Buying was a breeze; selling was a nightmare. Because of a cross country move, we needed to sell our vehicle back to the Hillside Carmax, where we purchased it two years ago. We had an appointment and both my husband and I inquired (3 separate times with 3 separate associates to be safe) that we had all the necessary documentation to sell back the car without him present, as he had already gone to NYC for his new job. Unfortunately, we were given false information, and I couldn't get the sale done at my Friday afternoon appointment. I leave for NYC tomorrow morning and my car is still sitting at the Hillside lot in limbo waiting on some paper documents from NYC that I paid $50 to overnight. The worst part was the sour attitude and non-apology I got from the customer sales rep (Karen). Awful. read more

Veronica was wonderful to work with. My husband and I needed another car because he is driving to work now instead of taking pubic transportation. We just got married and wanted something comfortable that we could grow into (ahem....maybe a few little ones in a couple of years). We test drove only two cars before deciding that a Nissan Murano was perfect for us. Veronica and her manager let us use their computers to figure out what financing option we wanted to go with. They let us have as much time as we wanted to talk things over alone, call our insurance company and crunch the numbers. After deciding to purchase, all of the title, registration, license plate crap was taken care of for us. That is so nice, because you don't have to go to the credit union or anything. It's all included in the final price. Pretty cool: We have 5 days to return the car and get our money back if we decide that it's not the right choice. The best part? We didn't bring our checkbook because we weren't sure that we wanted to actually purchase a vehicle on that day. Veronica followed us home to collect our down payment check so that we didn't have to drive back and drop it off. Now that's customer service. read more

My experience with CarMax has been excellent. On a whim, I decided to go to the Hillside location to get an appraisal of my 2010 BMW. I worked with Joyce Love who explained the process to me and made sure I understood what the next steps would be should I decide to sell. I waited about 20-25 minutes while the appraiser checked out the car and do a test drive. Meanwhile, I was out in the lot checking out the similar BMWs with comparable mileage to see what CarMax was charging. Based on my Kelly Blue Book value as well as the retail price, I kind of knew where to expect the offer to come in at--so I was not at all surprised when Joyce provided me with the appraisal offer. I had a week to decide if I wanted to sell, and there was no pressure. I then got a call over this past weekend from Joyce to see if I was still in the market to sell. I indicated I was, but would be back Tuesday. Meanwhile, I was checking Craig's List to see what comparable cars and mileage were being sold by owners. I wasn't seeing prices that were that much higher. Also, I checked with Perillo to see if they would be interested in purchasing the vehicle back. Perillo offered me $5K less than CarMax (what a joke!). The sales process was smooth and painless. If you are looking for convenience, no hassle and a stress-free sales process, CarMax is the way to go. If you want to try and sell a car yourself and get more money (and deal with showings, and picky sellers, and the title transfer process), then by all means go that route. CarMax may not be right for everyone, but it was great for me! read more

Carmax is a joke. DO NOT BUY FROM CARMAX! you will waste so much time and have to go back repeatedly. I bought a car 6 weeks ago, and have had to go back 3 times due to work needing to be done on the car. But the staff told me that the car was GREAT! SUCH A SOLID VEHICLE! and yet, the a/c stopped working, the car was overheating, the check engine light turned on, brakes were shot...mind you the car was a 2005 and should have been looked over. BUT MAN WAS I WRONG! If you're looking for constant headaches, extreme aggitation, going back to the same place multiple times b/c they do not fix things when you ask them to, then Carmax is the place for you! Does the C in carmax stand for conartists? read more

I've sold a car at carmax. It was just as easy peasy as they say it's going to be. About a 45 minute wait. I just went recently to try to sell my Lexus but their price was a bit lower than I was willing to take. Buying price is set at or near wholesale price but I was optimistic. They have so many cars there but nothing I was interested in buying this occasion. I haven't been through the buying process at carmax but I would go back to buy if I was in the market for a car. read more

I was very impressed by how friendly and helpful the staff were at this CarMax. The facility was bright & clean. The customer service was excellent. David & Charles on the service side made selling my vehicle extremely easy. Thank you both for being kind, efficient & professional. read more

Ya - Buying is good---- but service --- less then one star --- they never answer there phone... you have to wait a week or 2 for a appointment.... Not very good service............................. read more

Many people like hassle free buying experience keep in mind Carmax average is over $4000 per car so you can buy the same car perhaps at some Chrysler dealership for a lot less and get a trade-in instead of a rental car.Be smart about it just because something is set up to be simple doesn't mean you getting advantage of it read more

I didn't buy my car from here because I lucked out on a very good deal through craigslist. However, I was very impressed with Carmax when I visited. They had a great selection of used cars and our salesperson, Gabrielle, was incredibly knowledgeable, laid-back and seemed to enjoy his job. CarMax's prices are a little high, but they have high standards for the cars, a wide selection and a customer oriented sales staff. read more

I wish I could give this place 0 stars! Had the absolute worst customer service in the Service Department. Then left a message for the manager expressing my disappointment & got a return call saying "if YOU want to discuss further"...wouldn't you think he would want to know details of the issue?! Guess not. TERRIBLE customer service! Long waits...to the tune of 1-2 hours & filthy facility! NEVER going there again! Took my car to Advantage Chevy dealer in Hodgkins and got it back same day and people were so nice!!!! And- I did not even buy the car there, I bought it at CarMax!!!!! I'm mad at myself for buying my car here!!!! Never again! Lesson learned. Be forewarned, don't go here!!! read more

Bought a car there yesterday. Salesman, Keith, was fantastic. Stayed with me through the entire process, explained everything to me. Love the car, however, on the way home the rear passenger whee cover fell off on a two lane, wooded road. No way could i stop to retrieve it. Tried calling the store, it was still open, on hold for 30 minutes! Never got to talk to anyone so I sent them an e-mail. Going back tomorrow. Evidently whoever got the car "prepped" in the service department missed checking the wheel covers. However, I would still recommend this place to anyone. Went back Monday morning, my salesman meet me as soon as I waked in. Sent me to service department, they replaced the wheel cover immediately, had one in stock. Whole process was less than 20 minutes from walking in to leaving Wonderful experience. read more

Great friendly people. Service was exceptional. Found the perfect suv we viewed on the web sit. Went there and brought home our Lincoln MKX

I really like business model and the approach at CarMax. While I don't mind the typical salesmanship in the typical car buying experience, I know a lot of people dread dealing with buying a new car. I also think CarMax gives people who normally don't have opportunity for a nicer car a chance to get an excellent ride. The transparency of the transactions also give a comfortable feeling. My latest experience was selling a Jeep Wrangler while also looking at a new to me SUV. I was immediately greeted by Molly who asked how she could help. I explained that I want sell a Wrangler and also look at few SUVs. She started the appraisal process and during it we went to look at few cars. All in all, the appraisal took 20 mins and the offer was fantastic. Very much on the higher end of expectations. During that time looked at couple cars and also looked at inventory at different locations. Molly was great at running through various options and going through questions I had about warranty and financing. While I did not end up buying a car, I did sell the Jeep. That process as well was short and took 1/2 hour before a check was cut and we were out the door. Again, its a great approach in the way they do business. High recommendation here for Molly and the rest of the people at this CarMax. read more

My car buying experience is very recent. The car could still be a lemon. That would change the warm feelings I currently have for the overall experience. I have terrible credit. My car died a little over a week ago. There seemed to be only obstacles to my new (to-me) car. I use my car everyday for work. There was a good deal of pressure to resolve the situation. I did some research. Got pre-approved for a sub-prime loan. The interest rate was really high. I was between a rock and an unexpected hard place. I visited several lots in the city. I talked to several sales people by phone and online. All really negative experiences. The approval was welcome at Carmax. Some friends related good experiences with Carmax purchases and trade-ins. I was desperate. I tooks most of my personal belongings out of my vehicle. Filled the radiator and headed to Hillside to meet the car I had transferred from another Carmax location. I did a lot of research about the cars I wanted to look at. Emilio walked me through the trade-in and test drive process. I was so happy that the car would fit my needs perfectly. It was a match. There were some hiccups with the loan paperwork. We managed to find me a better deal with one of their lenders. He worked to get income documentation approved. I am an unconventional borrower. Overall it was fantastic. Emilio was patient and helpful. I did feel pressured to buy the warranty but my reservations about it gave way to just making the most sensible choice. Fingers crossed that the warm feelings continue throughout the term of the loan and beyond. read more

Brought my Benz in for a possible sale. Price was on the lower end but I didn't want to deal with selling a 2007 worth 21000 because most people don't have the cash and Loans on a 2007 I assume are hard to come by. During the 7 days I was on line shopping and found a 2015 caddy in another state. Agreed verbally to pay the transfer fee but clearly stated I must have car inspected prior to purchase. I am a former body shop owner and mechanic for 30 years. When car came they said I couldn't have it inspected until I purchased it .... Yeah right!!! Not a chance. What were they afraid I would find. Are there seriously that many idiots out there who would buy a car before having a qualified shop check it out???? They did refund my transfer fee but what a waste of time!!! read more

If you are financing through them, you should know the security questions might want to know when your brother was born - and they don't know or care that you've been estranged for 5+ years and don't have that information at your fingertips - plus there didn't seem to be a way to request an alternate question - if there is, nobody mentioned it to us! And our credit score IMMEDIATELY dropped over 50 points - even though we have good credit and were approved! The woman who was assigned our car wasn't pushy, but she did not know how to operate the soft top; a service tech had to be asked, he looked it up, and then demonstrated. Something (minor, as it turned out, but which we had no way of knowing at the time) was rattling in the driver's door and we were told we would have to leave it, which we reluctantly did. Also, the interior was dirty, and we had to ASK for it to be cleaned - why isn't this done automatically? If there's something amiss and you've PAID to have the car brought from another location, it would be BIG of CarMax to lower that price to compensate the buyer for the trouble S/HE had no hand in causing - but not holding my breath! read more

Carmax was AWESOME!! Especially Mark, who took his time and showed all the vehicles I wanted to test drive and see. As soon as me and my family arrived we were greeted by him and he stood with us the entire time. I stated I was pre approved and after we looked at all the cars we were interested in, he asked is about the pre approval and said of we wanted to see what Carmax can do and maybe offer a better deal. NOT ONLY was the SERVICE awesome by MARK, he obliterated the offer I was pre approved for. The payments were much lower that what I was expecting and got a better more expensive truck because of this. If you need a vehicle, request Mark, very nice, not pushy, and helpful Carmax associate. :D read more

The service center of this CarMax alone deserves 5 stars! I've been working with Service Operator Eddie Donato for all of my car's repairs and each time was a truly enjoyable experience. He's a true professional that takes great pride in the service he provides. When I leave my vehicle with Eddie I know it's in good hands. My experience with Eddie and this service center has me recommending this CarMax to everyone looking to buy a new vehicle, you won't be disappointed read more

Absolutely terrible experience. The and I'm sorry to say the most ignorant and outright dumbest staff. Worst experience selling a car ever. Was also lied to. read more

bought a 2010 C63 half a year ago, sales team are great. Highly recommend for Joyce Love! Service department is so so since I bought a high end car. Whenever the car has a problem, they couldn't find out why and had to send into the MB dealer which takes at least one to two weeks. Sold the car back to them last month, they were still happy to buy it back and also with a high price! Overall, Carmax in Hillside was a great shop for auto if you are looking for some cheap used cars! read more

This was the second car I have ever bought for my self and the first experience was terrible. I was so happy I listened to my parents and went to see Don. Within 24 hours they had the car I wanted transferred to them and the whole purchase process was easy and Fast! I really wouldn't go anywhere else! I love my new car thanks So much Don!!! read more

CarMax - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Hillside, Illinois

I Purchased a Car for $12,000 from this location October of 2018. This month February I tried to trade my car in with less than 10K miles added and no accidents or dents to purchase another vehicle and I was given a quote of only $4,000. The salesmen proceeded to tell me the reason for such a low number was slight discoloration in the paint and other preexisting issues. Funny how these flaws were not mentioned to me when I bought the car a year earlier but now that I want to trade it in they miraculously noticed them. Very poor treatment and extreme low balling to a customer that has purchased 3 cars from Carmax over the years. read more

Warning: Expect to leave pissed off. Especially if you are an intelligent, well informed consumer. The sales associates and appraisers are friendly but then you'll soon discover they are most likely "new" and know nothing other than some scripted information they spit out. Want to talk to a manager? They are the same. There's no negotiating and they will low ball you and not even care - probably because they don't know any better. read more

Wow!! These folks made selling my car easy. They offered way more than the dealership and I was out the door with a check in 30 minutes. I had the pleasure of working with Cody and Karen. They were both awesome!! Carmax will definitely be my next place to buy or sell. read more

The experience was excellent. They kept their word about if you don't like the car you can return. That was cool. 2hr maybe less and I was driving. I bought another car from another dealer it took 6hr. read more

I recently had a great experience at CarMax. We waited about 30 minutes for the appraisal and after I recieved a GREAT price for my car, the process was super smooth. They take care of everything for you, contact your bank, pay off your balance and cut you a check right there! I definitely recommend! read more

I had one of the worst car dealership buying experience of my life. I purchased a car utilizing 3rd party finance company and this Carmax dealership "office manager" refusing to sign a simple agreement form from a major finance company which it states "by accepting payment, dealer agrees to transfer title to lien holder". Then I called their head quarter on 3 way call with the dealer office manager to complain about her lack of understanding on the subject and then, we finally received the signed agreement back a few hours later. I bet she purposely waited before emailing a signed copy just to piss us off. By the way, corporate complaint department agent told me "by signing this agreement, you might be on hook for something else" and I replied "agreement clearly reads, I am not, and by the way that is my business and not your business even if that is the case, would you like to check my mortgage loan on behalf of me too?". This person clearly didn't understand nor how to read agreement... I also spoke with head office complaint manager Curt about how my experience is far away from "clear & simple buying" is for me. I also asked Curt to get in touch with Hillside management to get my document print out for signing, but apparently I was lied to and he never contact hillside... I had to take half day off on that day due to this dealer & company's lack of attention nor effort to sell car which is their main business... Carmax is definitely not for consumer with busy schedule at all...Carmax definitely value their employees time over customers. Another frustrating part was buying process. I sent all my information almost down to pennies (actually $10 difference on tax) on how am I planning to pay for the vehicle along with trade in payoff amount in email. Yes, appraisal was done a few day prior at the same location. After almost one week passed by, it is crystal clear that no documents has been done until I arrived at 6pm and I sit there until 8:30pm...more than 5 hour transaction basically for a cash buyer. What is so simple about this? I can not understand why it has to take this long to process documents. I can't remember how many times I was asked about the same information over and over again... Appraisal 45 min, many calls to transfer vehicles to hillside, 3 hours in morning, 30 min at noon, 2.5 hour in evening does not equal to "simple" is it? Only good part was Walter is a really nice guy and Liza at signing was present to talk to. Other than that, Carmax experience was not even close to be "simple" and their corporate customer complaints department is basically useless. If you think "simple", think again. Regular dealership will definitely try to save you more time for you than Carmax. read more

This was by far one of the best car buying experiences for me and my husband. From the approval process to taking our car home with us, it didn't make us feel pressured and gave us piece of mind that we were in good hands! I would definitely suggest going here for your car purchasing needs!!! read more

I talked with three separate people in their business department regarding the POA process for transferring a title from one person to another. I informed each of these people that I found the transfer of title POA form on the Secretary of States website. They all told me that form was fine. I organize a time for my brother, father and a notary to meet. We bring the completed/notarized form to Hillside CarMax one hour from where we live. We had the car appraised and an offer made. We go to the business dept to exchange our title/POA form. We are told the POA form was not valid. I informed the person at the desk that I was informed by three separate people from the business dept (one at a completely different location within Illinois) that I was informed the POA form I had was valid. The person at the front desk hands me a CarMax POA form to fill out! Why would none of the three people from the business dept inform me of this and why did they tell me the form I downloaded from the Secretary of State was valid? We now have to wait a week (due to a holiday) to see if their legal department will, or will not accept my original downloaded form. What a pain in the ass! read more

I don't know why so many people seem to give this place so many lack luster reviews. I've bought and sold too and from them for about 20 or so years now,and keeping in mind that this is a chain, and they are car salesman, I've mostly always found them to be perfectly fine. It's often difficult to compare apples to apples when shopping for a car, particularly a used car. Just so many variables. But when I can compare, really compare the deal at hand, these people are hands down clearly the best. Example, I live in western St. Charles, Illinois. A few months ago I decided that I no longer wanted my Mercedes Benz. So just to see what they would give me for it, on the way to the Carmax in Naperville, I stopped at my local Mercedes dealership to see what they would give me for it. Long story shortened, Carmax in Naperville offered me,( to the PENNY) double, so I'll give you one guess where I sold the car. read more

Don't fall for it!!! I wrote a raving review about my CarMax experience w/o having owned my car for a week. In a nutshell, I bought a 2008 Ford Edge w/ 55,000 miles for $20k. I found out over the next month the car needed new brakes, it had 2 bad tires, a broken tyrod and a leaking transmission! Total bill was over $2500 to repair. Less than a year later my CEL starts blinking, car starts running rough and just like that; my catalytic converter needs to be replaced. Another $2000! Their cars are crap! I should of read reviews before I purchased anything from them. Stay away at all costs! read more

I scheduled an appointment to sell my car at carmax, and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the service. Vanessa called me to talk through the preparations and answer any questions in advance of the appointment. The day prior to the appointment, Vanessa called with a courtesy reminder. When I arrived at carmax the following day, Noury greeted me and did a visual inspection the car while explaining the rest of the process of the appraisal. It was a very quick process, and within 20 minutes the appraisal was done and Noury made me an offer. The offer was very generous, better than what I could get elsewhere, so I took it. The cashier (initials "ZZ"), was exceptionally friendly and made the paperwork process smooth! All-around I was quite impressed with my experience selling my car, and never once felt pressured to buy. read more

I purchased a vehicle without knowing that the model that I purchased doesn't come with a spare. I spoke with a sales manager who informed me that the manufacturer doesn't equip my model with spares, but has an inflation device in the location where the spare is usually stored. I informed her that I wanted to return the car. She had a sale rep contact me and search for a comparable vehicle. I chose the replacement and was in a different vehicle within 3 days because the vehicle was at a different location. I was very satisfied with how CarMax honored their 5 day guarantee without any hassle and now I have a vehicle with a spare tire and peace of mind. read more

Great! Great! Service period. I traded my car there and the whole process was as smooth as Ice, from the moment I walked in wasn't hassled, bothered, pressured in any way. Casey was excellent sales representative. I would recommend anytime. read more

The first time I came to preview the car it was filthy even though I made an appointment. I had to wait for them to wash it and it wasn't washed very well. Two days later I came with my trade-in and looked at the car again. The amount they calculated for the trade-in was well below KBB value even though there were $800 worth of new tires on it but by then we were into the purchase process which took 4 hours from start to finish. They were supposed to wash the car better before i took it but it looked like they hadn't washed it at all and there were water spots all over it. When I got it home I washed it better and found that there was a chip in the windshield that had been repaired. it was not visible when the windshield was water-spotted so I have to wonder if the dirty windshield was intentional. I found it suspicious that even though I had a credit score of 815, the only finance company in their long list of possibilities was CarMax. The people who serviced me seemed friendly enough but I will never even consider shopping there again. I would rather haggle and get a better price than get a bad trade in deal for an average deal on the purchase of the new one, read more

Had a great experience here. Took less than an hour to get my car appraised and sold, and the offer was nearly $1K higher than dealerships were offering. Very friendly and professional staff. Went when they opened at 9am on a Saturday and did not have to wait at all for help. read more

Sold me a 2014 Ford Explorer after showing me a bunk report that reported no accidents. This vehicle had not only one, but two accidents that we found out when we had to get rid of it after only 10 months of ownership due to it leaking carbon monoxide into the cabin and making my family and me sick. Carmax responded to these issues by telling me "Sorry we sold you that car." Never again! Shame on you Carmax. Never buy a car from this place! read more

I am very pleased with the customer service I was provided! The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. If I had any concerns, I had spoken to a manager name , John Ortega. He was very helpful and kind to attend to my concerns. He went above and beyond to make sure my needs were met. I am very pleased and would highly recommend buying a car from this location! :) read more

Experience from ( August 13-August 26) It started on Tuesday August 13th with our salesman (Robert Dalipi) over booking clients at the same time. Resulting in 15 minutes after looking at a car that both my wife and I were interested in, he just walked off only to return 20 minutes later. Robert then told us that he was sorry and he had created appointments that over lapped and he would be back in 5 minutes. He left, and was gone for about 10 minutes. The process for selling our car and buying a new car was ridiculous. lt took 5 hours from test drive to finishing paperwork and waiting for the new car to be washed and inspected. We drove home exhausted with our car, and a crying and hungry 1 year old. Only to return on the next Friday the 23rd, because our Parking Brake (light and chime would not turn off.) I called maintenance, explaining the car was not drivable because of chime and possibility of it still being engaged. I asked for a rental car as I would need one all the following week and needing a tow. They offered a tow truck to come and allowing me ride in it. After explaining our 1 year old was home and our baby sitter was out of town they offered no alternative, (such as a tow truck and an associate to drop off a rental and the associate ride back with tow truck driver leaving me a rental). So I had no option than to drive the car all the way to the Hillside Location. Losing me time and money as I am a speculative currency trader. Then I was presented with a rental car that had a dirty interior with sticky stuff all over the steering wheel. The car indicated it had low Tire pressure, so I inspected all the tires which seemed fine so I got in the car and drove home that Friday 23rd afternoon. Come Monday the 26th, I went out to the car that has been sitting on the street parked all weekend to a flat tire. Needing to get to a class that started, I called service department to speak with the Manager Kyle whom I worked with directly the Friday prior and told him the issue. He asked lf I knew how to change a tire. I said yes I am able to change a tire but I would not change the tire due to liability issues on a rental car he told me he would call a tow truck driver and call me right back. A half hour later I got the confirmation call that a tow truck was coming. It took 4 hours for the tow truck to get there. He hanged the tire and was on his way. The maintenance called and told me it would be ready on wed. It was was not they told me there were back order issues and to wait till next wed. Next wed came and went got a call saying there were no parts and we would have to wait. I have called corporate over and over again they do not return phone calls simply have the hillside store call me back. Only to tell me the part is not in and it will take longer. The part is apparently in today so we will see the date is 9/6/13. They have yet to offer anything in compensation for this mishap other than a sorry. If you read this DO NOT BUY FROM CARMAX their workers are incompetent. Especially the ones that you would trust to "CHECK and WORK" on your car. If you have any care for safety DO NOT buy from them. Their Manager for the Service department has Kyle no Idea what's going on either. He has offered to have another dealer check the vehicle and if they find something. CA read more

I went to sell them my car. They offered far below Kelly Blue Book or similar listings on craigslist. The employees weren't rude, per say, but they were thoroughly unhelpful as to why my car evaluated so poorly aside from some hand-waving about the auction market and the economy. I think I would enjoy purchasing a car from them more than trying to sell them a car. read more