I used to work for this company and I can honestly tell anyone who is looking to buy a car, that you should stay away from CarMax. They state that they inspect the cars, but I can tell you that they DONT. CarMax states they don't sell cars with flood or frame damage yet I have sold 5 cars to customers that they had inspected and found out that those cars did have frame damage and where not inspected by CarMax and another sales guy sold 3more and that's just the customers who went and got a separate inspection. I know for a fact that CarMax just does a little carwash and makes the car look somewhat presentable but they do not fix hardly anything. The financing is quick but the interest rates are extremely high no matter how good your credit is. Stay away from this company they are strickly about profits and don't care about the customers or there employees I was let go because I kept bringing up these issues to management and they got mad at me because I wouldn't keep my mouth shut about the problems. Company Sucks Cars are CRAP.

I bought a 2006 Toyota 4Runner SR5 from the certified Toyota CarMax in Richmond, VA in the fall of 2008. The truck had only 20K miles on it, still had the factory warranty. The main reason why I decided to purchase it. They shipped it down here to the CarMax on Independence Blvd here in Charlotte for free, which I thought was nice. The day that I went to pick it up the salesperson that was going to go over the truck with me told me that when the truck got to Charlotte they noticed paint chips on the front of the hood and mirrors. So, they, CarMax sent it out to a local paint shop to have those areas repainted at no cost to me.

Here's where they, CarMax got me, the truck still had the Toyota factory warranty remaining on it, but I should have also bought the extended CarMax warranty too.

I drove the truck home, about 45 minutes south of Charlotte, noticed that the front end of the truck bounced a lot more than I thought, there was a weird noise coming from the front left of the truck when I hit a ruff bump in the road. So, the very next week, I took it back to the CarMax in Charlotte, I told them what I was hearing and they said that they would take a look and see what they could come up with. An hour and a half went by and they brought my truck back out to the front of the service area and said that the front tie rod had been disconnected. They billed me at no charge and said the problem had been fixed. I drove the truck home again, the noise had gone, but the bouncing of the front end of the truck seemed to be less but still there. So, again I took it back to CarMax and had them check it out again, they found nothing wrong with the suspension.

Fast forward to today, 2011, I still have the truck, I have had no one work on it except oil changes at Quick Lubes, the original factory tires, brakes and suspension are still on it, the truck now has 66K miles. Time for new tires, oil change, new brakes, etc. I shopped for all this, ended up taking it to Dale Jarrett Ford. I asked them to do all the things I mentioned, brakes, tires, oil change, plus check the front suspension. Within 15 minute they got me and took me to my truck and showed me a nickle size hole in the hose that runs from the front right strut to the X-suspension system that my 4Runner has installed on it from the factory. The suspension system had been drained, due to this hole, that it never had been working since the system is a sealed system and they was in fluid in it, hince the bouncing of the front end of the truck. CarMax could not see a nickle size hole in the suspension or do a proper bounce test on my truck during their 125+ point inspection that they say they do on every vehicle. I doubt that this so called inspection is even done or even done thoroughly even to keep you safe. Remember, when I told you that CarMax told me that they fixed my tie rod... i would not have been able to drive the vehicle for a week, let a lone a day with a disconnected tie rod, just a thought.

So, if your trying to decide on buying a vehcile from CarMax, think again, if you do always purchase the extended warranty.

My new suspension from Toyota cost me $1500.00, I ended up spending $2700.00 on my truck in one day. I had been at the Ford service shop from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, then drove my truck with brand new tires to the Toyota service shop at Scott Clark Toyota and was there from 3:15 pm until close. This day hurt my wallet, I was extremely pissed off about CarMax not caring about my safety and the concerns of other that would have ridden in my vehicle.

Ooh, did I mention that my truck, four months after I purchased it, I was shipped off to Iraq, my truck sat in my brother garage for over a year. Still CarMax would not help in any way on the expense, they told me that normal wear could have caused this damage...
I call BS...

I went to carmax to look at a Jeep Wrangler. The sales girl knew nothing about the vehicle she was trying to "sell". She is looking on the key ring for the remote. There wasn't one. She opened the door with the key then tried to look for the door unlock. It didnt have power doors. If she did her homework on this vehicle before we arrived she would not look like the idiot she was.
Ok..appraisal time. More morons. Ok so my vehicle had 130k miles on it. The auto check report was completely different than the one I had from car fax. No report from odometer change, no reposession report. $2500.00? are you kidding? I told him that was low ball and showed him the 2 values from Kelly and Autotrader which were $2000.00 higher. This moron laughed and said "these are garbage and we don't use them". These are on their website to value your trade. I said these are used by carmax to sell your vehicles. He freaking laughed. Needless to say we walked out. Scum bags. DON'T BUY FROM CARMAX!!!

Ok, so I went into Carmax in San Diego in Apr 2008 and was looking for an SUV. We quickly went into a 2004 Toyota Sequoia Limited and it seemed like a good price. We did all the paperwork, to include an Autocheck that showed the vehicle was clear of any accidents. I had a great experience with the salesperson, manager and all the steps of buying.

I actually love the truck, very solid, but sucks on gas...

Fast forward to 1 June 2011. I'm looking to reduce my bills, get rid of the 2nd vehicle and consolidate debt. So, I know I'm still upside-down on the Sequoia, but ready to take a $2K loss just to be done with the payments and all. I took the truck back to the same dealer I bought it from, Carmax, because they offer a free appraisal. Why not? They seemed like nice people when I bought the truck...

Went into the sales floor in San Diego, told them I was looking for an appraisal, he took the keys, identified the truck with a plastic number thingy, and we sat down. He asked me what I was looking to replace it and more chit-chat, to include updating me on the the status of the appraisal.

About 25 minutes later he brought me to a desk and started going over the appraisal process, market condition, condition of the exterior, mechanical, exterior condition, Autocheck history, etc. He showed me their off and it was pretty rediculous! $3k below what I was moderately estimating. Then he went over the factors...EVERYTHING on their appraisal showed Good condition! So why the low ball???

Looking closer at the Autocheck, there had been an accident reported in AZ! It showed "Vehicle Damage reported as DISABLING" What's worse? It was reported 3/16/2006!!! 2 FULL YEARS BEFORE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK!! WHY wasn't it on the (almighty) Autocheck done on 4/13/08, when I bought the truck??? I would NEVER have bought the truck knowing it had been in an accident!!

All the sales person and the manager could do was offer excuses why it wasn't there when I bought the truck, how it was probably just a minor scratch that they didn't detect on their 125 point inspection, "I've never seen this happen before", etc.

Well here I am, stuck with a vehicle I can't sell (For any decent value), dupped by Carmax and their Autocheck report that "wasn't accurate then, but is now". Who owns Autocheck?? Carmax maybe? HMMMMMMM!

Chuck
San Diego

Two weeks after taking the car out the lot, the car started to act crazy...horn windshield wipers and spray water by itself...had to take the battery off, so I can stopped, call the dealer immediately . I had to say that, the guy took good care of me in the service department but, I had to leave my car there for a week, they give a loaner, which it was nice.After a week, I took my car home, two day after the same problem arrive, in the middle of I4 oh my GOD how embraced...my car still in the service department, they hope that this new part will do the god...honesty I'm afraid to drive the car now...I had to pay my car soon, I only used my vehicle two weeks, I'm frustrated