Carvana Reviews - How It Works, Warranty, Financing, Returns

I saw an ad on TV for Carvana and became intrigued by the idea of a car vending machine (pretty cool). I got the app and browsed a couple times until I found the perfect car. I was easily able to use the app to fill out the paperwork and upload the necessary documents. I did have to call the customer advocates a few times but they were quick to answer and helped right away. Finally, the car was scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday. On Tuesday (right at the time of delivery), I got a call from another customer advocate informing me the delivery would have to be rescheduled because the "check engine" light came on. Of course I’m upset and I’m starting to doubt purchasing the car. I figured I could have my mechanic look at it and, if anything, I can just return it. On Friday, the car was finally delivered. Between Tuesday and Friday, I got in contact with the customer advocate delivering the car to find out what the issue was. I was informed on the day of the delivery the car just needed an oil change. Apparently, there was a mix-up between the "check engine" light and the "maintenance" light. Nevertheless, the paperwork was easy to sign during the delivery. I did have my mechanic take a look at it and he could see nothing wrong with the car. As for the registration process, there was an issue with a section being filled out on the insurance forms (change in state forms). The issue was easy to resolve and the customer advocates were easy to work with. I got my registration the day after delivery (Saturday, wow). Overall, I would recommend Carvana to anybody who is interested or curious. Do expect some hiccups along the way but the advocates make it easier. I love my car and the process was worth it ultimately.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I decided to give Carvana a try after being in an accident that left me with a broken ankle and some other injuries. I was in need of a replacement family vehicle fairly quickly and unable to walk around big dealerships or drive far. The overall experience has been smooth. The ease of the transaction completed online or through the app is unmatched. I appreciated all the customer service reps, from every phone call received to the delivery drivers. I ultimately ended up trading in my vehicle once within the 7-day guarantee just because I wanted more features.

I believe the detailed pictures did the vehicle justice. The stains and dings look worse online than in person in my opinion. These cars appear to be well-maintained and love that they only provide vehicles that have no prior accidents!

Some bad things: the vehicle description and the actual vehicle I received did not match. I was expecting an SEL and received an SE (the vehicle sticker matched so I am ok). My 2nd delivery was late which was reportedly due to detailing. When I receive the truck, it was still covered in dust/dirt on the top and the inside smelled of wetness (mildew) as if they were rushing and did not let the seats dry.

Overall, still a good experience.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

This is the first time I have bought such a major item sight unseen - except for a few photographs.

Here are the cons first...

More photos are the first thing Carvana could improve upon. Most reputable car dealership websites have lots (2 dozen or more) photos of each car. Carvana needs to fix this.

Second, why the heck do you folks not like scanned documents - they have much better resolution than a darn cell phone pic. I submitted high-resolution scans of some of my documents only to have them rejected. Something against PDF scans?

Third, at delivery we noted that the car had been previously owned by a dog owner, more effort should have been taken to remove said dog hair. We took an hour with lint rollers to get the back end clean. There was also a tad bit of odor. The fact that a dog had occupied the vehicle should have been disclosed.

Forth, the vehicle was delivered with its TPMS system uncalibrated. We checked the tires before resetting the system and found that all 4 tires were VERY overinflated by 13 to 20 psi. MFG says tires should be 35 psi - as delivered the lowest tire was 48 psi. We reduce tire pressures to 35 psi and reset the system.

Pros...

The process was definitely easy and fast. I thoroughly enjoyed not having to go to a dealership.

The finance rate was competitive.

Vehicle flaws were disclosed on the website (except dog owner).

Love the fact that I don't have to go to Tag Agent.

In summary, my experience with Carvana was generally positive. I would recommend them to anyone who hates lying, bait and switch car dealerships (beware Ferguson in Norman, OK).

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

So far, my new purchase from Carvana has been a great experience. I love the car, and the process of getting the car was rather simple. Getting approved for financing was a big deal, as other dealers would not approve me (especially with the terms Carvana offered).

It was a shame the vending machine was broken. Really wanted to see that in action!

The only issues have been getting my car through inspection. Small issues like license plate lights and tinted windows made the car fail, and those fixes were cheap. Carvana did approve to pay for those fixes, but the process of submitting a claim and finding the right service providers in "the network" was difficult. I just paid for the fixes myself.

The person who handed me the keys to my car did not seem to understand the laws in my state regarding getting a car registered, and calling Carvana proved similar issues. The guy walked in and out of the office 5 times to ask his boss questions, and I’ve been put on hold multiple times for the representative to get answers. I’m still not sure if I submitted the correct paperwork, but we shall see!

Even with these issues though, the overall experience has been great. The financing terms are competitive, and I really really love my car.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Overall I am happy with the vehicle and the deal. There were a few bumps in the road. One suggestion would be to assign a representative to each vehicle or a "team" I think I communicated with a dozen different people. The good part was each person was able to quickly get to my info so I didn't have to start from ground zero each time. The delay was good since it stretched over Black Friday and they gave me the $1000 discount on my 2016 Tundra. Since the Tundra is a popular vehicle I had a couple I was interested in say "sale pending." I ended up finding the "coming soon" section and found one that sounded good even without pix as a one owner Texas truck. It ended up being a dealer upgraded TSS that was a big bonus!

I did notice in the pix that the TPMS light was on but it also wasn't really clean in the pix so I figured it had not gone through everything yet so didn't mention it. I got a call before delivery about it and was given the choice of them fixing and deliver later or take delivery and take it to be fixed. I did the later not wanting to wait. Then found out had to go through the warranty to get fixed. My dealer calibrated the TPMS system without charge saying too much hassle to file the claim with the warranty company.

The vehicle was otherwise clean, fast, and efficient delivery and paperwork...So I would recommend some changes in this area to make followup issues go smoother for the customer.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I have purchased Nissan Rogue during Thanksgiving time. Process to buy a car is very smooth. Also would like to mention that customer care staff is very co-operative and helpful. There is almost no wait time to connect customer services. Mostly you don't need to call also as everything is online and even the web portal is user-friendly.

Regarding the online buying experience, you will get all the details of the car along with photos so it's easy to make a decision.

Car delivery is on time as mentioned while booking an order.

Overall I am happy with Carvana and am enjoying my car.

Thank you Carvana and Team.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I was skeptical at first but it was a very easy and quick process. I went online and requested a quote for the sale of my car (not trade-in). I was given a quote of almost $2k over KBB so I was happy. I owed a little more than the quote so I got a cashier's check for the difference. They scheduled the pick-up for 3 days out, they were on time, had the bill of sale paperwork all ready and loaded up the car. Exactly 7 days later I was notified by my auto loan company that the car had been paid in full. Super easy!

The one thing I did not like was that Carvana doesn’t make a note to your Carvana account to track the process. After they picked up my car, I didn't hear anything else from them by e-mail or phone. I found out the transfer was completed only from my car finance company. Overall a good experience with the sale. Would recommend!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Carvana lets you choose and buy a car online and have it available for pickup or delivered to your door. After choosing a car and completing the forms, the online process stops and every step after takes place over the phone. You will have to conference call the bank to confirm funding, phone calls for the delivery and phone calls for any mistakes made on their end.

All the forms are post-dated, so that can slow down state registration after you take delivery. For example, my bill of sale was post-dated by 6 days after the funds were withdrawn from my account. I was erroneously billed MA sales tax and had to be refunded. There was no tracking or email updates so I had to call back repeatedly to check the status of that payment.

After taking delivery of my car I was repeatedly called by Carvana and delivery people for a car I didn't buy, they mixed up my number with another client. The car itself is great and was what I was looking for, but expect a few headaches during the process.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Let me give a comprehensive review of what I went through.

First of all, I would like to mention that the customer service throughout the entire process was very good.

The first car I attempted to purchase was no good. There were issues with the spark plug coils or oxygen sensor. After bringing it to the dealership, Carvana waived any expenses, including a rental for two weeks. The car (2013 Jetta) did some pretty scary things on the highway (engine seizing).

So, they came and got that and traded me for a 2014 Kia Forte. The car is awesome. Again, the customer service was excellent for the delivery, all the issues I went through and never having to take my card out of my pocket for any of the expenses from the previous vehicle. The gave good customer service over the phone, too.

Some notes for my Kia; the interior/detailing of the vehicle was very lackluster. The car feels like it needs an alignment, so I got a tire rotation with my first oil change just to make sure that wasn't the only issue. But, yeah, I'll need an alignment or tire balance still.

My only real issue with Carvana is that they claim that their vehicles are inspected and make it seem like you should have no real issues, but some minor things (a nice detailed clean, alignment, and tire balance) and major things (whatever ended up really happening with the Jetta) were overlooked.

I think the concept, the customer service and the ease of business are great, but they can improve in the inspection and detailing department. By the way, I also found some old junk in the Jetta and a package for an e-cigarette in the Kia Forte. Just makes me wonder if they actually even cleaned it?

I would probably still buy another car with them, though, because everything else was really impressive.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

The Carvana staff are extremely friendly, the purchase process was effortless, but the overall experience left a bad taste in my mouth.

After spending some time with my 2013 Cadillac ATS, I've found that my windshield has permanent mineral deposit damage (it's difficult to see through in direct sunlight), there are scratches all over the other windows, and there are other cosmetic issues that were not highlighted on the website. In addition to this, the steering wheel creaks whenever I turn it. None of these problems are covered under the limited warranty. I'm considering legal options to have these issues corrected.

I'd like to see the travel voucher problem expanded to include reimbursement for other modes of travel. I was not reimbursed for a less expensive train ticket (I'm afraid of flying and live far outside of a delivery zone).

I'm not sure if I'd buy a car from Carvana again, and I'd advise anyone considering it to inspect their vehicle closely before taking ownership.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Carvana staff is amazing to work with and had no problems. I was iffy about doing a purchase online, but tried it anyway. When I picked up the car, the vending machine part was a little interesting and different. The car was clean from the outside when I got it, but it smelled like a freight train, and the windows were so full of nicotine it was disgusting. The floor mats were dirty, and the seats were dirty; the car could have had more cleaning done.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend