclosure that by paying with a cashier's check I would be essentially granting the issuer of the cashier's check a legal claim to my car.

YET my bank is the entity that has had the pink slip to my car in their hands for over 3 months now.

Thanks Carmax for shooting to hell what had been a good experience.

homer72 · June 2013

I'm a bargain car shopper for the last 15 years. I've gotten the Edmunds trade in vaue for the last 4 cars I've bought from dealers. HOWEVER I am buying my current car from carmax for 1 reason. I can't find it anywhere else. I want an Audi A4 Convertible with Quattro Trans 2008 or newer. They just can't be found, I've driven 100's of miles looking at cars and none of them had quattro and my Audi mechanic said you can't buy the 2WD. So I'm stuck and carmax had a reasonably priced car on a lot far away that I paid to ship to the lot so I could buy it. For me because I wanted a specific car, I didn't have much option.

Given a normal car purchase I wouldn't go near them, I can haggle 3-5k our of a carmax price.

homer72 · June 2013

My 2001 VW Beetle would disagree with you about reliability... still running strong after 13 years.

mikemenn · July 2013

We picked out a car to look at online to be transferred from Nashville to Atlanta at no cost. We liked that.

The test drive went well. Our associate knew the car quite well, gave us plenty of time to drive and look it over. We liked that.

In hindsight, we wish we our current car was being appraised while we were test driving. We had to kill time when we got back from the test drive while it was appraised. We suggest you get that going before your test drive. Our appraisal was more than fair. We liked that.

Your financing was 1/2% under our best one from our Credit Union. We liked that.

Maxcare (their extended warranty) was offered to us. Our associate went over the benefits. At first glance we thought it was a good deal, especially since it was included in the financing. But since we never buy at the moment we see something, we told him we'd do some more research on the car and everything and then come back that afternoon.

After some research, we thought they had a good deal on the vehicle but not on Maxcare and came back to buy the car. After hearing we didn't want Maxcare, our associate wouldn't let up on it over the next 45 minutes of closing on the car. Over and over again he wanted to get us to buy it, even stating at one point, "I guess you don't want to take care of your car."

The more he went on and on about it, the more we knew Maxcare was not a good deal. He must have been losing out on a commission, which means it costs too much because they have the commission built into it. This is the only downside to Carmax: their associates are on commission, just like a dealership.

The last disappointing thing that happened (in an otherwise good experience) is that the money they were paying us for my car wasn't put into bringing our new car price down, but was post financing to bringing down my payments, like a pre-payment. The later did bring my final financing down but was more than me insisting they move it to bring my car's final cost down, thus lowering my principle and thus lowering even more my monthly payments. I guess this is another way Carmax makes money.

So all in all, it's not 100% "the way car buying should be" but it certainly better than buying used from a dealership or Joe Shmoo.

voicemailking · July 2013

They make a flat rate on the car, and yes a little for the warranty. But the very good thing about the warranty is you can go to any reputable shop and they will accept it. ou can also cancel anytime and get a pro rated refund. It is a very good warranty. Carmax sales people work on volume, paid on each car, not like regular dealers where sometimes crazy commissions. Only thing he should have done was offer to appraise your trade while on the test drive.

kyfdx · July 2013

The last disappointing thing that happened (in an otherwise good experience) is that the money they were paying us for my car wasn't put into bringing our new car price down, but was post financing to bringing down my payments, like a pre-payment. The later did bring my final financing down but was more than me insisting they move it to bring my car's final cost down, thus lowering my principle and thus lowering even more my monthly payments. I guess this is another way Carmax makes money.

I had to re-read this part a couple of times.. That seems really shady. I would worry that they would renege on the trade-in part of the deal, after you'd closed, and you would end up with two cars... and, a bigger payment.

billy3554 · July 2013

Actually, if you Google Carmax Warranty you will find a plethora of negative comments. Overall seems Carmax's warranty is rated only about 2 out of 5 stars. One review site listed 86 percent of its reviews as having a rating of 2 or less. Certainly not indicative of a very good warranty.

Like all extended service contracts, particularly those not from the OEM, an extended service contract from Carmax seems best avoided.

fjallrav · July 2013

After searching for a specific car for three months, I found one locally and needed to sell my current car quickly. I figured that the small dealer where I was buying the car would not give me great trade-in value so, very aware of the Edmunds values as well as the payoff; I thought Id give CarMax a try.

I have very little patience, or time, for selling cars so I was willing to except a lower offer for the sake of convenience but I was astounded by the low appraisal from CarMax. The car I was selling was three years old with low mileage, the top trim level of a popular model and in perfect condition. The offer from the small lot where I bought my new, used, car, while still low in comparison to the Edmunds values, was $1000 higher than the CarMax offer.

They were professional and efficient and I can appreciate their business model, but you really are paying a lot more for the convenience they provide and, despite the advertising, they are not paying a fair price for used cars.

Sandman6472 · December 2013

Almost bought from here this month but decided that the used vehicle was just too expensive for what I was getting. They lowballed my pristine trade in but at least I had a low price where I could base everything else on. I also liked the sales guy I dealt with even though he was leaving for a better position somewhere else.
All in all, they have a good wide selection but am glad I bought a new vehicle where I did.

The Sandman

ren21 · February 2014

I purchased a car from Carmax this past Saturday. I had it transferred and when they called to say it was in, I went immediately to look at it. Had I known before I went that once I stepped on the lot, I either had to buy the car or they would re-list it, I would have waited to go see it until I had my financing and own mechanic lined up. I drove the car and loved it. Knowing that they had a 5 day return policy and that I could switch my loan after purchase, I went ahead and bought it. On Monday I took it to my own mechanic for a once over and he said that the car was in rough shape. It only had 28,000 miles on it and already needed a new clutch. It also was out of alignment and that there was evidence that the car had been run hard. He suggested that I return the car because he saw nothing but problems with it. Carmax was wonderful regarding the return. I will give them that, but I don't understand how someplace that claims to be so picky about every car they put on their lot missing something as basic as needing a new clutch and the alignment being out. I informed them of everything that my mechanic found wrong with the car. To my surprise, the next day, there was the car re-listed on the internet. I don't believe for one minute that they fixed anything with the car. They put a car back on the website fully aware that it had issues. The buying/return of the car was simple and straightforward. I was even considering looking for another car through them, as long as I had an independent mechanic check the car over, but after I saw that car re-listed, I don't trust them at all.

ramos9 · June 2014

I am not one to leave reviews on forums but my last purchase through Carmax has completely changed their image and brand I was loyal to. I purchased a 2008 Porsche Carrera from their Las Vegas location this past April. The car was beautiful but had minor items that needed to be fixed, to be exact
the headlights needed to be adjusted, the rear bumper was lose, and the passenger seat rail was not functional.

It took me two weeks to be able book an appointment for the items to be repaired under their "30 day warranty" period. Once I had the appointment, I was promised my car back within one week. Two weeks and four days went by and I was still waiting for them to return my vehicle. I reached out to my service advisor but she advised me Porsche needed to complete their repairs. Out of frustration I called Porsche my self to come to find out the car had been finished three days prior to my call.

When I received my car back and had driven home, I noticed a dent caused by a vehicle door that was not there when I initilly dropped my car off. I immediately contacted my service advisor to discuss this and left her over five voicemails in a span of 5 days but have not heard back from her. I tried contacting their corporate office via email several times and completed two customer satisfaction surveys that were emailed to me and I still have not heard from anyone at Carmax.

It is very unfortunate that a company that has such a great edge in the auto industry has such a bad level of customer service and focus.

J. Ramos

kshoaf · June 2014

I have bought 4 cars from CarMax, and had good experiences with the people and they made it pretty easy. They charge too much for the licensing fees, but it is convenient for them to get your tags. My biggest complaint is with the Service Dept., they are not open on weekends and are actually very limited in their knowledge of various vehicles. They are not quick to get back to you, and if it's under their warranty they think they can keep it for two weeks.

stever · June 2014

"Used car sales company CarMax is under intense scrutiny over the safety of cars it sells, as auto safety and consumer organizations have filed a petition to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If supported, the petition would compel CarMax to cease advertising its cars as quality inspected and certified as long as recalled cars are sold unrepaired."

Groups Attack CarMax Over Selling Recalled Cars (automobilemag.com)

badolwolf · October 2014

I recently bought a car from CarMax and it's been a nighmare ever since. This is NOT the way car buying should be. Aside from the major hassle received because we did our own financing, once we got the car it fell apart, literally. Front bumper came off as well as the light switch when I went to turn on the driving lights. Then found the steering wheel controls had to be replaced and the TPMS system was on the blink. Guess their rigid quality control inspection isn't that good of standard. Needless to say, decided to take it back. That's when the real problems started. Come to find out when you buy the car they want the money up front, when you give it back they have to 'process' the refund at the corporate office then will snail mail you a check when they get around to it. Then they didn't properly record the lein so the check went to the wrong bank, meanwhile I'm paying loan interest on a car I don't own. Not that it stopped them from instantly putting the car up for sale when they don't have a clear title to sell it. It's taken them two days and a ton of phone calls to figure out what I found out in less than 2 minutes. Now that they figured it out I have to wait another week for them to 'Expedite' the check to the correct bank.
All in all, this has been the absolute worst car buying experience in my 30 years of buying cars.

tnbuyer2 · November 2014

I have been buying cars a long time and the one common with car dealers, they can't tell the truth. Was hoping Carmax would be different, guess not. Bald tires, too high of an interest rate. Getting tires today, just a month after buying car. What a shame.

ken117 · November 2014

Carmax is, after all the promises and hype, a used car dealer. Rarely can a used car dealer be trusted.

Folks needing a late model used vehicle would, in most cases, be more likely to receive a better overall experience buying a CPO vehicle from a dealer. Better service, most likely better condition, and very often a lower price, assuming one can negotiate even just a bit.

My limited experience with Carmax is their prices are very high. Example, a few years ago I bought a new Corolla. Carmax had a Corolla, current model year, with less options and 12K miles. Carmax's no haggle price was actually several hundred dollars more than what I paid for the brand new Corolla.

A good axiom is a purchase from any car dealer, particualry used car dealers, that attempts to sell at a set price will result in a price which is considerably higher than prices obtained via negotiation.

itiziesther · January 2015

These people are crooks. They sold me a faulty car with the premise that it was still under factory warranty. I specifically asked both my sales representative and the finance manager to confirm the car was in fact under warranty. After 3 weeks with my car the service engine soon light, and well as, the Break light came on. That Sunday the service department was closed, so I took my car to a BMW dealer because I was initially told the car was under factory warranty. BMW examined my car and estimated a total of $2000 worth of repairs because, lo and behold, the car had been out of warranty for over 4 months. I then attempted to schedule an appointment with Carmax within the "30-day guarantee" and they weren't able to accommodate me. I sent 2 emails, and called multiple times speaking to several "Managers" who would not assist in getting me an appointment or recognizing the lie that my salesman Armando told me. Brake light, service engine soon light, transmission issues, you name it my car has it! NOT A SINGLE PERSON has been able to return my calls. I have spoken to various "Managers" with the promise of a call back and NOONE has done so. I contacted Carmax on December 21st, 4 days before my 30-days was up (thats when my car began showing signs of damage). Today is now January 19th, and yet no one is able to assist me. I have visited the store twice and both times the front desk has assured me that the manager would contact me, again, a lie.

Sandman6472 · January 2015

Never buy a car from Carmax...NEVER!!! Get a quote, sure, but never ever buy. Their prices are too high and no haggle and I truly believe they tend to hide issues and then "disappear" when issues do crop up. I've heard stories from a few friends and now this last poster. Sure, their stores are pretty and the vehicles shined up nicely but...beware as the devil is in the details! So sorry that you've had such a terrible time with them but the way they are refusing to even acknowledge you is reprehensible, total low class and hopefully you keep good documentation with times and names of people you've spoken with and attempted to speak with. Like I did, go above their managers if need be, hell, go up as far as you can because eventually, they will have to pay the piper here. Look for a good attorney also and call your local t v station and their consumer reporter as they love this kind of stuff. Any bad media attention is plain bad for business and the more vocal it is, the quicker they will come to terms to make you go away. Trust me, it works!!!
Good luck!!

The Sandman

Clint · January 2015

Recently had a Carmax open in our town. A very nice selection of shinny vehicles all with a set price. Based on prior experience, every time I drive by and see someone looking I want to shout out NO do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. The only constant about Carmax is anyone buying there will pay way too much.

Every time I buy a new vehicle I check Carmax to see what set price they are selling my trade vehicle, usually only a couple of years old. I am never disappointed in that they always set a price ridiculously high.

bjmurph308 · January 2015

I bought a 2008 certified Lexus LS460 in 2/13. I paid extra for an extended warranty for 48 months and up to 125K miles. Within 6 months I had over $5,000.00 in warrant claims that I had to wait for several days to get an inspector and to approve the work. The work was to the control arms on the suspension. two years later my rear struts(as Lexus call them) start making noise. CarMax warranty group, that isn't affiliated/owned by CarMax, denies my claim saying the shocks are not covered. See they cover struts but not shocks. The lexus dealership states lexus even has internal memos stating the rear strut mounts make noise. CarMax warranty group says they are shocks not struts. The initial $5000.00 in control arm work is related to the strut issue because they are connected. The gist is it is easy to sell a warranty saying you stand behind a product, but easy to deny claims when prompted, saying you have no pull with the warranty company because the companies are not related. Shame on me for buying from CarMax. Beware!!!

johnrblack · January 2015

I have both bought and sold cars at Carmax in Austin, TX. I recently traded in a Nissan 350Z convertible. I checked KBB and then took my car to Carmax for an appraisal. It was about $2K under KBB. I called a couple companies that offer to buy your car. Both required me to wait for them to show up and then took over an hour each. Their initial offer was $2K under Carmax and they eventually raised it up another thousand.

Both companies explained the Carmax has a vehicle wholesale organization set up, so they can sell cars cheaper than smaller companies. The guys who buy your car have to ship it, float the money and then pay high fees at the auto auction. One company told me that it cost them $1500 - $2000 in expenses just to get the car to auction. This seems high, but that was his explanation for the extremely low quote.

I went to a couple other local dealers. They low balled me. When I showed them the Carmax offer, they offered to match it. So, basically, they put no effort into my appraisal,.

christiant1 · December 2015

I purchased my very first car with carmax on 12/05/2015. I saved up my money and purchased a 2006 Hyundai Tucson from the Lithia Springs location in GA. I was happy with the test drive & carfax as well as the vehicle.

I couldn't believe I finally had a vehicle to get to and from work as well as to and from my son's school. 3 days later my excitement turned into terror as I was driving the truck on the highway and it started to slow down no matter how hard I pressed the gas. I put on my hazard lights and started to try to get off the highway but an elderly woman almost crashed into me despite this.

The car continued to slow down and stop while I was pressing the gas pedal during my entire ride home. I was traumatized and angry. I immediately contacted carmax and was told to have the car towed in at which point I was presented with papers to sign giving them back the car. every other car on the lot was out of my price range and I was ineligible for a loaner car because I had given the car back and loaners are only for people who currently have a car with carmax. When I asked why no one explained this to me before, the saleswoman Connie told me she didn't know.

The sales manager, Richard told me he would not help me get a loaner and that my only option was to spend more money on a whole new car which I had absolutely no money for. I found a car $1,000 more than the Tucson at the Southlake location and decided to go there to try and get it. After financing the car I was told my note would go up as well as my down payment.

I had been telling them ALL DAY that I absolutely can not afford for anything to go up and they refused to offer any type of discount for all my troubles or to compensate me. I was frustrated and disappointed. Even after speaking with corporate I was told that carmax does not under any circumstance offer discounts of any kind.

I asked for my money back and was told that they should've given it to me at the Lithia Springs location. They of course did not so not only was I out of a car I was out of my money. I can not get my money back until I get an off day from work to go all the way back to Lithia Springs for a refund. Through my correspondences with corporate I concluded that the sales people at carmax do not execute their jobs the way that they are supposed to and their focus is not on customer service. I was sold a car that shouldn't have been sold at all as it was unsafe to drive. I will get my money back and go to a real dealership next time.

carboy21 · December 2015

Carmax are a bunch of shylocks. Buy low , sell high. Just like the stock market.

Sandman6472 · December 2015

Never, never ever purchase from Carmax!! Their prices are not reasonable for some reason...the only thing to use them for is to get a price on something you want to trade since they seem to give decent estimates. But please, from all the bad stuff I've read over the years, never buy from them!!!

The Sandman

explorerx4 · March 2016

Went to CarMax to get a quote on a car I was selling to settle an estate.
A few years ago, I got a real lowball quote there and didn't hesitate to complain about it on these forums.
The resr of the experience was ok.
This time, I got quoted a good number and ended up selling them the car, and the process was pretty easy.

cwe1988 · January 2017

On December 23rd of 2016 I purchased a 2014 Jeep Patriot from the Pompano Beach Carmax (Sample Road).
My wife is pregnant and will soon give birth to our first child. Before this we were a one car family with a Fiat 500 and my wife was very concerned about not having a car to bring baby boy home from the hospital in, not to mention to make it to all of the Doctor appointments for wellness checks in. So, I decided why not make the purchase a Christmas present/surprise since we needed one anyways! Only problem was I had this revelation on Wednesday December 21, 2016 and Carmax was to be closed on the 24th and 25th for Christmas. The real issue was that the perfect car (She had been wanting a white Patriot for a few years now) was all the way in Clearwater, FL... some 250 miles away.

I was told by the sales rep at Pompano Beach that while it was possible the car may be there by Friday, in time for me to pick up prior to Christmas, it was in no way a certainty. I then contacted the Clearwater store to speak with someone who handles the outgoing shipments and he basically told me that it was not going to happen.
From my understanding, the way it works with Carmax is when the car you want is at a location less than 200 miles Carmax will do the shipping itself and it usually takes 1-3 days. But when it is further than that they outsource to carrier companies. In that case they have to wait until they have enough cars to send to make it economical for them to do so and also deal with bidding/price hunting etc... which complicates the who thing and makes everything take much longer.

After learning all of this I gave the corporate office a call and got in touch with a Emilee, an analyst from the Carmax Customer Care Team. I explained my situation and how much it would mean to my wife and I (both in the form of glee for her and reduced anxiety for the both of us) if they could somehow get the car to Pompano Beach in time for me to pick up on Friday.

Before the end of the week Emilee had gotten a whole team of people in the corporate office working on getting the car to us in time. I received telephone updates from her all along the way. By Thursday afternoon I received an email informing me that the car was in transit, followed by a call from Emilee letting me know that everything worked out and the car should be there Thursday evening or Friday morning and a call from the Sales Manager at the Pompano Beach store letting me know that he had spoken to Emilee and once the car arrived they were going to expedite the "unpacking" and everything that that entails.

The real cherry on top came on January 3rd when my wife received a FedEx package while I was at work. Inside she found a set of very nice swaddling blankets and a card that read: "Chris, Thank you so much for letting our Pompano Beach Team help you find your new-to-you Jeep Patriot for your growing family! Here's a small token from CarMax to welcome your new addition. We hope your Jeep Patriot takes you on incredible new adventures! Sincerely, Emilee, Your CarMax Customer Care Team"

Everyone was super amazing and I could not be more grateful for the professional and caring people at both the local Sample Road Pompano Beach Store and the Corporate office. Thanks to Cristy (Pompano Beach sales rep) as well for making the whole process and painless as possible.

As a side note: The Patriot was absolutely immaculate inside and out despite having 27k miles on it, my wife would have sworn it was new before she saw the odemeter... She was happy I saved us some money

Sandman6472 · January 2017

Have been to the Sample Rd. location a couple times to get their buyout price for a couple of my vehicles. Both times, their estimates have been higher than the dealer and both dealers agreed to match their price because they knew if they did not, the deal might not have gone through. In Florida, there is a sales tax advantage to trading at the buying dealership. The weird part is both times, Carmax wanted to give me about $1K more than the dealers did but think this happened because both my vehicles had minimal cosmetic issues and had lowish miles for their model year. They both looked immaculate and drove almost like new. I do know that within about 5 days, each dealer had sold my trades because I would look at their websites daily until they were no longer listed.
Luckily, I live very close to the Sample Rd. CarMax and not to far from either their Ft. Lauderdale and Boynton Beach locations. It's fun to see what they have in stock because they move their inventory quickly.

The Sandman

frankwv · February 2018

Bought a BMW X1 at Carmax, Nashville two years ago. They showed me a clean car fax. While trading the car last week the dealer showed me the carfax for the BMW. It showed that it had been wrecked, front end damage, towed....before I bought the car. I have bought 4 cars from Carmax. Never again.

kyfdx · February 2018

frankwv said:
Bought a BMW X1 at Carmax, Nashville two years ago. They showed me a clean car fax. While trading the car last week the dealer showed me the carfax for the BMW. It showed that it had been wrecked, front end damage, towed....before I bought the car. I have bought 4 cars from Carmax. Never again.

Does Carmax use Carfax or AutoCheck? I've noticed AutoCheck reports are often missing items that are on a Carfax.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2018

Another thing about CARFAX--they constantly ADD information. This is what happened to me. I bought a car in 2010 with a "clean" CARFAX, and in 2016, an "incident" suddenly appeared on the CARFAX report, dated 2008!

I screamed bloody murder to CARFAX and they sent me the stock reply: "we are constantly updating our database and are not responsible for new information that comes in from public records, blah blah blah".

So yeah, information "updated" from 8 years prior was put on my car's CARFAX.

Of course, my car is now practically worthless so it doesn't matter very much.

Apparently, this can happen to anyone. So relying 100% on a vehicle history report doesn't bring peace of mind.

Sandman6472 · February 2018

Saw "AutoCheck" on another site the other night but couldn't get in to see the info, unlike CarFax where I usually can see the info. What gives?

The Sandman

Mr_Shiftright · February 2018

Well normally nobody sees it without paying, but some dealers will show it as a sales tool. So it's the dealer controlling what you see, not Autocheck. They only show it if you pay for it.

waynewal · June 2019

what kind of fees does carmax try to stick you with? doc, dealer prep, inspection, etc? Thanks!

kyfdx · June 2019

waynewal said:
what kind of fees does carmax try to stick you with? doc, dealer prep, inspection, etc? Thanks!

Doc fees generally vary by state (though dealerships have discretion over what they charge).

Haven't heard that they tack on anything else, other than what is required by the state (DMV fees)

Thomas_N · September 2021

Do not buy the extended CarMax warranty. They are weasels and will "fine print" you out of covering legitimate engine failures.

Four years ago, I purchased my third vehicle from CarMax, an Audi Q5, along with a MaxCare warranty. On July 24th of this year, my wife and son got stuck on the side of Afton Mounting going to Harrisonburg, VA because the engine of the Audi Q5 blew up. Luckily, despite being stuck on the shoulder of a mountain road, neither she nor our son was hurt. After spending the weekend picking up my family, I had the car towed to the nearest dealer to be repaired. I assumed that this was the end of our harrowing experience.

However, I had not started dealing with MaxCare, yet.

The dealer called MaxCare the following week with the repair information and was told MaxCare denied the claim. When I purchased my car from CarMax, the sales associate told me that “people love the MaxCare warranty.” Well, I certainly don’t. Dealing with MaxCare has been nothing short of a catastrophic failure, exactly the kind of failure that our car experienced, and exactly the kind of failure I expect a warranty to cover.

My claim was denied twice by MaxCare. On top of the fact that CarMax sold a car that blew up after only being driven 45,000 miles, I have now spent three weeks trying to get the car repaired. This is completely unacceptable. I bought the MaxCare warranty for “peace of mind” not for “added stress and aggravation.”

The Audi clearly experienced an engine failure that should be covered by the “comprehensive” warranty. The car had been serviced by Audi of Richmond and Delta V Auto and was up to date on all scheduled maintenance. I understand that the repairs will be expensive. But if CarMax doesn’t want to cover repairs for an Audi, then either 1) don’t sell the vehicle or 2) don’t sell insurance.

Weaseling out of your responsibility is a horrible way to treat your loyal customers.

Again, don't bother with the MaxCare insurance. It won't be there when you need it.

Sandman6472 · September 2021

Have heard only negative things about CarMax so would never purchase from them. Just wish more folks did their homework before buying from them!

explorerx4 · September 2021

I wonder what the basis for the claim denial was?

Carmax - What's Your Experience?

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