CarMax Reviews 

I recently sold my vehicle and purchased another vehicle. I got an offer online from Carmax and when I went to the Carmax they offered me $3500 less. It had been three weeks. I was upset and told them I don't think it should have lost that much value. The person I was working with got the manager and they were able to look up my previous offer and give me a fair offer. Everything is so straightforward, I've bought and sold many vehicles from Carmax.

Easy experience, great sales help, check out process was fast, no big high-pressure warranty pitches (yes, they offer it but its not like a traditional dealer. I'm sure that we'll buy cars from them again.

HORRIBLE! I had always heard good things about Carmax. I went online to sell a car for my mother, got an offer. My mother has dementia, so I called the Carmax number provided on the estimate prior to making appt to redeem the offer. I discussed with the rep that I would need to use a POA due to my mothers medical condition, however, I had all auto docs, registrations etc I could even provide a copy of her ID. I was told no problem I had all the docs I would need. So I move forward, when I get to Carmax I am told NO & oh sorry, yeah you called the number on the offer, well that's the call center & they get it wrong alot & pass on bad information. Then after getting back home I call back to the local branch & ask for a manager, which I did not get, there is no way the person who I'm talking to is a manager. I'm told Carmax does not honor POA, even though the state I'm in does & the POA I have allows for me to sell the car. I specifically asked so even though my state allows for the use of an POA & the POA allows for me to sell items such as this, Carmax does not honor state law, the answer was yes. It was further suggested that I pay the car off & then come sell it to them! How stupid are you really, if I'm there to sell the car...Again, I had always heard good things about carmax, but when I asked where this information is on their website or how they can not try to work with me being I called & sorry I don't fee that *oh yeah they pass on wrong information alot* is acceptable. I will walk before I EVER give them any business & I will scream how horrible they are to anyone that will listen.

My recent car buying and trade-in experience at CarMax in Norwood was neither the best nor the worst. On the positive side, there was no aggressive price negotiation, the pricing felt fair overall, and the low-pressure sales environment was appreciated. CarMax clearly has a well-oiled system in place, but in my experience, the execution fell short in several key areas.
My main concerns were about process transparency and communication:
• Unexplained Trade-In Reduction: CarMax initially accepted an offer on my trade-in, but later reduced the final payout by several thousand dollars. I only noticed this change while reviewing the final paperwork—there was no communication beforehand. When I asked about the drop, neither the sales associate nor the sales manager could explain why it occurred; they could only offer a list of hypothetical reasons. This lack of transparency felt deceptive and sneaky.
• Inefficient Process: The transaction was far more time consuming and disjointed than it needed to be. What should have taken a single store visit required multiple trips back to the Norwood location due to poor organization.
• Distractions During Closing: While going over critical paperwork and care plan options, two different sales managers interrupted the session just to introduce themselves. This made it difficult to stay focused on important contractual details.
• Delayed Registration Paperwork: The administrative handling at closing was poor. By the time I received my registration, I was left with only one day remaining on the window to obtain a state inspection sticker.
Summary: While the no-haggle model and low-pressure environment are definite perks, the lack of communication regarding my trade-in valuation and the disorganized administrative process made for a frustrating overall experience.

⭐ 1 Star – Extremely Disappointed with CarMax Pleasant Hill

Honestly, I’m extremely disappointed with my experience at CarMax Pleasant Hill. I paid $150 to have a car transferred from Southern California because I had my heart set on it. Unfortunately, when I finally saw the car in person, it was nowhere near the condition I expected.

The rims were damaged, the tires had less than 4/32 of tread remaining, the interior had an unpleasant smell, and the steering wheel made a rubbing noise. When I brought up the tires, I was told they technically still met CarMax’s policy and that the vehicle was being sold as-is. Even the sales representative admitted that I would probably need new tires within 30 days! How is that acceptable when you’re selling a car at these prices?

They did offer to detail the interior and use an odor neutralizer, but that doesn’t address the other issues. The damaged rims, worn tires, and steering wheel noise should have been taken care of before the vehicle was even listed for sale, let alone transferred to another location at my expense.

What bothers me most is that I paid $150 to have a car shipped that was not in the condition I expected based on the listing. I never would have paid to transfer it had I known about these issues beforehand. To make matters worse, they wouldn’t even refund my shipping fee.

I genuinely felt misled and taken advantage of. I was excited about purchasing this car, but the entire experience left me feeling completely swindled.

CarMax advertises a hassle-free, quality used-car buying experience, but this was anything but that. Why should a customer have to pay to transport a vehicle that isn’t even ready to be sold in acceptable condition?

Extremely disappointing, especially considering I expected much better from a company like CarMax.

My husband and I had a pretty good experience with CarMax; it was our first time purchasing from CarMax and our first time purchasing a used car in about 10 years (we usually purchase new, because we've had bad luck with used cars). I liked the clear out the door price, and it didn't change once we signed the paperwork. At lot of other dealerships offer lower prices and then add fees that are not common and cannot be negotiated. At least CarMax is honest so you can compare with other shops with confidence. There was also very little pressure, but I'm unsure if that was because we were ready to buy and knew what we wanted. They have also been very helpful with resolving small issues, such as missing equipment or undisclosed wear and tear.

Took a day off work, drove almost 4 hours to south Sacramento to look at a truck that had an active leak and shouldn’t have even been on the lot. Ron tried to make it right by waiving a shipping fee to look at another vehicle if I had it shipped there. I ended up driving back through Reno, found a truck I liked there but didn’t want to drive back to south Sacramento because it is about 4 hours from me. Called Roseville and spoke to Rex who was very accommodating and said I would be reimbursed the transfer to have it shipped to Roseville. I called the business office manager in Reno to have it released so I could have it sent, she was not happy and didn’t hide her tone either. Then I got multiple texts from Paul the salesman in Reno and had to explain to him in detail why I needed it shipped to Roseville. My credit union couldn’t do the three for free through Nevada since I live in California, and since I only had a couple weeks left on my offer if I went through carmax financing then the dmv wouldn’t have gotten the paperwork back in time and I would lose the 7.4% interest I received. I shouldn’t have had to go through all that with Paul and after I said that he never responded back. Yes I would have rather gone through Reno but unfortunately I couldn’t. And really it wasn’t his business. Felt a bit invasive. I will gladly refer anyone to Roseville though, they were easy to deal with and kind. Walked me though the process and explained everything. They made the experience so much easier!

What made this experience exceptional is the fact that this is a really powerful dynamic that has been created. There was an offer that was made from a financing company, and with the help of the representative, we were able to find a better, more suitable solution. He made an extra effort to find it, and that choice transformed everything. I'm so grateful.

The purchase experience is very easy. It was low pressure from the beginning, and we were allowed to walk the lot on our own and look at all of the vehicles and then come back in for our appointment where we spoke with our sales person and she walked us around and showed us the three vehicles we were interested in. It took a little while for us to get our financing since we did that part on our own, but overall the process was simple. The only negative thing that we have to say is that we were never told that the vehicle only had one key fob until after we had signed all of the paperwork and completed our trade-in with our vehicle and were handed 1 key fob for the new car. This was kind of a disappointment, especially when the manager wouldn’t even offer anything to make it better for us because we were never told that it had one key fob and we were going to need to buy another one and have it programmed on our own. We were simply given a website to a company that makes key fobs that Carmax works with. That was very disappointing and soured an otherwise perfect experience.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the experience of purchasing a pre-owned car from CarMax. From the time I entered until I left I was treated calmly, patiently, courteously and most of all very fairly. The price of the 2023 Porsce Macan S I purchased was very competitive and more surprising to me was how honest their offer was for my trade in .. A special thanks to my salesperson Aijin, and the trade in manager Todd .
In fact, I had a very strange mechanical one time issue with my trade in and the CarMax staff went above and beyond to help me solve that issue .... Thanks !!

the day started out bad. We signed up for test drive appointment online. we got there and it wasnt ready and they said they didn't know we where coming. With the help from Kendra we found our car. after reviewing and signing paperwork, we where informed that there only one key. so i asked Sales Manager James Delaney about second key. Sale person said they could offer a discount. Mr. Delaney got a bad attitude and informed me that your policy state there is no help with key. He then threatened to not sell me the car because i said he was rude and was getting a bad review. I'm a 100% Disabled veteran with PTSD. This man ruined my experience and week. We spent $24,000 on a car with one key. this is the third CARMAX car I've purchased and now the last. I'm filing a complaint with MD Attorney general consumer protection also MVA for dealer misconduct, for beginners. this clown should be detailing cars not Management. All we asked was for help with a second key. We know CARMAX has contracts with key company's. Our neighbor was once a reginal manager for CarMax. We are taking the car to another mechanic to have an inspection done we believe the brakes and rotors need service also. neighbor said the lip on the rotor was excessive could also be warped squealing brakes when backing up every morning wakes him up. He is the former CARMAX Manager.

Staff and managers were amazing. The easiest car buying experience of my life! I got a great price for my trade in, amount was honored from the online offer, and I love my new car.

We reserved our Lexus in California from Ohio and were approved for financing before making the trip. We let CarMax know upfront that we planned to drive the car back to Ohio, so we were disappointed to find out when we arrived that they could not provide a temporary tag. The best they could offer was a 72-hour transport certificate, which didn’t even cover the entire trip home.

We loved the car and decided to move forward, but the detailing and cleaning were surprisingly subpar, especially for a high-end Lexus. CarMax did give us half the cost of having it professionally detailed back home, which we appreciated.

The bigger issue was communication surrounding the title paperwork. We couldn’t register the car in Ohio until CarMax sent the paperwork package, but we were never told that they wait until the 10-day return period expires before shipping it. When the paperwork was finally supposed to ship, the office told us they would overnight it, but then said FedEx never came that day. Since this happened on a Thursday, the delay carried through the entire weekend. As a result, we drove across the country without a license plate and then had to wait another week after getting home before we could get one.

On the positive side, our salesman, Mandeep, was excellent. He was polite, professional, responsive, and genuinely great to work with. We love the car, and we think the CarMax warranty and overall buying process are straightforward. Our biggest frustration was not the car or the salesman, but the lack of communication and follow-through from the office staff. With better communication about the paperwork and a little more attention to the detailing, this would have been a much better experience.

It was easy and simple, it did take a while as per usual but that was just because he made sure I had everything I needed in order to register my cars tag and keep up with any information I will need, the trade in with my car was easy as well and it was the absolute best offer price wise compared to any other app website or company could have offered!

I recently sold my almost brand new Toyota Prius to CarMax. They gave me a quote and I saved it until the last day. I computed my existing balance due with Toyota Financial and knew what I would owe. I was underwater on the car, but needed to sell it. I had tried FB marketplace, with no bites, so I went they easy route. When I got there, I told the rep at the counter I wanted to accept their offer. They then inspected the car and one of their reps behind the counter came back and gave me a written quote for what I would owe. It was over $1,000 more than what I had computed it to be. I told the rep that there must be an error. She insisted she was correct. I was suspicious this might be a "bait and switch" technique used by CarMax. I said I would not accept that offer and she was visibly annoyed at my even questioning her numbers. She left for some reason, perhaps to get lunch. I told the other people behind the counter to call Toyota back to get the "right" payoff amount. This time they came back with exactly what I computed it to be. INTERESTING!! After the deal was completed, the manager came out and gave me a weak apology for the mistake. HUH! If you're selling a car through CarMax, compute the numbers on your own. Use AI. Make sure you have them right. Stand your ground if you know your numbers! Do I suspect foul play here? Not sure. All I can do is tell you my story. Buyer beware!

Love the customer service I received. Love the no haggling prices. Every vehicle I looked at had very low mileage. Love the carfax information. The Dothan location was very well maintained and clean. I purchased a 2023 with only 19,000 miles on it. Also love that they offer an extended warranty that is added to your bill. So no up front cash is needed for that option. The prices on their vehicle’s are exceptionally low.

got offer for trade-in on line, drove in to a carmax location they verified offer 3hrs later leaving with a car.they had car i wanted there on lot

update. 9/16 While my positive opinion of carmax personnel has not changed, I do now have some negatives to add about the process. If I could change the stars to 4 I would. Since taking possession of the vehicle, I noticed two cuts in a tire as well as the small gouge in the wheel rim associated with the cuts. These "imperfections" were not noted on the carmax website advertisement of the car. While I feel these are moderately serious "imperfections" that should have been addressed in the carmax safety inspection, some other minor flaws are apparent but were not included in imperfections. These included several 3" to 4" mars and marks on the headliner, scratched and scuffs on the rear bumper, as well as a small dent in the plastic on the rear bumper. These types of minor flaws I did not mention to carmax nor make an issue of them since it is a used car (2023). But back to the cuts in the tire. After several unsuccessful attempts to speak with a manager in Albany carmax store by phone, I came down to the store twice to have the car looked at and to get some decision made about whether carmax would fix the wheel/tire issue. Long story short, they "will not replace the tire." I was told the cuts in the tire wall are not serious and do not meet the criteria for NY inspection failure. Apparently that criteria is how they judge whether or not they should repair a vehicle? Opinions differ on the danger of cut sidewalls and I guess I'll have to take my chances and foot the bill when it comes due. Not pleased about that. My initial review from 9/7 follows:
Every person I dealt with was genuine, honest and friendly. All steps of the process were laid out beforehand. Even though it took 2 weeks from selection and shipping all the way to picking up the car I can't complain as that time frame was stated from the outset.
It took me a while to get used to the "team" approach and not dealing with one salesperson but I get it. That's what works for that system. Like I said, everyone was helpful and thorough, even the carmax people I was connected to by the robot answering the phone. That robot "skye" who answered and routed all calls was annoying and would be my only complaint about the whole process. The description of the car I had shipped in to my local store was 90% accurate. Very pleased with the car. oh, I also got the best trade in offer from carmax out of all the other on line stores as well as the local in town car dealerships.

It started with the excellent direction of Jonathan Taylor and then assigning Ron Randall to settle my purchase.

Ron is a master salesman and I really enjoyed working with him finalizing my purchase.

Clearly, the service team did a great job preparing the car and making sure it was ready to go.

My daughter has purchased cars for years from CarMax, including for three children. Melissa loves doing business with this company. I now see why.

I’ve been a manufacturing manager for years and it really starts at the top so I must offer local senior management a complement of great leadership!

Thank you very much for making this a smooth and pleasant transaction!

John Burkhardt

I originally placed a shipping order with a representative, but the company had a glitch in the system and I did not get the confirmation email to ship the car and had no indication that anything was wrong. I eventually called and was told they sold the car to someone else. The customer service representative I spoke with put me in touch with a specific sale associate at my location, but when I selected another car, they entered my email in wrong, and again sold the car to someone else without me knowing anything was wrong. I was under the impression that they were ordering the car directly from their system and I would not need to approve anything. This caused over a month of delays and disappointment, as I had no other transportation at the time. When I asked what they could do to rectify the situation, they were not helpful at all, and it was a very frustrating situation. The best they would offer was to pay for a tank of gas, and only after I talked to eight different customer service representatives. As these were company errors and not mine, I expected more and better, for instance, an extended warranty or price reduction. I understand the no haggle company policy, but when their are serious errors by the company they need a policy in place to rectify the situation and not just say, sorry, our bad and leave the customer annoyed. They lost a customer in my with how they handled the situation.