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

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

First I’d like to start by saying if you look at the reviews on Carvana's website, they are all great for the most part. Then when I read these reviews, I was like, ahh, these are the true Carvana reviews.

My father and I found a car we liked and went through the online process and found that user-friendly and pleasant. Then the terror began. They wanted us to call and verify our down payment was available in the bank. So we 3-way called the bank and verified funds set up delivery. They said they will deliver the car and remove money. Simple enough.

They then quoted us on the phone one payment amount then changed the amount because they had erased our entered information and entered their own. Then they added gap insurance and quoted us a crazy high number that I said can’t be right. "Oh yea, sorry Mr. Johnson, we will get it right." Ok great. The car is delivered, nice driver. We assume all was done.

Nope. I start receiving threatening emails demanding we wire payment, send a cashier's check, etc. We were told they auto withdrawal from the account. They then call and say we entered the wrong account number. However, wait a minute, we never entered an account number, it was done on the phone that they verified funds on. They treated us like we were trying not to pay because of their incompetence. I’m like sure, I’ll wire money, what are you gonna do for our inconvenience? Well, I got my answer when one employee hung up on us.

So we wired the money and they are still calling and threatening. I guess eventually they will figure out it was paid. I would just pay off remaining loan amount to avoid them making money on interest but was advised by there employee that they don’t care, they don’t handle the loans, they just sell cars. I wish I had sent it back, but my father does like the car, which was slightly overpriced. This is the last car anyone in my family buys from Carvana. As others have said, once the sale is made, you got what you got, no help from them afterward.

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

So I bought into the process of this place. Easy, online, no pesky sales people - you are in charge and it all should go seamlessly, right? Ehhh hold up.

So I'll be the first to say that initially, everything was great. I found the car that I wanted, signed all the docs online, and got my financing squared away with my bank. They initially stated they had to work with a 3rd party to get the car delivered as I live in Maine, which was fine. We had it all scheduled, and then we hit a small bump - the battery apparently was dead and delayed the delivery. They replaced it, and then offered to actually deliver it with a Carvana truck as opposed to the 3rd party...we'd just have to drive an hour south. I was perfectly fine with that. Car pickup was great, everything as described, no hang-ups. But wait for it...it gets juicy.

Upon pickup, the guy had me take some docs saying that they had to be notarized and signed in order for registration to be squared away for Maine. Seemed odd to me, considering that I could easily knock this out at my town office in 5-10 minutes, but fine - you guys are the experts. I do as requested and wait for 3 weeks. Nothing.

My temp tag is for Georgia as that is where Carvana runs its processing and has its used dealer license at as far as states. I have roughly a week left on my temp tag. Carvana sends me a text stating a new form is being FedEx'd for registration - uh what?! They apparently sat on the last form forever and then got to me stating the previous one was not valid for whatever reason. OK, so new form signed, notarized, and sent off.

I call them up - the rep states it'll get submitted and if any road bumps hit in the next week, a new temp tag can be sent. OK great.

Fast forward to a few days before expiration, and I have no plates. I call and they state that they CAN'T (YES, can't) issue new temp tags since I'm not a resident of Georgia, and can't issue a Maine temp tag as they don't have a used dealer license here. So, here I am with my new car, but no way to drive it legally because tags can't be extended and plates are not here.

But not to worry, they said they can get me a rental car with Enterprise. Wait...are you serious? So now I need to take time off to go get the rental, have a hold on my bank card as a deposit, and be exposed to additional liabilities as insurance coverage is limited with rental cars (and no, they won't pay for additional insurance on the rental)? Yep, that was their solution.

So overall, the only way I can see going through Carvana as being a good experience is if you live in Georgia. Then, if some insane thing happens in the registration process, you can at least get temp tags extended. Anywhere else, JUST GO LOCAL. If I had known this purchase would be this much of a headache for something as simple as getting plates for the vehicle, which literally takes 5-10 minutes at my local town office, I would have. But then again, you'd think a company would have a handle on its operations to do this easy task, right?

In the meantime...my new car is sitting in the driveway, not legally drivable, and I'm waiting for Enterprise to pick me up.

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

I was going to buy a car from them in the beginning. I put my home address, and I told them where I wanted the car delivery (to my apartment because I was selling my house), the down payment was $800 down. My house sold, I put the apartment address on. When I got ready to get the car this week, they told me for the same car now the down payment will be $4,000 just because my address changed. That is crazy. They don't care and told me there is nothing that they can do.

Be very careful with this company. If you have one little thing changed, like the address, they will screw you on the down payment. I am going to a dealership.

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

I bought a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 42,000 miles on it from Carvana six months ago. The process itself was not a bad experience, but about three weeks ago, while driving my kids to a piano lesson we stopped under a red light on a hill and the vehicle shut off, wouldn’t start and the check engine light and battery light came on.

I had the vehicle towed to my house because it was too late to take it to a garage at the time. At my house, the vehicle started again, so I called Carvana Care (SilverRock) and told them what was happening with the vehicle, and they told me to take it to one of the garages listed on their website to get it looked at, which I did. I took it to Midas in Chapel Hill, Akron, Ohio.

First, the Midas Mechanic told me after diagnosing the vehicle that it was the head; that was when my nightmare started. After that, they told me it was the head gasket, and then it was air conditioning, and the then there something wrong with the vehicle computer, and now there is a problem with one of the valves. I have requested they give my vehicle back to me, and they have refused to do so because they took out the head again.

During all this time I have been calling Carvana and letting them know what these guys are telling me and wondering aloud if they sold me a lemon. I even asked them if they would allow me to exchange this vehicle with all the problems it has and how much I am paying for it. Carvana refused to do that, but they want me to trade it in for far less for what I bought the vehicle for and buy another vehicle from them.

I have already missed a few days of work, and I can’t take my kids to their events because I currently don’t have a vehicle. I drive about 40 miles to and from work every day, which is why I need a reliable vehicle but Carvana doesn’t care about that. They got their money and that's all that matters to them. What kind of mess have I got myself into?

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

I'm so upset I want to cry.

I've had my car for exactly three months and I've been experiencing so many different issues. I had to get an oil change one month after I got the car. I had to replace my battery 2 and 1/2 months after I bought the car. My headlight needed to be changed five days after I bought the car, along with putting air into my tires because I had low tire pressure. Now I need to buy new brakes and rotors.

All of these things were supposed to be checked before the vehicle was delivered and clearly wasn't. I've written to Carvana's repair department, left a message on the corporate phone and emailed the president of the company and haven't heard back from any of them.

Do not purchase a vehicle from here, I am warning you. I've already informed Carvana that I would be writing reviews and contacting the media due to this issue. It's not fair how I have to come out of my pocket to pay for the things that should've been inspected. This is an additional $2000 added. I also have the receipts for all of my services that I sent to Carvana just in case they didn't believe me, but clearly they do, and that's why I haven't heard back from anyone. As a new company, they should be concerned how they treat their customers. Sooner or later this company will no longer exist.

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

This company has some process flaws. I bought a 2016 Chevy Silverado, advertised with 5300 miles. The 7-day trial gave me the confidence to buy unseen.

The first problem was in the financing. Carvana's website says that a high number of buyers use their financing. My credit union would not finance the truck, saying that Carvana is a brokerage, not a dealership. So I was forced (if I wanted the truck) to use their financing. Ok, not a deal breaker.

Then the car arrived. When it was unloaded at about a 45-degree angle, the parking brake was not used, and when she put it into gear at that angle, the clanking noise was very loud. Sounded like it was going to be broke before it was even unloaded. Once unloaded, the truck looked like someone wiped it down with a dirty rag. Ok, still not a deal breaker.

Then I found the five other scratches that were not mentioned in the 360-degree photo tour on their site. Two I thought could be buffed out. The other three were down to the metal, and one was dented. Clearly the two that were mentioned on their site were the smallest, most unnoticeable of the seven.

Then I got in and found out that my truck with 5300 miles actually had 6700 miles. The delivery driver told me that "Carvana is good about taking care of these issues, just email them before the 7 days is up."

Day 2 (yes, even though the truck was delivered at 7 PM, that counted as day 1). Day 2, I took it to my mechanic and he liked it for the price and could not find anything wrong, other then the tires looked like there was a lot more than 6700 miles on them. So I took it to a tire shop where the inflation was found to be 41, 44, 45 and 51, in tires that are supposed to be filled to 30 PSI.

I emailed their repair team with photos of the scratched and dent and they said it's normal wear and tear and I still have the option of giving the truck back! Well, I do like the truck! But I would not deal with these dishonest, untrained, uncaring people again.

By the way, before your 7-day trial is up, Carvana removes your info (order number, pictures, access to papers that you have e-signed, all gone), AND there is no way to leave a review on their site or on their Facebook page!

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

My initial purchasing experience with Carvana was wonderful. Financing was right and fair, delivery was on time, and the total process went very well.

The car arrived without a license plate, even though over the phone, I was told it would arrive with a plate. I figured it would be as seamless as the dealer issuing plates. I called and then had to wait weeks to be issued a temporary plate that expired shortly. The temp plate expired, and I have been unable to drive my care that I bought in DECEMBER since JANUARY 15th.

They provided me a MOUNTAIN of paperwork that had to be all notarized. I got it all together after having to go to many different places including standing in line at the DMV for three hours, sent it back, and was told that processing takes 4-8 weeks and THEN I'd have to wait 30-40 days for the plates to arrive after processing.

After all is said and done, I have been PAYING for a car that I have not been able to drive AT ALL as it is sitting in my driveway collecting dust. The 100-day warranty has expired before I even got to drive the car for an extended time. I paid extra for that and the registration fees and I nothing to even show for it.

So, be careful. They will give you the runaround, you will deal with horrible customer service after they make their sale, and you likely won't be on the road as soon as promised.

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

The only word to explain this experience is "unbelievable." I went through the process of finding and purchasing a car. Initially, the customer service was very friendly and upbeat, and it WAS a very easy selection process. After reviewing my credit, they told me to pick a date for drop off. A day later they called and said "we need proof of income," that wasn't a problem, and I emailed them the info, and then they called back and said, "sorry, there was a computer glitch, you don't need to send proof of income." When you're dealing with finances, in this area you need to be exact, there shouldn't be such a miscommunication when dealing with money. I thought this was a random human error; I didn't realize this was foreshadowing of things to come.

I read a few reviews and realized they're not too competent when it comes to their deliveries, so I thought it would be beneficial to fly down and pick it up from their vending machine and make a vacation out of it. So I set a pick-up date about a month out, from their Nashville, Tennesse location, waited for it to be confirmed, and then purchased an airline ticket from Michigan to Tennessee, took a week vacation off work, and RSVP'd hotel rooms to plan on visiting North Carolina on my drive back to Michigan.

Three days before my pickup date, I got a text saying "you're a car buying genius! Your Audi A3 will be ready for you on 5/3 at 10:00 am" and I felt great. Later that day at 7:01 pm (they close at 7:00 pm), I get an email saying "we have to reschedule your delivery date." Thinking it was another computer glitch (since I was picking it up, not getting it delivered), I didn't worry much but still called the company that was now closed.

The next day I get a voicemail from Madison saying they needed to reschedule. I call back almost immediately and I explain to Matt the situation, that I've already purchased an airline ticket and planned a vacation around this pickup (since it was obvious my home address is in a different state than the pickup location) and wanted to verify the voicemail wasn't a miscommunication, and he said he would see what he could do and get back to me.

About three hours later I call back to get an update and Mark says "Matt's really good at returning calls, even if he doesn't figure out a solution, he will still call you back," and I emphasized reservations are non refundable 24/48 hours for some ancillary RSVP's I've made, so don't leave me hanging. After 5 pm that day, I called back again and the result of an entire day of "figuring it out" was, "sorry." There was nothing they could do, they couldn't even give me an explanation. They just said they could deliver it to my house a week later. They wouldn't refund my airline ticket, wouldn't provide a loaner car and could offer absolutely NOTHING except saying "we're sorry." I was so aggravated with their inability to alleviate ANY type of frustration or offer any compensation whatsoever except a ridiculous apology without an explanation.

I don't blame the call center, they seemed like a bunch of children pretending to be adults, I blame the fact that this company obviously needs to develop their communication infrastructure, and adhere to the same deadlines as any company does, when if that's not possible, offer SOME type of compensation when they make a mistake. It is unacceptable to tell a customer two days before they are flying out to pick up a car from the company's location that it's not available, and then offer nothing except an apology?

So obviously I called and cancelled the purchase today, if this is the type of haphazard business practice followed, to a potentially new customer, what type of person would want to get into any type of long term contract with a company that doesn't understand deadlines or obligations? I should have used the dealership like any normal person.

Now I'm going to cancel my insurance, throw away this non-refundable one-way ticket to Nashville, and try to scrape together some impromptu vacation with my days off. This will go down as one of the worst experiences with any business ever.

These aren't impulse buys or frivolous purchases, they're CARS! Carvana treats it like you're buying a book from Amazon, lol. Actually, I wish they would treat customers the way Amazon does because Amazon will get you a book better than Carvana can get you a car.

And Carvana, if you are reading this, don't even put up a response, because all it will say is "sorry [but we're not going to do anything about it]." You need to allocate more resources for problem-solving instead of damage control.

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