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

Great way to purchase a car, unfortunately, everything after clicking the buy button was a nightmare. I found a car that I liked and the purchase process was straightforward and easy. I was then able to schedule a time for delivery.

My first delivery date was canceled and postponed over a week. A couple of hours before the second delivery time Carvana called and said that it would be delayed again until the next day. I had plans to go out of town the following morning. Finally, the delivery driver (the only competent Carvana employee I've dealt with) said that he would be able to deliver the car several hours later that the original time. It ended up being almost midnight before he showed up.

The car had numerous chips in the paint that were not documented in the sale listing. In fact, the sale listing said that there were no cosmetic issues with the car. The delivery driver apologized for the issue and said they Carvana would have this fixed. The repair team contacted me and said the paint would not be fixed.

Upon the second delivery delay, the local manager said that I would be compensated $25 per day from the original delivery date. He said that a check would be mailed after the 7-day trial period was over. I'm writing this review almost 2 months later and that check has yet to come. I contacted Carvana again and was told that they have no record of this promise.

Stick with CarMax if you want a better experience. I've bought several cars from them and never had any issues.

To be sure, this should be a 1-star review. Carvana as a whole deserves 1 star. The delivery driver, Will T, is the sole reason for bumping it to 2 stars.

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

Purchased a 2011 Jaguar XJL and was, for the most part, very pleased with the process (placing the order, the feedback, signage of paperwork, delivery, etc.). However, the 150-point inspection needs some serious work. Less than 300 miles (2 weeks) into driving the car, there was a huge puddle of coolant on my garage floor. I also noticed that one of the rear AC vents was not blowing. So I brought antifreeze and took the car to the dealership. Silver Rock did approve both repairs, which was a plus (no additional money out of my pocket - but did spend unnecessary time and fuel). The dealership also found that the engine belt was worn and that the cabin pollen filter was excessively dirty. I had the dealership replace them both at my personal expense ($409.35). All these issues should have been addressed during the 150-point inspection. In addition to these mechanical issues, there is overspray on my windshield and passenger side window. No idea why, since the Carfax says no accidents. There are also gray-colored arrows on the body of the car, maybe drawn on there to point out defects that needed attention. Two of the tire air pressure caps were missing (called Carvana about that and was told "they are relatively inexpensive, you can go by some and we will reimburse you". I didn't bother sending in the receipt, as I felt they should have sent some to me, instead of inconveniencing me. These issues should have been addressed during the detailing and washing of the vehicle, prior to delivery to me. I paid over the market value for this car, with the hopes Carvana had done exactly what they said they had done in the car's bio. I'm disappointed with the condition of the car and expected better.

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

First I will state this was to be my 3rd car purchase through Carvana. The first - fairly seamless. The second did not go quite so well - a miscommunication here/there, with the biggest issues related to the actual delivery time frame agreement. Caused me the need to rent a car, have insurance longer than needed, endless phone calls. Nonetheless, I made it through the process and the car was as promised. So when I needed to purchase another vehicle I turned to Carvana (albeit with some hesitancy). I did find a car which could be delivered by Monday (perfect timing due to upcoming travel plans), purchased, preapproved through BofA so this should have been a breeze! Right? Nope. Turns out I was not given all paperwork needed for BofA and when I called over the weekend to find out what was occurring I was informed I needed to upload a different agreement. They shared they were not aware I was preapproved or they would have handled it differently. Ugh! Really! We spoke and BofA is on all of my paperwork...They could not have called, sought clarification, etc? I ask "will we be able to keep the schedule" and I am informed that will depend on BofA and if they will be able to get this done. I remind them any delay is due to Carvana, not BofA. When I call for an update I am told BofA has not yet posted approval so we cannot reschedule until BofA responds so this is a BofA issue, not Carvana. By the end of that call, I am furious.

Take ownership Carvana! So now I head out of town and this time I am not as willing to forgive. And apparently Carvana does not care as they said "ok well, your offer will expire and it will go back on the market." No apology. No responsibility. At some point, the "cost" of these errors and good customer service is something that Carvana needs to take into consideration.

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

At first, everything seemed on track with them when I made my first attempt at a car purchase. Just before delivery I realized that the car listed wasn’t the one I wanted (Tesla Model 3 Long-range) but in fact, it was a Mid-range model. Now, the customer service rep was great, she helped me comb through all the listings to find the model I wanted (even had upgrades) for only $200 more (but picking a new car, pushed delivery one week). Fast forward, three days before delivery (31st of October 2019) I get a call saying they cannot make the delivery date because the car was not charged and missed the transport...it’s an electric vehicle...you mean to tell me no one checked to make sure it was charged and ready for transport? Seriously? 150-point inspection and no one looked at the battery on an electric car...Now, delivery is pushed another week, ok fine. My new issue is I travel for work and the new delivery day is one day before I leave for the weekend (4 days for work), so the 7-day money-back guarantee is now cut down to 3 before I have to decide (mind you I want to bring it to the Tesla dealer to get an inspection). So frustrating. Now I sit and wait for the delivery day once again. I will update the review after the car arrives.

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

I bought a 2019 Dodge Challenger with 30k miles two months ago. A month before I bought it the crank sensor was serviced, and in the two months I have had the vehicle, the vehicle has been in the shop for a month of it. The vehicle was repaired with after-market parts which voided the original factory warranty. The repair was not disclosed and the car has been a lemon purchase. Carvana also damages the vehicle in transport to the pick-up and refused to list damages on the Carfax when I asked and the rep told me it would be to protect the resale value. Carvana will hide the history of a vehicle to make a sale. Now I am stuck with the tow fees and unreliable transportation two months into a 72-month agreement. Do not use Carvana!

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

I purchased a vehicle through Carvana last year. Though I was initially satisfied with my experience, this has now changed to disappointed. I failed my inspection today due to the window tinting on my vehicle. I now have to pay more money to have the tint removed. Carvana should let customers know this ahead of time. My next vehicle will not be purchased through Carvana.

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

Our Carvana experience started on October 31st. We picked out a vehicle and agreed on a fair offer for my trade and got approved for the financing through Carvana and a delivery date of November 16th, everything went very smooth. On November 1st I noticed in a close up picture of the driver side of my car I see 3 pedals. So I call and find out their description of the vehicle was wrong, we wanted an automatic but actually the car was a standard. No problem, they tell us to cancel the order and pick out another vehicle. We did pick out another vehicle within an hour and got the same delivery date of November 16th. On the night of November 15th, we get a call from Carvana telling us that there is a title issue with the car and have to move the delivery to November 27th. We say fine, readjust our schedule, and wait 12 more days. In the meantime, I'm paying for insurance on a car that's still not in my possession.

So on November 26th, we get a call from our advocate telling us they can't deliver our car because their hauler is not NY DOT compliant. But they say "we see you have a trade, would you mind driving it to our hub and do the switch and paperwork there". So now they have taken away the main reason we bought this way, to see it come to our house. So we drive our trade there, fortunately, it was only a half-hour drive, and we do the deal there just like a traditional dealer.

We do believe we got a decent car at a good value and a good trade-in value but no better than the dealer I usually use. The biggest problem I see with this process is logistics. Getting the vehicle in a timely manner is most important and working quicker with NY DMV. I think from now on I'll go back and spend a few hours at my dealer and drive my car home and avoid waiting almost a month for my car. I'm sure as time goes on the process will get better. Thanks for reading.

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

Because of my unique situation, I was unable to drive or start the vehicle until the Carvana rep had dropped off my vehicle and left. Upon first driving the vehicle, the acceleration was extremely problematic and after taking it to the shop they also told me the bottom had extreme rust to the point components were falling off. The car has been in the shop more days than I've had it since purchase and I'm still waiting and hoping the shop can figure out what is wrong so I can drive it again. I want to love this company but got sold a lemon.

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

Everything with the initial purchase and delivery went amazing. The woman that delivered the car was fantastic and the sales agents were super helpful! However, I am now dealing with registration issues. My previous car was totaled and I’m waiting for some forms for insurance that are needed to register the car and get a refund on the sales tax.

I have communicated with Carvana a number of times on the phone and through chat. The other day I got an email threatening repossession because I have not uploaded the forms yet dispute the fact that multiple agents said to take the time I need. I immediately called and the agent on the phone sort of said "too bad so sad". She didn’t really say that, she was trying to be helpful but was not clear and didn’t seem to have the ability to transfer me to anyone that could help.

I am working on the insurance company and trying to get a couple more weeks to figure all this out but I can’t get in touch with any supervisors or anyone that can help.

I'm really unsure what to do and frustrated at their customer support. I’m hoping I can get someone that can help next time I call.

Overall I loved the buying experience and support. I loathe the post-sale support.

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

Purchased a 2013 Passat TDI (think "Dieselgate" bargain) and loved the car. However, it turned out to have hidden rust, so I returned it within the 7 days and received a full refund, as promised. HOWEVER, from the moment my order was confirmed via email, until the day our dealings were done when the refund hit my bank account, I never received another email or text or call advising me of the status of my pickup, my subsequent return (160 miles away so need to know we are on the same page to avoid driving over there for nothing), or refund. I never knew where I stood with them. Chatting and calling got me long wait times and vague general answers not specific to my transaction. When I returned the car, I actually had to ask for a copy of the return agreement. Carvana would have sent me on my way with nothing to prove I even returned the car!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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

First, I would have written this on Carvana's site but I never received an opportunity to review in an email and they would not provide one (they have a limited time to review which explains all the high ratings on their site).

I am at 45 days and no registration and temp from another state expired. I get that COVID closed some state DMVs but in my state (NH) registrations are done at town offices, you never have to go to the state DMV. My town offices have been open since the third week of June and I have registered three cars there since 92 renewals and one purchased mercifully not at Carvana. During my wait, my license on Carvana's file system expired but I had renewed it. I follow my "Dashboard" on Carvana and it says registration materials have been submitted for processing. Several days before temp registration expired I contact customer service to see the status of registrations - after 1 and 1/2 hour wait they say "your license on file expired, we can't submit registration". What, on June 15 my license on file expires and I renew it but nobody from Carvana indicates (until I contact them on July 11) that I need to submit a valid current license. They NEVER would have contacted me.

Three "advocates," 7 hours waiting, the first one apologizes and says "we should have contacted you" and promises to get back to me in a half an hour - no follow-up from her. Later another "advocate" is nice and sympathetic, promises to see about a rental and guarantees she will contact me on Wednesday when she returns to work. Today, no sympathy, no apologies, my fault because the license had expired, I explain I had a valid one l when I bought the car and it was their delay in processing and in never contacting me that was the problem. No help, "is there anything else I can help you with today" is all I get.

I have a car I can't drive 45 days after buying it and nobody will even tell me if they got the uploaded current license let alone if it will be another 45 days before I can. No help, customer service "advocates" are a joke - I will be posting the entire transcript of my conversations with the "advocates" so people can see how little help and clueless they are - basically, they (well 2 out of 3) try to be sympathetic without actually doing anything to help.

If you need a car PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not use Carvana because you will be stuck as many of the reviews on this site note. DO NOT USE REVIEWS ON CARVANA, THEY ALL WERE REQUIRED TO BE WRITTEN BEFORE REGISTRATION ISSUES DEVELOP.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

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