Im not going to say "don't buy cars from carmax" but make sure you read this before you purchase!!! I bought a car on the 5th of April 2017(Bmw 2011 328i). with lots lots of guarantee promises as well as carmax will stand behind the cars sold to the customers as they said.(which didn't even happen) Everything was going great. Suddenly the engine started to work weird(shaking while driving). I took it to my mechanic and he checked the codes. It was looking like there are couple misfires so he suggested to change the coils and the spark plugs which I was okay with them(its normal to change those parts for maintenance) After we changed the parts the car still had the shaking problem so he decided to do a cylinder compression test. The result was no:1 cylinder had no compression. He suggested to take the car back to carmax because he was thinking that they sold a junk car. I went to the service department with an appointment and told them about what was happening with the car. They said they will do the diagnostics and let me know(which I already told them the codes and the problem with cylinder 1. I was okay them to check it but it doesn't really make sense when you know whats happening and paying extra for them to tell you whats going on its stupid ) I got a call back an hr later that they would like to do a compression check and If was okay with that too. So finally I got a call back and the result was they were asking me to change the engine! I was researching a couple different mechanics and one of them told me to bring the car to him and he was willing to do it as a favor because a friend of mine referred me. I went to carmax service to pick up my car and they had me pay the fees. (Robbery!) So finally I brought my car to my new mechanic, he called me 2 hr later and told me that I don't need to change the engine! He said It will cost 60%-70%,,, less that Carmax asked. The problem was the springs on the cylinder 1. Carmax asked $6500 (used engine+labor) My mechanic asked $2100(parts+labor+maintenance) These guys are in the market for to rob you as much as they can! Stay away! I trusted carmax with my car purchase because they guarantee a 125 point inspection before purchase. They didn't thoroughly check my car which in resulted in it having issues 7 months down the road. I am sorry carmax but you lost me,my friends, my family. I am sharing my story so that this doesn't happen to anyone else. read more

Long drive to get here. Its been an hour since my appt was scheduled and still waiting. The room was full of service providers when we arrived 15 minutes before our Appt. And now I only see 1 salesperson. COVID is no excuse to be lax on service; they had the manpower but sent them all home at 8PM leaving 2 people for final Appts. Also on setting up the Appt. I asked for all that I needed to bring should I decide to take home the vehicle... I was misinformed and didn't have everything to close the deal. Misinformation cost me a lot of time, a lot of work... 2 days later I had to return the vehicle, buy it back and an add'l four hours later complete the purchase--- a total of 6.5 hours to buy a vehicle I already knew I wanted and spent 10 minutes test driving only to find it wasn't detailed in the interior... It was a challenge to say the least. read more

Came for appraisal. Made an appt through the app. Arrived 30 min early. Attended me right away. Was in and out in about 30 mins with the offer. I did not like the offer they gave me but i loved their customer service and how quick they were. We had gone to the buena park location a day before and even with the appointment it was too long of a wait. I am glad i came to this one. Thank.you! read more

I am writing this while returning our car to CarMax. This is the last time I will ever be in one of their buildings. We came in last Saturday to purchase a car transferred in from another CarMax location. The salesperson, Paul Bennett, was pleasant. When we pointed out spots on the white 2014 Kia Soul we were purchasing, Bennett said "That's just bee pollen. The paint is in good shape". There was a tire sensor light on. He said they checked and filled all the tires and the light should turn off on its own but if it doesn't, bring it back. They will fix it. The Kia also didn't have an owners manual. Bennett said we can order one online and they'd reimburse us. We ordered one that day. Bennett said he's off Sunday and Monday but will call Tuesday to check in and see how we like the Kia. That night, we noticed the remote button to open the hatch wasn't working. I took the Kia to our mechanic three days later, on Tuesday. He immediately pointed out the entire car had been repainted very recently and not very well. There was overspray everywhere and the new paint was already coming off on the front bumper. Our mechanic lifted the hood and there was still painter's tape along the side of the car next to the engine. That morning when driving my car to work in the dark, I turned on the windshield wipers to clear away some condensation. The wipers left two massive greasy streaks across the entire windshield. I tried to use the windshield washer fluid to clean it but it wasn't working. I couldn't see so I had to pull over and clean my windshield at the closest gas station. I asked my mechanic to check the washer fluid. It was empty. Based on the washing fluid and painter's tape, I do not see how this engine was even looked at, let alone inspected. My mechanic said the car wasn't worth the price we paid. My husband called Carmax that afternoon and spoke with the operation's manager on duty. When asked about the paint, he didn't acknowledge the issue. He kept repeating CarMax's return policy that we can bring the car back within seven days. No offer to fix the situation. He just repeated the return policy. He was told we would be returning the car on Saturday. Bennett sent me a text on Wednesday asking about the Kia. I explained we were not happy with it and planned to return it. His response was "sorry to hear that". I went on to explain the issues, sent a picture of the painter's tape. Nothing in response. Today while returning the car, Bennett walked by us and didn't acknowledge us at all. The person helping us with the return, Tahn, (hopefully the spelling is right) was awesome. Very apologetic. Very sincere. If we had spoken to her first, this situation would've been FAR less problematic. They took the car back, issued a refund to our credit union and paid for our lunch. Bottomline- they committed fraud. They stated they had checked the entire vehicle with their multipoint inspection. We have paperwork stating items were specifically checked when clearly they were not. What else wasn't checked? I also let Bennett know that we were beyond disappointed to be treated this way. We paid the price they asked with their no haggle policy and were rewarded with lies. I let him know he and CarMax have lived up to the used car salesman stereotype. No response. read more

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Took my daughter here to buy a car, their checklist says they check everything. After a short time, she noticed the cruise control did not work, there were weird sounds coming from the front wheels and the steering wheel and car would shake/vibrate, especially at freeway speeds. My daughter had 2 weeks left on the CarMax 90-day/4,000 mile warranty. Brought it in to get scheduled, it was the mechanic's day off (what, just one mechanic?). The CarMax rep we talked to said the warranty issue should not be a problem as it was either 90-days OR 4,000 miles, whichever was available (not first). I don't remember his name, but as soon as I find it I will update it here. Anyways, he told us to call the service number and leave a message with our concerns and issues. We called (while we were still in the CarMax lot) schedule a time for the car to get looked at as soon as possible...left a message, never got a call back. Had my daughter call after the weekend, she also left a message. Called third time, left a message and someone finally called her back for her to drop off the car. After the car was supposedly repaired, they told my daughter she had gone past the 90 day warranty and that she had to pay. She explained that she was told it was covered per the CarMax Rep. They still insisted she had to pay for the coverage. Anyway, what was wrong with the car? Defective control arm, bearings. They also said the brakes needed to be changed. With the cruise control, the notes said "works, driver error". No instructions. If CarMax does their "125-point inspection", why weren't these issues caught. To top it off, there are now issues with the CV joints. Oh, before I forget....FINANCING! Don't finance through CarMax. Get pre-approved for a loan elsewhere (bank, credit union, etc). My daughter has a 720+ credit score, they still put her in the lower category and financed her at 12%. When I questioned it, they said "oh, there are other factors they look at, so she didn't qualify for the lower interest rate". I asked what the other factors were...their answer "I don't know, there is some formula that calculates it all". read more

They gave a very fair offer for my trade in. One thing to keep in mind is that CarMax is not going to give you top dollar as they are not supposed to. They will somewhat meet you in the middle and offers are not negotiable. Just remember you can walk out of there with a check that day and don't have to worry about it anymore. With that said remember that when you see the offer and are thinking it's a bit low. read more

We had a terrible experience at this location. Do NOT come here. Their employees are too busy on their cellphones and talking amongst each other to assist. They do not honor their appointment times and lost out on a 50k purchase we came ready to make. read more

This was by far one of the best experience I've ever had at a car dealership! I brought in my 2005 Honda Accord for appraisal to see if I can sell the car. We arrived sooner than our appointment. Nevertheless, they accommodate us and soon after our arrival we were introduced to Keith, who got some information about the car. After the information was entered into the computer, it took about 30 minutes for the appraisal process to be completed and we had our offer, which was pretty generous, so we accepted. 20 minutes after we accepted the offer, I had a check in hand and I was done. The process was seamless and Keith provided exceptional customer service at every stage. Very please with my experience and will definitely considering coming back to do more business with this dealership. read more

From the moment we walked into this location we were greeted with smiles and attentiveness. The whole process in selling our car and getting $2000 more than offered by another, was a breeze and painless. Jeremiah was so informative and patient and a pleasure to deal with. Thanks again! read more

This review is only for selling with CarMax. My experience was awesome. It was super, quick, easy, and they gave me a great price for my car. I actually got way more than I was expecting and I couldn't be happier with how simple and easy it all was. Highly recommend if you need to sell your car with no hassle. read more

I wouldn't even give them a star if I could. Miserable experience. I showed up on time, and it took a half hour to process my paper work just to to take a test drive. So the salesperson brings up my car to test drive. I don't get half away around examining the car, and I notice slight marks on the car which was unwashed but not overly dirty. They will not rub out. The salesperson tells me they can buff out the car. I said that they should have done this before I showed up. I left without taking the test drive. Mind you, I wasted the very expensive gas to drive there. Never again. read more

Had my recent second experience with CarMax - Irvine to sell a vehicle. The second time just a few days met with incredible barriers because of Coronavirus was nevertheless perfect in every way. Both times I was selling an old vehicle. From the start I had a very positive interaction with the appraiser. I was not expecting a high appraisal but the ones I got were completely acceptable. The whole process took less than one hour. I definitely recommend CarMax because they take care of all the paperwork, all the state requirements in minimal time. Left completely satisfied despite the health issues during most recent visit. Plan to use the service in the future when and if necessary. read more

I had to sell a vehicle that belonged to a family member that passed away earlier this year. It was a 2002 vehicle with 150,000 miles on it. I expected to get $800 for it and they gave me $3000. I don't know if results are typical but I would definitely recommend others selling their car at this location for a chance to get a great price on the sale of their car. read more

I visited the CarMax location in Duarte California recently, in order to obtain an offer to buy my automobile. James Attrill greeted us and handled the appraisal process. We appreciated how he explained the process - step by step. James was polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. It took about 45 minutes and then James went over each detail of the appraisal and handed us a hard copy so that we could decide, within 7 days. We are pleased with how well everything was handled, and with no pressure. Several years ago, we sold another car to CarMax and had a very similar and good experience. Sorry we cannot recall that person's name but it went so well, that is why we decided to return. Thank you, James, and thank you, CarMax. read more

I went looking for a new car here after deciding it was time to replace my daily. Although I did not end up buying a car, nothing to do with sales or anything like that, I got wonderful and amazing help from Mina. Great guy who was patient and very knowledgeable of the cars on the lot. He was able to provide information on the spot. If he did not know he went the extra mile ( hah!) and retrieved the knowledge. If you go to this place make sure to ask for Mina!!!! P.S. the only reason I did not buy a car here was because of the prices. Just an FYI for everyone, the salesman have NO control over the prices here. read more

I bought a 2016 Subaru Outback about a year ago. I am under the impression that carmax sold me a car with three very unsafe conditions on the car. Two bad CV Joints, a faulty sluggish transmission, and a car burning oil at a high rate due to an upper oil pan leak. If someone asked my if carmax was a good place to buy a used car I would rush to say no. I am currently in a state where I have negative equity in the car and thousands of dollars in work to be done. I bought a car in terrible condition from you. read more

GREAT experience with Karen Botticello while I was shopping for a new car the other day. I haven't bought a car in 13 years (something I dread doing!) Karen's calming nature put me at ease immediately and she reassured me that she wanted me to be happy walking out the door with or without a new car. There was no pressure as she guided me through the entire process. She walked me through each step, discussed financing options, and laughed with me as I nervously test drove the new car. I had NO intention of driving out that same day in my new car- but she helped me do it! No pressure anywhere along the way. What a great sales consultant! read more

CarMax - Thanks Karen B! - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Irvine, California

The sale was relatively painless. The follow up appointment to fix something they agreed to at the point of sale took three tries for something simple. And then the 91 Expresslanes bills started showing up from the car I sold. The car I sold to Carmax started racking up tolls a month and a half after the sale. Called Carmax. It apparently happens all the time, the operator had me send in the notices and they sent a letter to the 91 Expresslanes stating dates of sale, etc. A few weeks later I got more warning letters from 91 Expresslanes saying the information Carmax provided wasn't enough. I called Carmax in Irvine. Spoke to Dorian, the business manager. She didn't take my name. She told me I needed to call 91 Expresslanes myself and find out what was needed, then call Carmax and have them send the information. Because "as a consumer I should make sure this was being handled properly." Carmax didn't feel the need to do it themselves. Am I wrong here? read more

First time coming here to carmax... NATHANIEL SMITH, , went above and beyond for us, he answered all of our questions we had , definitely coming back read more

Best car buying experience ever! We've purchased 3 cars from CarMax and recommend them to everyone. Our last purchase was by far one of the best. Our salesman went above and beyond to secure the vehicle I wanted and he was with us through the entire process. read more

CarMax - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Irvine, California

Waste of time. Online quote is not accurate at all compared to what they offer you in person. He said it's because the mileage I filled out online didn't match the true mileage of the car. I checked and I accidentally put 5000 MORE on online so my car actually has less mileage and the online still was way more. I pointed that out to him and he said "oh. Well you didn't mention online that the car needs new tires and it does." Still don't see how that makes such a big difference in quotes but whatever: Not to mention I made an appt and I still had to wait an hour. Went somewhere else in Irvine and got even more than carmax online quote and I was in and out in 45 minutes with my check. read more

This location and the people I worked with were amazing. I'm getting ready to move cross country, so I needed a new car that would get me there, as well as drive safely in the snow. I bought a Jeep Compass from them earlier this month, and the transaction was extremely smooth and easy. Within a few days I started to notice some issues with the vehicle, and took it into the service center. They transferred the vehicle to a jeep dealership same day, and they quickly discovered that there was an issue with the car, and that it wouldn't be fixed in time for my departure. Within just a few hours of finding that out, I was able to return the car and switch it out for another, better vehicle. The transition was smooth and easy, and they made sure I was able to get what I needed. Special shout outs to Alan - who helped me get the jeep - Patrick in the service center - who called me every single day with updates - and Stephen, who helped me return the jeep and get a new car quicker than I thought was possible. And of course, everyone in the business center who handled all the paperwork and made sure everything happened smoothly. You guys are amazing and I'm so appreciative. read more

I had an amazing experience bringing my car in for an alignment. I wanted to particularly shout out and thank Patrick in the service center who deserves supreme accolades for his professionalism! I'll be coming back! read more

my experience was horrible my son went in found a 10 yr old mazda with high miles they way over charged him by $7000 and the interest rate 19% even with me cosigning with great credit. now we cant refinance the car at my credit union because they way over charged for the car. so this is how your screwed you cant refinance the car!!! read more

My wife and I bought a car from this location. We got connected with a gentlemen by the name of Marcus. Other than the typical CarMax policies and procedure (no negotiating, locked in prices, and black & white rules), the whole experience was smooth. We showed up, Marcus came up, shook our hands and got right to work. **Recommendation - BOOK AND APPOINTMENT** (IT HELPS) He got the car ready, told us a little about it, and then let us take it for a test drive. Once that was complete, we went back to the desk and discussed paperwork, payments, and plans. Marcus is our guy that we will refer everyone too! read more

Eventually I purchased a vehicle from this location and unfortunately had to return it within 48 hours; the transmission began slipping. During the months of July and August, I visited this location three times; the car inventory was huge, over 500 vehicles on the lot. Each time was a very different experience dependent on the CarMax associate I was paired up with. Two associates let me test drive as many cars as I wanted, while another told me I could only drive one car per visit. All of the employees were very nice (only one pressured me to buy), including the sales managers and financial management. The facilities were clean. read more

CarMax - CarMax, Irvine CA has an inventory of more than 500 cars! - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Irvine, California

This review is for Greg in the service department. When I originally purchased my car in April, there was an issue with the front bumper. My salesman provided me with a future work order to provide my local CarMax when I was ready to fix the car. I realized I never received a copy of the work order and had to call in for a copy. I was fortunate to have met Greg as he was very professional and followed through on his words. Two days later I was able to book an appointment at another CarMax to fix my front bumper. Thank you Greg!! read more

Patrick Meridin, in the service department, was so incredibly helpful and nice. Never stopped smiling, very knowledgable, and just a very positive person to deal with. I knew immediately I was in great care. After I handed off my vehicle, he was communicative and transparent about the progress. It really put me at ease to know everything I had listed as a concern was heard, seen, and being taken care of. I appreciate PaTricks dedication to great service, and I will definitely be recommending Carmax to all my friends and family based on this wonderful experience!! Thank you, Patrick!! read more

Let me start by saying that my concern is with Corporate regarding a car I purchased from the Irvine Carmax in 2014 (our 3rd car from them). I went to look at a different car at a different dealership last night and when they pulled the Carfax on my car, there was an accident with "moderate damage" to the car that did not show up on the Carfax report until 2016 - the accident occurred in 2012, two years before I bought the car. This accident has significantly lowered the trade-in value of my car. I called Carmax corporate this morning, only to be told that this is not their issue because the company they use is "auto check" and Carmax would only report any damage to the buyer if there was "significant frame damage". Apparently "moderate damage" does not warrant telling the consumer?? As I explained to the person I spoke to, I would NEVER have bought the car if I had been told it was involved in a roll-over accident, with damage to the right side and the roof of the car (that is taken directly from the Carfax report). Carmax is taking no responsibility for the issue that I was given false information. Clearly, they have lost a good customer and I will be talking to an attorney and anyone else who will listen. Potential buyers, DO NOT trust what they tell you about the condition of their cars. And here I just gave them a wonderful review a few weeks ago :( read more

The best experience of car buying. James was my sales associate when I bought a 2015 Lexus GS 350 car. This dealership is very clean, organized, and caring. James made my day. He did everything in an exceptionally responsible way. read more

I was very disappointed in Manager Angie and Manager Luis. Both of them said they would call me in regard to an issue with my car and neither one NEVER did. Even after I made several attempts of leaving messages to call me still no calls. read more

I was helped mainly by David D. and I was most impressed with everyone else I dealt with at Irvine CarMax too, including Royal the manager (very cool guy). It was really a first rate experience. The only downside was the car they sold me (2015 Honda CRV) had multiple issues, but they made good on making the 5-day return process as painless as possible. This IS the way car buying should be and I applaud them. I wish it had worked out this time, but I will refer them openly to family and friends and will keep them in mind for the future. It's day and night compared to a certain Honda dealer nearby. read more

Can't say enough about Carmax. We needed to sell our car or trade it in for a new car. Carmax gave us more for the car than the car dealer offered. We went to Carmax without an appointment and they took us right away. We did spend about an hour and a half there but they did buy our car and for more money than we expected (got the check before we left). Very nice and friendly staff. Once we sold our car we needed a ride to the airport and the Carmax manager came over and said she had ordered an Uber for us. The big surprise was when we got to the airport the uber driver said Carmax had paid for the ride. Definitely recommend Carmax. read more

Nope!! I'd be really cautious of coming here. The sales people are really nice, but they massively low ball you on buying vehicles. Just go to a dealership that is the same make as your car and have them buy it from you, you'll get a lot more for the vehicle for sure! I just got a quote from them on my Audi for $43,000 and went to an Audi dealer and they gave me $50,000 for it! Leads me to believe that their pricing when they resell is full of margin, even though they don't negotiate. You'd wish they paid their salespeople more than $160 by selling a car, but all of the money here goes to the corporation and not to the hard working people who run the dealership. read more

Horrible service was going to buy a car but they said wait 20 minutes to look and were rude

I went to Carmax to get an appraisal on my car this past week. This was my first time at CarMax and being completely blind as to what the process was. I had mentioned that I would like to look at some cars while I wait. Karen told me to go look at a couple and see if there's some I would like to test drive. After selecting some that I had my eye on, she took me around, told me honestly what she thought about the cars themselves, and let me test drive the one I REALLY wanted. I fell in love with a 2016 Toyota RAV4 but by no means did I go into CarMax that day thinking I would come out with a new car. Karen explained everything so easily so that I could understand. (I'm a first time car buyer). She did the finances, told me honestly what she would do, and helped make everything way less intimidating. I'm so happy with my new car and very happy with Karen's customer service. She's great!! :) Would definitely recommend her and also this CarMax in the future. Thanks again! read more

Jana and the whole team were so nice and patient with my mom and i as i searched for a new car. i came in thinking i wasn't going to leave with one, let alone be approved. thank you SO much Carmax for the excellent service read more

CarMax - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Irvine, California

Rude as Hell! A service Max guy came and heard my understandings regarding buying a used car. He then left our area sent us outside to never return...What ..?? We were waiting and waiting ... to the point asking ourselves Is this a joke! it is a Joke.....I went back in looking for answers and never got any but a run...around just like a car on wheels... read more

Had a great experience here selling my car of 20 years. The staff was very professional and I couldn't be happier with the deal that was offered. read more

This review is for the Car Max service department, more specifically for the employee who helped me over the phone today, Bruce. I bought a car from Car Max almost a month ago and today I noticed the front wheel was screeching. I called the Car Max service department to see if the 30-day warranty would cover the issue. I honestly expected it would be a nightmare and I would probably end up having to cover the costs on my own. Bruce was so kind and so empathetic making sure to provide me with such a great experience over the phone. He is going to make sure the car is taken care of and it is at no cost to myself and helped me book the right appointment around my schedule. It is so rare to receive service like that these days. I hope CarMax knows what an asset Bruce is to their company. read more