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

The Good: Customer service, before I got the car and during the 7-day trial was great and friendly, gladly answering any questions. It was to easy to finance the car, see rates, find a car I love and get it delivered to my front door. After the hassle of looking and dealing with dodgy salespeople at local dealerships, I found this all a great relief.

The Bad: The system seems kind of glitchy. I had to sign the papers online about six times, including once after I got the car, which I signed before delivery online and in person so that could use a little tweaking. I took the car to a certified mechanic and found the oil was dirty and low (hadn't been changed in a long time) and there was evidence of small fender benders none of which was pointed out. However, the car was super clean and had no structural damage. I expected there would probably be something of the like with mileage as it seemed a dealership car and they often just fix rather than report. It was a good price and had no structural damage, so I was fine with that. My only concern was possibly something they should have pointed out. However, that is why you should take a car to a mechanic for a PPI.

The Ugly: The registration and plates are where things get ugly. On 12/9/2018 my 7-day guarantee ended. On 1/4/19 I received an email stating they needed more info from my insurance. I missed the email so they called me 1/07/19, so I replied right away giving them more info and requesting estimated date I could expect the plate and registration as I am just a bit worried as temp expires soon (expiration 01/17/19). I was told:

"At the moment we do not have an estimated time that your registration will be completed...If you have not received your registration on the date that your temporary tag expires, please give us a call at 800-333-4554 and our team will look into it for you!"

So I waited for a bit and on 01/14/19 I get a bit nervous and contact them again and I am told it's being worked on. I was advised after explaining my worries this by Danielle (1/14/2019, 11:34:50 AM):

"I completely understand, at this point, we are at the mercy of DMV timelines, however, we certainly do not want you to be without transportation. Try and see if the DMV is able to issue you a new temporary plate and if they are not, please contact us and we will work with you to find the best solution, we want to ensure you are taken care of."

So I contact the DMV and explain only to be told my car is not in the system and it's all up to the dealership, sorry. So about 28 minutes later I am back chatting with Carvana. I am then told by Savannah (1/14/2019, 12:14:03 PM):

"The registration has arrived at the DMV for completion and is typically completed in 4 days. It is possible it will get there the day of/after your temporary plates expire."

And then again by Savannah (1/14/2019, 12:14:33 PM):

"I would recommend chatting in day they expire if you have no received them and we can check the status and address the situation from there!"

So the day they expire comes and I am very concerned being my only vehicle. So I stop in chat again, they will check and email me later, and this is what I get:

"I did hear back from our registration team. As of right now the DMV has provided us with an Estimated Completion Date of 1/25/19.

Once completed they will send your permanent plates overnight via FedEx. We apologize for any inconvenience, they stated there was a delay due to proof of insurance missing the required info needed to begin registration process."

So even though I had only delayed them three days I wouldn't be getting my registration until about nine days after my plates expired. And if I don't get them before work, that's me having to drive a car with no plates and no registration, not even a pink slip. So I called, briefed the gentleman on the other end, who told me to try the DMV, though it's up to their discretion on whether they will help me or not. Explained further...He didn't offer any other solutions or ideas. So I said, "So you are pretty much telling me I am on my own right?" He replied "Yeah, sorry pretty much." That was it.

So yeah, I am so happy I paid them to take care of this and this is the help I get. Needless to say, if I get a ticket I do whatever I can legally do to address this issue. So thanks, Carvana.

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

Well, I will start off with this is the second time I've bought from Carvana this year. Everyone is nice, and the cars are as described. Note: look at the Carfax and don't get one from up north if you don't want rust. But with this last purchase, I bought a Ram 1500 to pull my 23ft Carolina Skiff.

The truck is as described, but the only problem is the paperwork. It got lost or whatever, and now my temporary tags have run out as of the 20th. I had to cut my vacation short to get the boat back home before the tags ran out. I was told I would have them on the 20th. The 21st came, and there are no tags. I called again and they said I would have them on the 24th. It's the 25th, and I have no tags. I called again, and now they say the tags may be on Friday or maybe Monday. And when you talk to them it's like they are reading from a script, word for word. So that's two weekends I'm screwed from fishing.

I hate to say it, but they've lost my business. I got two kids to buy cars for this fall, so it's back to a dealer.

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

I made a purchase through Carvana after my Civic flooded from Harvey. Since 99% of dealerships flooded in my area, I didn't have much of a choice. The car delivered had minor exterior body damage that wasn't disclosed in the listing (front deep scratch, rear chipping), and the front plastic tow hook was missing.

Several months later, I noticed a foul smell. After inspecting the car, I realized the passenger side front and rear carpet was damp. I took it to a mechanic and found out the windshield had been improperly replaced and was slowly leaking. That's why it took so long to discover it. So I ended up with two flooded vehicles.

Because it was out of the warranty period, Carvana refused to help me. You're better off purchasing from a dealership because at least you'll have physical people to work with. It's really no different in terms of sales. They're great until they get your money. My car will be paid off in three years, and because of these reasons, I will not be purchasing from Carvana again.

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

Carvana has not delivered vehicles as presented online. The first vehicle that I purchased was marketed as an AWD vehicle, but after it was delivered and further research, it was only FWD. I called and explained the situation and was told it should be AWD, but they would follow up with a different Team. I was contacted back and told that the vehicle was only FWD and they apologized. They stated I could return or get $250. AWD cost more than this and I selected to return. I selected a new vehicle on a Monday, and then received an email on Thursday that the vehicle has a mechanical malfunction and need to reschedule the delivery. Since they sent an email and did not call, I called them to find out the keys had been lost. In addition, it would take another week to get the keys replaced. Disappointed in my experience, I asked the time frame in which I could get back my car that I traded in. The agent could not locate my car and stated she would follow up with me by the end of the day. However, no one ever called and followed up. I am still waiting to find my car.

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

I ordered a Mercedes C300 on Carvana about a month or so ago. The initial application and delivery were great. The issues started when the car arrived. I noticed the paint was rough and so was the windshield. Almost like a sand parade texture. I took it to a body shop where I was informed the car had overspray all over it and looked like it had cheaply been fixed after an accident. The repairs were over $1,000, which Carvana was willing to fix.

After driving around a few more days I noticed a rattle under the car and took it to Mercedes. They also noticed it and recommended I bring it in for repair. At this point, I was looking at a car I just bought being in the shop for two weeks and decided to just exchange it for another one. I’m concerned how no one at Carvana mentioned the paint issues nor were they initially disclosed. Thankfully I caught it within the first 7 days.

Now moving on to the exchange vehicle. It has been 9-10 days since it left Carvana for delivery. The delivery is past the expected time frame so I have been without a car since this whole thing started. When I call or chat Carvana, no one seems to know exactly where the car is or when I will get it. I am told to just wait by the phone. Meanwhile, I’m spending a lot of money on taxis to get to and from work every day. Now I am sitting here hoping to get a call that I will have a car this week.

Overall I am disappointed in this whole experience and at this point would not recommend this route to anyone unless they live right near a Carvana location.

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

I purchased two vehicles from Carvana a year ago. A 2014 Chevrolet Camaro and a 2014 Ford Fiesta. Both cars had a clean vehicle history report. But after owning my Camaro for a couple weeks, I realized overspray all over the black grille. So I looked closer and found painter's tape stuck under the car still and more overspray inside the gas door. So it had the front end and the rear quarter panel repainted at the least. Assuming it was in a wreck. And with the tape still being stuck up under the car, it couldn't have been there for long. Carvana had to be the ones who repaired it and never reported it to vehicle history report somehow. I am very disappointed. And the interior had a lot of scratches that weren't shown in the pictures online. Also, the car only had 24,000 miles on it when I purchased it. Luckily I was able to give rid of the car.

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

So my car was delivered with a nail in the tire and the tire air sensor light on. The delivery person said he stopped to put air in the tire but didn’t have $.75 to use the machine and says he didn’t know about the nail in the tire. Within 30 minutes of getting the car I was getting a new tire, Carvana agreed to overnight the money to me. I also noticed several good sized paint chips and scrapes in the rear of the vehicle none of which was disclosed. After sending in pictures and estimates of the damage (over $1,000), they agreed to pay for the damage. Within days I noticed the air conditioner did not work AT ALL! Luckily this was covered under warranty but still an inconvenience to spend MORE time getting this car in the condition it was supposed to be in when delivered. This is a 2017 vehicle with 43,000 miles when delivered.

NOW, the brakes didn’t really feel "right"...wasn’t sure if it was because it was a different vehicle than I was used to or if something was wrong but then I started hearing a metal "clink" when pressing the brakes so I took it to a Kia dealership and left with a $1,100.00 estimate for new brake pads and rotors! The technician said he "could see that the brake pads were installed without resurfacing the rotors causing a metal to metal grinding noise." He also said the rotors were rusted way more than a vehicle with 44,000 should be and that the problem most definitely should have been discovered in a 150 point inspection!

I haven’t notified Carvana/SilverRock YET because I am FURIOUS at the moment! ALL of the issues I’ve had SHOULD have been discovered in the 150-point inspection! I traded a 13-year-old vehicle with none of these issues, in fact, the $1,100 repair estimate is the same exact work I had on done on my car about 6,000-7,000 miles before trading it to Carvana! I got a newer vehicle with a warranty so I wouldn’t have to worry as much about repairs! I live paycheck to paycheck DOWN TO THE PENNY and cannot afford to have this work done! Be ready, I’ll be calling soon!

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

This has been a bad experience since the beginning - and unfortunately, it's not over. My coworker had a great experience with Carvana, so we decided to give it a try. And even if you have a good experience, be prepared to have to wait hours for a call back on even the smallest issue. We loved the first car we test drove - a 2014 Expedition - but it had a slow leak in the front tire. We notified Carvana and made arrangements for them to pick up the car. In the meanwhile, we found that my husband's financing terms with Carvana were much better than what I had been quoted. We asked that when they returned to car to us, we switch the financing to him. Then Carvana lost the car. Then Carvana said the car had been promised to someone else. Then Carvana said we could get the car.

The car was returned to us 7 days later. That afternoon when we went to drive it, the low tire pressure light was on. When we called Carvana about the tire, they said that the slow leak had been noted but since we had decided not to purchase the car (not true) they had chosen not to fix it. (Even if we had decided not to purchase the car, it was a known defect that they chose to ignore.) We were told that we'd need to take the car to an ASE certified technician and that Carvana would cover the repair - including the $50 deductible. Of course, to find an ASE certified technician, I had to log into their 3rd party warranty site using our Carvana paperwork. Guess what - Carvana hadn't entered the paperwork, so we had to wait another 24 hours. After taking the car in, the mechanic called and told us that Carvana had refused to pay for the tire and that he'd discovered a "significant" leak in the power steering line. My husband and I tried calling Carvana back beginning at 3 pm today. Finally, after 7 pm, someone chose to call us back. In a way, the fact that they didn't fix the tire was a blessing since the mechanic found the power steering leak. Carvana's unwillingness to accept responsibility (they continue to call this a miscommunication) is mind-boggling. We still haven't gotten confirmation from Carvana that they are paying for the tire, but you better believe that we will never ever darken the door of this slap dash sorry excuse for a dealership again. As my husband said, we're going back to Carmax where they treat us like customers, not suckers.

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

Got a good used vehicle for a good price. Once they got my money, the customer service started to suck. Still don't have the license plate. Worse than a traditional car dealership. Would not purchase from them again.

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

I purchased a white 2014 Honda CR-V through Carvana on 11/28/16, and had an awful experience throughout the process. When I made the purchase there was an issue with my paperwork. Not one person from Carvana contacted me to correct the error.

After three-four days of no word on the purchase process, I called Carvana. Once that error was corrected, I was told it would take two weeks to receive my car. I was incredibly disappointed, as the website stated I would receive my car in 7 days.

On 12/11/16 I received a call and a series of texts from the delivery driver stating that my car would arrive on 12/12/16 at 6:00am. Around two hours after the scheduled delivery time, the truck arrived at the agreed upon location. The delivery truck had three cars, none of which were the car I purchased.

He told me that Carvana didn't give him the right car, and he didn't double check the paperwork. I then called Carvana to explain the delivery issue. I spoke with three different people to try to correct the error. I was put on hold for 20 minutes before I hung up. I called back asking to speak with someone else, and was told to call back later. Brittnee Penson, a supervisor, then called me back and told me that I “sound like [I’m] done with this” and wanted to know what it was I wanted her to do.

I have never been treated so rudely by a company. Eventually Teresa Aragon contacted me to correct the error. She asked me to give Carvana another chance by taking some of the delivery fees off of the final price. I agree, and my car is delivered two days later, which of course made me wonder why I had to wait 2 weeks the first time around. After signing for the car, the delivery driver tells me they had to jump the battery to get it onto the truck. I asked him if there was something I was supposed to do to make sure the battery wouldn't die again and he told me no, it seemed to be running fine. I agreed to meet the delivery drivers in a parking lot within a 5 minute walking distance to my house. So, I drove the car to my house, went inside to get my fiancé to show him the car, and the battery died again. We immediately called the delivery guys to come jump the car, because we do not have jumper cables. He says he is about 10 minutes down the road, that it's not his problem our car won't start, and that he will not turn around to jump the car.

I then called Carvana back to explain the situation and they offered to pay for a replacement battery and to tow my car to get the replacement battery installed. The car was dirty inside and out, even though I was promised they would go over the car with a fine tooth comb. I would absolutely never recommend this company to anyone. A word of advice, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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

I regret my decision to purchase a car with Caravan.

It was purchased on December 2, 2016, and I followed up on January 3, 2017, when I did not receive my plates in the mail at that point. They assured me there was a small typo in the VIN and advised me to apply for an extension at the DMV within in the next two weeks.

After a week and a half, I went to the DMV and attempted to apply for this but was told the dealer still hadn't even submitted any registration documents at all! When I called the dealer, they apologized and said they would overnight the required documents, and that they were "waiting for a check from another department." I have been told this same excuse several times now.

I was assured the registration would be delivered after Martin Luther King Day when the temporary plates expired. Sadly, when I returned to the DMV to re-apply for the extension, they told me my temporary plate belonged to a completely different car (2013 Ford)!

My temporary tag has now expired. I have requested to speak to a manager several different times with no response from any manager at this point. The employees I do talk to seem confused. I have filed two complaints with different bureaus of the state. Georgia is very particular about car registrations since they receive a proportionally large amount of revenue from this.

In summary, I am terrified to drive because I cannot legally drive the car that I purchased from Carvana. I have to walk or take public transportation to get around. It is extremely disappointing.

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