Carvana Reviews

Order Placed Process: Upload required documents such as insurance, driver's license, registration info. Insurance required before delivery can be confirmed…weird rule. Insurance update required within 24hrs, but mine was delayed a day. Missed initial delivery date due to insurance going into effect the following week (Not a Carvana issue). Online Notary was about 10 minutes for wait and the verification process. After all documents were signed and approved delivery was confirmed

Delivery Process: Multiple confirmations that delivery was all set and car was at nearby facility. Morning of delivery was told via call, text, and email that due to a delay it would be scheduled for the following Monday…no details except that if there are further delays we will let you know. Monday arrived and driver called when they were leaving Carvana facility…arrived between 5-8pm window at about 6:45pm. Transfer process was quick….signed an odometer update paper and registration, test drove new car while driver loaded trade in, got back and that was it

Inspection Process: Scheduled mechanic look through for following day. Found a few wearable issues: Rear brake pads were installed incorrectly and were wearing uneven (previous owner issue not Carvana). Rear rotors pretty worn and may need replaced. Rear tire tread pretty worn. Front brakes and tires looked good (newer winter tires). Both control arms need replaced. Carvana warranty submitted and approved same day, just had to pay for inspection

Unfortunately, upon picking up the car on 1/17/2025 is when the excitement, ease and anticipation, stopped. The advocate at the Atlanta location was very disorganized, not very friendly and seemed to rush me as I was looking over the car. The car was far from what was described and was not what I expected. There were several undisclosed cosmetic issues with the vehicle including poor paint repairs, dents, scratches and bird poop stains in the hood. Not to mention, the interior has several sticky dash and door panel pieces of which is pretty common on the F-Type but it just was not disclosed.

A few days later, I brought the car to my local Jaguar dealer to have them look over the car and lone and behold, they found numerous issues with the vehicle mechanically that needed attention including oil leaks, coolant leaks, rear brakes and an alternator(due to oil leaking onto it). Now, I know Silverrock (Carvana's warranty company) would have covered these items but I also still had all of these cosmetic issues to deal with. It was at that point that Carvana reached out to me and offered to take the car back and take $500 off of a replacement car. This is when my Carvana experience started to turn around again.

The gentleman assigned to my special case of exchanging the vehicle was beyond helpful and courteous. He worked around my schedule and got the 1st F-type picked up and helped me acquire a new f-type that was two years newer but hopefully in much, much better shape. Fast forward a few days later on 2/3/2025, I traveled to Atlanta to pick up the second F-type. My goodness, the experience could not be any further from the first. The advocate that I dealt with was friendly, empathetic about my situation, valued my business and respected my time. He apologized profusely about my first experience and assured me that it would not happen again. I put in the coin in the Carvana vending machine to lower and ultimately see my second dream car, hoping it would not become another nightmare. THANK GOD!!! The dream stayed a dream!

This car was near perfect and quite frankly, better than described. The paint was well taken care of, the disclosed imperfections were blown out of proportion and the car was just awesome! Not to mention, the car came with an owner's manual which the first car did not come with. I was absolutely ecstatic and over the moon. It was such a surreal feeling considering the fact that a couple of weeks earlier, in the same building, I felt feelings of disappointment and disgust. The advocate could tell how excited I was about the Jag and he seemed genuinely happy for me. Ten days later, I still grin ear to ear every time I drive the car or see it parked in my driveway! Thank you Carvana for making me a believer and an owner of my dream car!

I found a 2011 Mazda3 4-door Hatchback with just over $84,000 miles on it and a very extensive Carfax report which showed very regular oil changes and other maintenance. The cars I was finding at local dealerships were 4-8 years older, had double the miles and were priced $3000-$5000 higher than the similar makes and models on Carvana. I took the plunge on December 17th. The purchase process from start to finish took under thirty minutes. I was never asked for paystubs or any other proof of income which I found somewhat odd. I put enough money down to keep my monthly payments under $300. I also chose to go through Root Insurance because they came back with a monthly rate that was $150 less than the one my existing insurance company (Progressive) had offered me. So that was a no brainer.

I was asked for a picture of the front and back of my driver's license and proof of insurance, which I uploaded that same day. Within minutes of completing everything online I received an email stating that my order had been approved. Delivery was scheduled for December 21st but a multistate snowstorm delayed delivery until December 26th. I was disappointed but I could hardly blame Carvana for the weather and I knew the car was coming from Montana to Pennsylvania. I will say it took two online chats, three representatives on the phone and finally a call with a supervisor to get the reason for the delay. I had read some reviews where people stated they found out after the fact that a delay had been due to damage occurring to the vehicle in transit or mechanical issues not discovered previously. I wanted assurances that that was not the case.

Thursday, December 26th finally arrived and I was like a little kid at Christmas! My delivery window was 11am-2pm. I received a text notification that my car was out for delivery at 11 on the dot and then my driver called a minute later to let me know that according to his GPS his ETA was 12:15. He pulled up in front of my place at 12:14. I saw the truck from my window and went racing out the front door with no shoes and no coat, despite the fact that it was 28 degrees outside. My brother, a former mechanic (at a Mazda dealership ironically) was here to look the car over as well and came chasing after me with my shoes and a sweater hollering that I was I going to catch pneumonia. I ignored him and hopped around excitedly while the driver unloaded my car.

My brother and I both looked it over thoroughly and I took it for a short test drive. I fell in love instantly. When I say this car was PRISTINE inside and out I am not exaggerating! It was immaculate! I couldn't even find the two imperfections that had been listed as light scratches in the ad. It even smelled clean. It looked as if it had been washed and waxed that very morning. To say I was over the moon is an understatement.

The driver went over the registration process, what to do if I were to want to return the car, had me sign the tablet and we were done. I took the car to the mechanic the following morning as there's a local shop that is open on Sundays so I was able to do it right away. The car passed with flying colors! Brakes were as close to new as you can get, as were the tires, no mechanical or other issues found. The mechanic (who has worked on previous cars I've owned) said it was clear that the car was very well taken care of and had had regular upkeep and maintenance done (which was also apparent in the Carfax and played a large part in my choice). I left the mechanic's shop on CLOUD NINE!!!

The delivery driver had stated that it would take thirty to forty-five days to receive my state registration and plate. ELEVEN days later I received an email notification that my registration was complete and would arrive along with my plate within 5-7 business days. Nope. Just TWO days later I had my registration and plate in my hands.

The entire experience from beginning to end was easy, painless and PHENOMENAL! I will NEVER, ever buy a car through a dealership again. Carvana is far superior to any dealership I have ever dealt with and THE best part???? Aside from an AMAZING new (to me) car that I love.... No pushy, overbearing, obnoxious salesperson talking to me like I'm twelve because I happen to be a woman.

The vehicle was delayed by a 1 day delivery date which was disappointing at first but it worked out better because of our work schedules. The delivery driver Kelly called me first thing in the morning to offer earlier drop-off time. She was patient and kind when delivering the car and answering additional questions and it was a wonderful experience. Now my family is driving around in a super safe super luxurious feeling vehicle and we are thrilled!

There are 2 aspects of the vehicle I’m not too thrilled about. 1 is the auto engine turn-off when at a stop sign or such you are able to turn this off however it doesn’t stay off per profile so if you just jump in and go and forget to hit the button it will turn off each time and it’s annoying but not horrible and the 2nd is the GPS is not the most accurate, like it needs updated somehow due to roads being closed etc. My recommendation is double check the route or map on a different device for accuracy first. But I will definitely be coming to them when it’s time to look for teen cars!!!

* My purchase was through Carvana mostly because they offered more than local dealerships.

* I got my own financing because I could get a better rate through my credit union, but their offer was probably good if you just want the convenience of getting it all done together with the purchase.

* They claim to go through an extensive inspection on their cars, but what they don't tell you is that they don't fix a lot of the issues.

* I used the warranty that came with the purchase because the valve cover gaskets were leaking oil, rear strut boots were torn, and a window regulator was not allowing for the window to close all the way. It was a pleasant surprise when SilverRock (warranty) agreed to cover it all.

* Their in-network shops for warranty are mostly tires shops, but I did find a good repair facility for my initial inspection (within the first 7 days to decide if I wanted to return the car). They filed a claim and to my surprise, SilverRock agreed to pay an actual dealership to perform the repairs when the in-network shop suggested that I take it there. There was also a cracked third tail light that was not covered, so I found a used part to replace it.

* There's a lot of paperwork and electronic signatures required, especially if trading in, so I had to check multiple times a day and contact customer service towards the end to make sure everything was done. Unfortunately, some of the approvals were not finished by the Friday before Monday delivery, so I ended up receiving my car on Tuesday which is not a big deal to me.

* Overall, everyone I worked with was friendly and we got the deal done. Now just waiting for my repairs to be finished, it's been at the shop for 2 weeks... but the dealership gave a loaner so I'm not in a hurry.

Here is where the process completely broke down: Although the vehicle was returned, Carvana had already paid off my prior lender as part of the trade-in. Carvana is now attempting to leave me responsible for approximately $8,000 in unsecured negative equity for a vehicle I no longer own -- despite the return being caused by an undisclosed defect. Front-line representatives repeatedly fell back on "as-is" language, despite Carvana advertising a return policy and limited warranty that clearly contemplate defects. Requests for a full financial unwind and executive-level review were met with resistance and circular arguments, even after escalation.

To be clear: I am not disputing that negative equity existed. I am disputing being left with unsecured debt after a transaction that was rescinded due to a vehicle not as described. Carvana's return process is marketed as simple and consumer-friendly, but that promise does not hold up when a trade-in with negative equity is involved. Customers are not adequately warned that returning a defective vehicle can still leave them with thousands of dollars of debt and no car. I am currently awaiting executive resolution. Until this is resolved, I cannot recommend Carvana to anyone trading in a vehicle with an existing loan.

Here’s where things went wrong. On January 20th — AFTER the 7-day return window had already closed — I received an automated call telling me I had an urgent registration issue. When I logged into my account, I was informed that I now had just THREE DAYS to personally take the truck to a weigh station and obtain a weight certificate so Carvana could complete the registration. This requirement was never disclosed at the point of sale, never disclosed at delivery, and never disclosed during the return window.

To make matters worse: The nearest weigh station is over 2 hours away in Los Angeles. I explained I do not have the time to make a full-day round trip within 3 days. In California, registration is the dealer’s responsibility, not the customer’s. I offered to bring the truck to Carvana so THEY could have an employee weigh it. Their response? They refused, saying they “don’t have enough staff.” So let me get this straight: They charge $2,000 for delivery. They fail to complete required paperwork beforehand. They wait until after the refund window closes. Then they dump the responsibility on the customer. And when challenged, they claim they’re understaffed. This is not just bad service — it’s misleading and negligent.

Had Carvana: Disclosed this requirement upfront, or Included weighing the vehicle as part of their delivery process, or Informed me within the 7-day return period, I could have made an informed decision or returned the truck. Instead, they waited until I was trapped. Carvana has ZERO meaningful service after the sale. Once the car is delivered and the return window closes, you are completely on your own — even for problems caused by their own failures. I strongly recommend thinking twice before buying from Carvana, especially if you’re purchasing an out-of-state vehicle in California. What they promise upfront and what they deliver afterward are two very different things.

But still, Carvana and SilverRock denied the claim I filed, citing "the concern you've noted is not covered for repair due to the imperfection being considered minor and within typical wear and tear." Customer service just tells me I can return or replace the car, but I will not get the $990 nonrefundable shipping fee back. I will never buy a vehicle from them again and would highly advise against it for others.