CarMax Consumer Reviews - Page 4

ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA -- ** (manager) at CarMax 4100 Inland Empire Ontario CA wanted me to sign a credit application anyway, falsely claiming "it's required by CarMax to test drive there automobiles" since I test drove an auto 2 months ago. ** please note that there is no verse in the Patriot Act that I can find requiring me to fill out a credit application, or allowing dealers to run credit checks on you when you bring your own car financing or want to test drive an auto.

You are misleading your own sales personnel by training them wrongly. Your bogus claim sounds believable. The manager at Carmax was asked by me to show me the exact section of the Patriot Act requires them to make you fill out a credit application when you have your own financing or TEST drive and auto, and collect my Social Security number, and run your credit report. Since ** claimed it's required, they should be able to show you the verbiage.

Hint for manager the Patriot Act (H. R. 3162), Section 326 "Verification of identification" requires banks and financial institutions to verify your ID before you open an account. ** since I am not opening an account with Carmax dealership and ** hint Carmax is not a bank, you don't need you to fill out a credit application or a Patriot Act form to test drive get that out of your head.

The Patriot Act form I filled out for example are my mortgage only asks for your loan number and driver's license number, not your SS#, and it does not say "Credit Application" on it, ** you get my drift here. The Patriot Act specifically calls out driver's licenses or passports for ID verification. Nothing more. Please don't fool me or any other people into filling out the credit app to test drive your RANGE ROVER or any auto. But why all the lies **, shame on you working for a big organization like Carmax! I need an apology from you **!

GLENCOE, ILLINOIS -- Upon a recent purchase of a 2008 Town and Country Mini Van from the Glencoe CarMax, I had my own mechanic look the vehicle over. He commented that the air filter was dirty and that the brakes were down to 4 mm and would need replacement sooner than I would like. He suggested asking CarMax to take care of these 2 items especially considering the cost of the vehicle. I spoke to Carmax within the 5 day purchase period and explained what my mechanic had stated. I was told (or at least given the impression) that they would make good on both the brakes and the air filter. An appointment was set and I assumed all was well until I arrived this morning for my appointment.

The mechanic informed me that the brakes were fine as far as he was concerned and that they didn't have the air filter in stock. Why didn't they call me and save me the 40 minute trip to their facility. I told the head of service that this had been arranged over a week ago. Why didn't they have filter ready? I spoke with the corporate office and the customer service representative agreed that I was definitely mislead into thinking that the brakes would be covered. However, he would not honor the service.

I asked what happened to the good old days of the customer being right and honoring one's word. I was simply given a lame response of "I'm sorry and I understand how you would have assumed the brakes would be done". Also, I was told that the filter was to be sent to another location and that I could pick it up there. Thanks Carmax. This is the second and last vehicle I will purchase from your company and the last time I will refer colleagues and friends to your dealerships. That $190.00 brake job that you promised but later refused will cost much more to you in the long run in lost sales. Too bad customer service has gone by the wayside.

HUNTSVILLE, AL, ALABAMA -- I bought a 2004 Mustang V6 from these ruffians... Worst thing I could have ever done. I was eager to buy the car "My Mistake" which made me sign fast. I did not look through the options properly and it stated that the car had cruise control on it... when it didn't... I went to them a few months afterwards to claim it but they told me that they would charge an extra $200.00... an extra $200.00!!! After they overcharge you for the regular car, they charged me for the features, they wanted to charge me again!

The clutch was worn out, the engine had lost horsepower that could not be fixed with any gas cleaners, treatment or filters, the driver side window got damaged, the car's radio malfunctioned when reading CDs, the rack & pinion had to be replaced because I was having problems steering. Turns out that the power steering pump was damaged too. Then I went to complain about the clutch, the idiots told me it was engine sound... the clutch. These people know NOTHING about cars, they just rip you off and get off with their overly expensive price... I really wonder, if they inspect the car... how come MY car had so many issues?

I can bet you they only Carfax it and they go with whatever Carfax says. I don't think they spend a dime inspecting cars... How could they fully inspect a car when they miss out on ALL that I mentioned + they miss out that the car has cruise control on it... HOW?! They did not helped me with the clutch problem sine they told me the car was... "fine". I found out I did their no haggle price for $3,000 more of what the car was worth...

Please, don't buy from them... do your research & look for another used car. Or you know what? Buy a new one, because buying a used car from CarMax is going to be a heck of a lot more than a new one.... They charge you extra for doing something they don't do... which is inspect the car. I implore you to go somewhere else, don't give into their hype. I'm a serious person and I try not to overreact, but I lost thousands of dollars due to this & this is the only review I can make. I finished trading off the car, losing some money, but hey, I got a way better car that has given me, no issues so far... Good luck getting your car & have a great day.

About 4 to 5 months ago, I decided to trade in my Oldsmoblie Intrigue because it was old and not running as it should be (it stalled as I was driving and had trouble starting) to CarMax. I took it in and actually got a good price for how old it was. I picked the 2004 Altima I have now because I liked the look and the specs of the car. I got the Carfax report and it all seemed to check out. About four months after I bought the car, it started to do what my old car did, stalling and not starting. Thinking it was something I had done, I took it to my mechanic and he looked over it. What I found out floored me.

The actuator and cam system were shot, brake discs where cracked, brake pads non-existent, mold in my filters and the whole electrical system had to be re-done. My mechanic told me that none of these problems could not have happened in the short time I have owned the car, but most likely from the previous owner. And yes, I know it's a used car and not totally new, but the Carfax report failed to mention any issues the car ever had. I was under the impression that Carmax fixed any issues the car had before they could sell it, but I guess I was wrong.

We also suspect my car was a flood car (damaged in a flood) based on the condition of the filters and the air conditioner's horrible smell after I bought it. Carmax does give you a chance for repairs on them, a whole 30 days! I was so excited to have my new car and one that I felt safe in. When my Altima stalled on a highway and locked up on me, I felt like I was back in my Intrigue. I have had a horrible experience with Carmax and would never recommend them to anyone I meet, friend or stranger. I thought I would have peace of mind with a younger, newer car, but I don't.

I hope this review can help anyone else out there before they go and trust those "carfax" they deem true and accurate.

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA -- My experience with Carmax in Irvine, CA has been very, very negative, and I'm beginning to realize the place is a sham. As for their "thorough inspection" - **. I took my car to an independent mechanic and right away they found several problems. Sure, you have a 30 day warranty, but the bottom line is Carmax lies when they say they're selling you a quality car and boasting that they guarantee them. In my situation, I brought back the car right away so they could fix the alignment and balancing of the weeks and a rear brake light.

First of all, the service department didn't return my messages and I had to stay on top of them to abide by their warranty. When I got the car back, I then realized the spare tire in the truck was totally punk/defective. HELLO!! If I had changed a flat tire on the freeway and unknowingly replaced it with that tire, I could have been KILLED!! When I left a message with the service department again (they obviously don't answer the phone), I never heard back. At this point - irate - I left a message with my salesman (who, to this day, has never called me back) and kept calling the service department until I got someone.

As they require that you drive to Carmax to prove each and every issue, I brought it back to show them the defective spare. I was told I would hear from them that day or the next. The next day, a manager called me (I don't know if they received my very dissatisfied customer survey or the service employees mentioned I was pissed) apologizing and saying all the right things - it's unacceptable they hadn't called me back, he doesn't know where they went wrong, they pride themselves on customer service (A WHOLE LOAD OF BS).

He said they had had to order a tire from the East Coast, that it would take a week and that he would personally be on top of it the next week to let me know asap when it arrived. Well, "one week" would have been 3 DAYS AGO. I still have not heard from the manager, service department.. anyone. Dealing with Carmax is a huge headache and I find them flaky and totally dishonest. If you're looking for a used car, look elsewhere!! The "convenience" and "customer service" supposedly offered at Carmax isn't there, and you're better off trying to find someone or someplace else you can trust.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- I bought my VW Touareg on May 2008, I took already to the shop for repair eight times. The same day that I brought the car, the flat sensor was on, after 4 times taking to the service department was fixed (two times at CarMax and 2 times to VW dealer). In January 2009, the headlight system shot down, specially, the left side, they fixed it. They said that I have to wait to fixed the right side until shutdowns, like the left side, because was so hard for the extended warranty pay for this issue. In the meantime I was having on and off the check lights sensor.

On May 2009, the problem started to increase and I called to scheduled the appt., they order the part and scheduled another appt. On that day they said that was the bulb and they replaced. As soon I was driving the car, the check lights senor came out again. I called and spoke to the service coordinator **, she said will be calling me back verify what they will be doing it. She never did, until I called back again and threatened them, with a safety issue, took for her 20 minutes to call me back to say "bring the car again and we will take to VW dealership." I took the car, they drove without my authorization.

When a car has an issue like this, they cannot drive it, they supposed to put on a flat bed. Also they used all my gas tank and never replaced the gas, they said is OK to do it. They rented a car for me and took 2 days to be fixed. When ** called to let me know the car was ready, listen the explanation, "VW replaced the bulb and we did an upgrade, because was the bulb, and this part is not covered by the warranty, but we will be paying for." I tried to get my gas money back and the manager, his name is **, he said a big no. Other manager ** he said as well.

These are the rudest staff that I ever found in the service industry, the manager **, he told me that he was done with me and I need to leave the place, after an hour conversation. On my way home, my check lights sensor came back again. When I contacted the service department, they said is OK to use my car, use my gas, because they were doing a favor to me. This is not acceptable. Also, I am still dealing with him regarding my issue. I requested the survey from my service, because I never received one from this issue since January, and they said that the system assigned them randomly, just excuse, the first four times.

I received my survey on the mail and with this issue is very strange. Let's see what happened...

FREDRICKSBURG, VIRGINIA -- The wife wants to upgrade her SUV so we stopped by Carmax close to her parents house while visiting. After thirty minutes of looking they have nothing she likes until they pull up one from the internet. So we start the process, I do most of the paper work, salesman tells me we will finish the rest when the SUV is delivered. So I give him the transfer fee then says he will call when it comes in. Two days later he calls, we go in, I check the SUV it looks great, finishing up the paperwork. I look at the contract and the salesman has the $2000 warranty on it I told him we did not need it.

The in-law is a mechanic, he takes care of our cars. So salesman says "are you sure?" I say yes, he proceeds to tell me about it. I say again I do not need it. So salesman just gets up and walks off and starts talking with others sales guys. After 5 minutes comes back and tells we were not approved note (2 days before when we were there I was approved, been approved for triple than the price of this SUV for another vehicle we own. I know my credit is good not trying too say I am rich or anything). So I say how can that be, he says "well we made a mistake on the paperwork", then says "but if you put down a thousand we might be able to work something out."

I get up and tell the wife let's go and get my transfer fee back. Next day another salesman calls me and ask if I still wanted the vehicle, I tell him too late, we already bought from another dealership with 500 hundred off the asking price with no hassles. I tell him "if your salesman weren't trying to screw me over I would of got it there." So the way I see the salesman was trying to make extra commission off us and we will not be going back to Carmax ever again. They have lost our business. So be wary of what they say to make a sale.

BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA -- I loved my saleslady but THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUCKS! Every time I have gone there it has been an annoying experience. They boast about things being quick/easy/and they will keep you informed. OK well I bought a nice 2006 Saturn Ion and I LOVE the car. When I bought it, my dad noticed there was one just ONE clip missing from the front grill of my car... no big deal right? Can just order that right? Oh no!!!

Instead they take the whole grill off and throw the dirty thing in the back on my new car and tell me to call Monday morning to schedule an appointment to put it back on. OK so my dad and I put the grill in the trunk even though it didn't need to be taken off at all. Wasn't lose or anything. Well I call Monday morning and they want me to come in so they can see what clip it is... I bought the car on Sunday didn't they write it down?

So I came in and the service guy asked me where the clips where. I'm like, "OK, your guys took them off so you tell me." He then tells me, "Oh, I don't know what clips you are talking about but this snaps right on." OK whatever so I let him snap it on. Well then I take the highway to work and when I get there I see the grill has fallen off. I call Carmax Service Dept to let them know what happened. All they tell me is that I have to come back down to see them AGAIN so they can order the part. I go down there and they order it. They tell me they will call me as soon as it arrives.

Two weeks pass and I call and ask if my grill has arrived and the gal told me it arrived 5 days ago. NO ONE CALLED ME!!! I then go down to get the new grill attached on and it takes them 25 minutes to find the darn thing. Never mind. I have to go straight to work and they are cutting into my time since when I told them I was coming down to get the part put in and was told that it would take no longer than 10 minutes. These guys are so freaking stupid. I cannot believe the dumb people they hire. I finally have the grill on but wow annoying procedure all because of ONE CLIP that was missing. VERY ANNOYED and I will be filling out a survey for them with my complaint. The entire time they were so just not cooperative with me.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE -- I bought the MaxCare Warranty on my car when I purchased it from CarMax last year. The salesman said it covered everything except for normal wear and tear like wipers, brake pads, alignment, etc. Recently, my alignment started pulling to the right really bad. I knew I had to pay extra for it, but when I got there, the service guy started looking into other things. A quick re-alignment turned into: Bad fuel injector that needed to be replaced, cracked power steering belt that needed to be replaced, cracked AC belt that needed to be replaced, new front tires costing $256 (for just the two tires alone!), and the re-alignment.

My $50 MaxCare deductible went to a soaring $500 bill because all the other stuff had to be fixed before they could re-align the car. Additionally, they couldn't even work on the car because it was still under warranty with Nissan. They told me I could either come pick it up and drive it to Nissan or they could take it there for me. When I went to pick up my car, they told me I owed $81 just for the estimate. I'd never heard of such a thing and complained to the manager, who waived the fee.

I then took it to Bridgestone and Nissan. Bridgestone charged me $200 for the tires and alignment and also told me the reason my alignment was off in the first place was because one of my wheels was bent. I was very surprised because even CarMax couldn't tell me that. We got the new wheel for $40 and Bridgestone swapped it out for free the next day. Nissan looked at my car and told me that the fuel injector did *not* need to be replaced. It was just clogged and a special cleaner could be put in it to get it running correctly again. They also said there was nothing wrong with my power steering or AC belts. And by the way, my car is only 1 year old!

I may continue to purchase cars from CarMax because their sales staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and fair, but I will *never* take my car to the service center or buy the MaxCare warranty again.

DORAL, FLORIDA -- I bought a used 2007 BMW X5 3.0 from the Miami Carmax on 4/29/09. It had 17,000 miles. They had to transfer the car from Virginia for $349. The transfer took only 4 days to complete. The car was in almost new condition. No scratches, dents, etc. It had two extra options which were not listed on their website. The only part missing was the rear cargo compartment cover. They promised to replace it free of charge.

After a week of waiting, they told me that none were available in the United States and BMW had to order the part from Germany. I called a BMW dealer and was told that there were 5 available and they could have it in 2 days. After speaking to ** (service manager at the Miami Carmax), I was told to buy the part and send them a fax with the invoice for a refund (total cost $640). After several calls and about 2 weeks, I received a check directly from Carmax's corporate office.

At the same time, I traded-in my 2002 BMW X5 3.0 for $9,000. That car had some dings and 91,000 miles. I probably could have gotten an extra $1,000-$1,500 more if I sold it myself but decided that with tax savings the extra amount I would get would not be worth the time I would need to spend trying to sell it myself. Not to mention, possibility of getting scammed.

Overall, I'm very satisfied. I saved a lot of time by shopping and comparing vehicles online. They have a large inventory and I was able to set up email alerts to let me know if a particular car with options I want becomes available. Sales staff was not as experienced as your usual used car dealer but also less pushy. They get paid much less per car sold. The no-haggle price was decent. I also bought an extended warranty for 75,000 miles and 6 years for $1,700 which can be used at Carmax or any BMW dealer. I already drove more than 2,000 miles with no problems besides a nail in one of the run flat tires which was fixed for $25.