CarMax Reviews

When I arrived, I explained to the manager that I had $10,000 in cash, in $100 bills, inside a white envelope located on the passenger side of my vehicle. I asked for permission to access my car to retrieve the money. She refused my request and was rude and disrespectful throughout the interaction. Even after I repeatedly explained the urgency and importance of the situation, she would not allow me access to my vehicle.

Later, after I had left, the manager called me and claimed that only $200 was found in my car—not the $10,000 I told her was there. I told her that was impossible because I knew exactly how much cash was in my vehicle. Instead of discussing the matter professionally, she accused me of raising my voice and hung up on me.

I immediately returned to the facility, contacted the police, and filed a police report. During my conversation with the responding officer, I was told that there have been numerous complaints from people who claimed that their property had gone missing after their vehicles were towed to this company. That information is extremely concerning. I also contacted CarMax and was instructed to file a claim, which I have done. I expect CarMax to thoroughly investigate this matter and work toward resolving it. If this issue is not addressed appropriately, I will consider pursuing legal action to recover my losses.

CarMax should carefully evaluate the companies it chooses to do business with. Customers should be able to trust that their vehicles and personal property will be protected while in the custody of a towing company. Based on my experience, I do not believe Advanced Recovery Solution provided that level of care or professionalism. Until this matter is resolved, I cannot recommend CarMax to friends or family. I also intend to share my experience on social media and consumer review platforms so that others are aware of what happened. I simply want a fair investigation and accountability for the loss of my property.

Having a knee replacement after the purchase didn’t allow me to drive the vehicle for about 4 weeks, and my commute is 5 miles to and from work. Regardless, after 2,700 miles, my beautiful little car started fading pale yellow (above the driver side hub and the front of the vehicle. The car came with a clean Carfax! However, I learned that it had been repaired by an independent company that worked “under the table (cash) without disclosing the problem to the DMV!” About 2k miles later, the thermostat failed - costing me in excess of $1800. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. I’m already out 4k.

Plot twist: I — a guy with Google and a working phone — found the part myself, at a parts supplier in Washington State. I was told, essentially, to stop being silly and let the grownups who know the car biz keep looking. Then that same unfindable part magically materialized in the hands of Will, the service manager, WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HIM. The BMW Continuum works in mysterious ways, apparently — mostly when a customer starts quoting Texas consumer protection law.

And Will's grand finale, after six weeks of this circus? It might maybe possibly be done tomorrow. No commitment. No apology. A wishy-washy shrug at the finish line of a marathon THEY made me run. So I asked for the bare minimum gesture of goodwill — a year of oil changes, or a second key so I could actually program my own car. Oh, only Caleb, the general manager, can approve that. Great, let me talk to Caleb. Caleb's on vacation. We don't know when he's back. The buck stops nowhere. It just goes on holiday.

Their legal team? Took TWO WEEKS to respond, only to hand me the exact same answer they'd given two weeks earlier. That's not diligence, that's a stall tactic with a law degree. And the damage isn't just time. Because they sold me a car that immediately died, I had to explore other financing — credit pulls that hurt my score so badly that CarMax's OWN finance partners then told me my credit was no good. No good for a new loan, but perfectly good enough to keep making payments on the broken car they sold me. Make it make sense.

One genuine bright spot: Paola in Customer Relations at the home office, who fought for me inside a machine seemingly designed to prevent anyone from helping anyone. She deserves a raise and hazard pay. She is a hostage of the same siloed dysfunction the rest of us are — a company where no one can authorize anything, everyone defers to someone unavailable, and departments refer to each other as outside partnerships. That's not a business, that's a hostage situation with a logo.

I spent my career running customer operations for companies on three continents. I know what good service looks like. I know what broken operations look like. This is the latter, wearing the former's name tag. My car is allegedly, maybe, possibly fixed. My complaint is not. If you shop here: document everything, know your rights under the Texas DTPA, and pray your car doesn't break — because if it does, you'll need the patience of a saint and the persistence of a debt collector to get anything resembling accountability. One star, and honestly, that star belongs to Paola.

I also later discovered that the vehicle had previously received an engine replacement before I purchased it, and I was not informed of that history during the sale. Had I known the vehicle had a replacement engine and the extent of its prior repairs, I would have made a different purchasing decision or negotiated a different price. This experience has involved months of repairs, disputes, loss of use of the vehicle, and significant frustration. I encourage anyone considering buying a vehicle sight unseen to request all repair records, vehicle history, and written disclosures before completing the purchase.