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

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Carvana

Overall Rating

2.2

543 Customer Reviews

Summary

Carvana’s all-online used-car purchasing process allows you to choose a car online, get financing and have the car delivered directly to your home.

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Customer Reviews

2.2 Stars out of 543 Reviews
5 Star:19% 4 Star:3% 3 Star:6% 2 Star:11% 1 Star:58%
27% Recommend This Company
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Posted on Jan 19, 2019

Process was a nightmare! People were nice. Car was fine.

By Kristi C., Florida, Verified Reviewer

The process was a NIGHTMARE. The delivery man was lovely, even went out of the way to get a gift for my daughter as it was a Christmas present. Super sweet! The car was ok. HOWEVER, the process was full of miscommunication, and false information. I was told that I needed to create another account in my daughter's name if I wanted it to be in her name, so I did. Then they would not allow me access to "her" account. It all went downhill from there.

I was told there was no delivery fee, then was charged a delivery fee. Because I had proof, they had told me there was no fee, they did remove it, but I had to go through the process of several phone calls to get it done. I was promised return calls, which never happened. After countless calls and speaking to countless people and getting so frustrated it literally made me sick, I finally got the MULTIPLE situations resolved through a manager, or so I thought. Because of their mistake, I had to put the car in both of our names. They sent a new tag, which was supposed to be transferred. This cost me an additional $355. I had an email confirming that this would be reimbursed, but they said that applied to the "other" account.

Everyone I spoke with was very nice, but one mistake after the other and I was continually given conflicting information. Apologies and acknowledgments for mistakes, but it was completely unnecessarily stressful and cost me an additional $355. Plus another $90 to transfer, which they said they will refund the $90. However, after this review, that remains to be seen.

Someday, when they have been in business for a long period of time and have a system to train their staff so that they know what they are doing, it may be a great way to buy a car, but at this time it is not worth the stress. So much easier to just buy a car in person. Very, very disappointed. I would not recommend.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 23, 2019

We would like to thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on your Carvana experience. We know that your experience from start to finish was bumpy and we are so sorry for these issues that arose. Although we are glad to hear that your initial concerns were addressed, we want to apologize for the miscommunication regarding the title and registration process. The check for the transfer has been sent to you and should have been delivered. Again, we are so sorry for the less than exceptional experience you had and truly hope you and your daughter are still enjoying the vehicle.

Helpful Review? 9 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 19, 2019

Outstanding customer service

By Adam F., Auburn, AL, Verified Reviewer

Overall, I recommend Carvana based on the outstanding customer service, and consider them in the future. HOWEVER, I would pick up at the "Vending Machine" to do a full walk around and detailed look of the vehicle. The whole delivery option felt very rushed. I think their inspectors might need to spend more time accurately reporting the vehicles.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 23, 2019

Thank you for giving Carvana a try, and we’re glad you enjoyed the purchase process! We want to make the car buying experience simple, however, we made a mistake with the annotations of cosmetic flaws. We purposefully provide annotations to be transparent and to avoid any unwanted surprises at the time of delivery. Unfortunately, there were undocumented cosmetic flaws, and we apologize for that. We want you to be happy with your purchase, so we were more than pleased to accommodate. Thank you again for trying Carvana, and we wish you the best in your future purchasing endeavors! If you need any additional assistance or have any further questions, please reach out. We immensely appreciate your feedback!

Helpful Review? 2 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 17, 2019

Terrible - AVOID!

By David W., New Mexico, Verified Reviewer

In the beginning, they sound sincere and appear to offer relatively good deals. But, buyer beware! This company will ask for UNREDACTED bank records. No reputable car dealer ever does this. We dropped them quickly and refused to fall for their scam. If you opt to give them complete access to your banking records, don't be surprised when money starts vanishing from your account. They will try to claim the information is kept securely (remember Facebook saying the same) and that no one will see it. Simply then ask them why they need it if no one else will see it! DO NOT purchase from Carvana!

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 21, 2019

Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your experience with Carvana. We do see you were trying to obtain financing with Carvana and purchase a vehicle. All lenders require proof of income to ensure you will be able to pay off the debt that you will soon accrue. What separates Carvana from other dealers is our commitment to our customers. We do our best to set everyone up for success when purchasing a vehicle, and part of that process is through our underwriting policies. We offer various options for providing proof of income to accommodate personal preference as well as needs. Our main priority is ensuring that based off of the price of the vehicle, income, and credit score and history, you will be able to make your monthly payments. There are three ways to pay for our vehicles which is Third Party Financing, financing with Carvana and paying cash. If you would like to learn more about these options, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (800) 333-4554.

Helpful Review? 2 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 17, 2019

Lied, car had been wrecked

By Jennifer M., Lewes, DE, Verified Reviewer

I didn't want to do this, but I'm angry. I bought a car through Carvana a couple of months back. The Carfax was clean. They said it was clean. But, when I put it up on the lift at my friend's body shop? It had been wrecked at least twice, maybe three times. It pulled the left while driving. An attempt had been made to cover up at least two accidents. It pulled to the left. They have a seven-day money back guarantee. They offered me to find another car. But, my trust had been broken. I returned it. My bank charged me $208 to cancel my loan.

Carvana lied to me, and they won't give me the $208. I had touted this company when I first found the car. But, I feel I must set the record straight.

Spread the word, if you like. I don't recommend them.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 17, 2019

We’re sorry to hear that the vehicle did not work out and that it has been a frustrating process with Carvana. We really wanted this to be a fun and enjoyable experience, and we regret this was not the case. In regards to the accident reported by your mechanic, we do see that the CarFax reported “damage” in 2016, but states that the vehicle has not been in a reported accident. Carfax also stated the following: “Not all damage is caused by an accident.” Through the 150-point inspection, CarFax, and other sources, we came to the conclusion that this vehicle was clean. In addition, we respect your analysis of the situation, and that of your mechanic. We are happy that you were able to use your 7-Day Money Back Guarantee and return the car to us. We also see that a Customer Advocate has reached out to you to discuss the fees associated with your canceled loan. We wish you the best in your car buying journey and thank you for trying Carvana.

Helpful Review? 2 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 16, 2019

Please be sure

By Carlos R., Indiana, Verified Reviewer

I bought a 2011 Camaro and the car was good. Good service, they deliver to your doorstep. I was busy with work and called on the seventh day to state the car didn't want to start on two occasions. They offered an extended warranty, which I declined and decided to return. I called back the next day to keep the car, but they didn't give me the option to add any warranty anymore since it was past the seven days.

They are nice and overall better than a regular dealership.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 17, 2019

Carlos, we appreciate you reaching out regarding your Carvana experience. During the 7-Day Money Back Guarantee, there is the option to add on Carvana Care. After the 7th day, you are no longer able to add this towards your purchase. We want to apologize for any miscommunication or confusion regarding this specific process. All of our vehicles do have the 100-day limited warranty that you are able to utilize if needed. We are glad you decided to keep your vehicle and truly hope you are enjoying it! Please reach out should you have any additional questions at (800) 333-4554. We do hope you are enjoying your 2011 Camaro!

Posted on Jan 15, 2019

Never again!

By Kristine A., Georgia, Verified Reviewer

The only reason I gave it a two, which is being nice by the way, is because their prices are decent, in my opinion. Screw what they said about it NOT being a hassle. The agents keep saying that the "instructions" on how they work were on the website. NO, they weren't. In fact, if they were, I wouldn't be on the second WEEK trying to buy this darn car! Seriously, two weeks?!

When I first did this, I was using a referral code to take $500 off of my amount. I was interested in getting a different car, and I saw the car I want. Now, since the car I want is technically what they call an "on-demand" car, I had to place a $100 refundable amount to reserve the car for just VIEWING. It took a few days to just get this accomplished.

In the meantime, I was planning on trading in my car, so I went through the process to set up the trade to see what I could get for the car. However, after speaking the first person, I had literally NO idea the submitted appraisal of my car would only last seven days. So do the math, you submit an appraisal, and it is only good for seven days and it takes until day three to see the car. That means you have four days left to make the car yours because of something as "secretive" as photos.

Financing: So, when I first made an account, it linked to my account with a different credit union. I figured that was fine, as I can change it later. They advertised they were partners with them, but my car loan wasn't with them. I was trying to stay with my other credit union account where my car loan is with. So after scheduling with the person on a chat that I will be picking up the car, they say all I need is my license and a picture of the front and back of the check from my credit union for the car. Ok. I call my credit union to start the process, but she doesn't give me a check nor picture as I'm trying to pick up the car the next day. This is day five, mind you.

Day six, my credit union send me the tracking number of the check she is overnighting to them so I can get the car the next day as scheduled. They get the tracking number, and I thought we were good. It's Friday evening, and they tell me "oh, we need a 10-day payoff." WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I tell them someone from their camp told me I only needed to bring a check or its picture and my license. They offer to call me the next day to three-way my bank, and I'm like ok, but it is Saturday tomorrow and limited time. They call me on Saturday, 1 HOUR after my credit union is closed. This is day seven, by the way.

They put the car on hold for me and told me they would schedule me to pick up the car on Monday at 7 PM. This was already bad as traffic is worse around that time here. I say ok, and they go ahead and schedule it...SO I THOUGHT. Here comes Monday and I call to be sure as I drive there about to be late. They say, "oh we never got your 10-day payoff." When were you going to tell me?! They never called.

Then they tell me I need to resubmit my appraisal because it's seven days old. WHAT?! I do, and my value goes down by $200! So, my bank already put the car in my account for the loan and I'm just trying to get the darn thing! I resubmit and then I three-way my bank on Tuesday or Wednesday with Carvana. My loan officer was telling them they already paid themselves and she sent the check for the car. She told them they didn't need a 10-day payoff. Then Carvana tells us that, "oh, actually, then we need lien holder release form and you need to mail the title to us." EXCUSE ME?!

So they harass me for a 10-day payoff to then say actually we need something else from you. So I think we settled this as today, Friday, they were now going to deliver the car to me. I call to be sure, again, as I got off early to go receive this car at my place. They say they tried calling me on Wednesday and Thursday but they never did and there was zero VOICEMAIL! The others had left one. They tried emailing me, and I had no time to check it due to my job, and they SAID they'd call me this week! So now I'm playing the 24 hours game on if I get the car I worked so hard to get or someone else get the car! I still don't know if or when I will be getting this car! Forget them!

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 23, 2019

Thank you for providing this detailed feedback about your Carvana experience. We truly do believe that we provide a better way to buy a car for customers. However, it looks like we fell short in your case and we would like to apologize for this. We could have provided clearer expectations that would have led to a smoother process altogether. We understand that a timeline for the 7-Day trade value and the OnDemand process can take up to a few weeks. This proves frustrating for you as a customer and we are working on this communication piece. If we had communicated to you right away, the potential for your trade value to expire could have come up with a potential solution. Such as choosing a vehicle that was ready to deliver or holding off on getting a trade value. The same applies for the loan issues with your bank. While we need certain documents before we can deliver a car, we should have done a better job clarifying with you and the bank what documents to provide. Some very simple opportunities to keep this sale running smoothly were missed and we sincerely apologize that this was the case. Please call us with any questions at (800) 333-4554 and if we can further assist. We appreciate you being part of the Carvana family.

Helpful Review? 4 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 15, 2019

Filthy, will not pass inspection!

By Jeff L., Dallas, TX, Verified Reviewer

I am retired from the auto industry with over 24 years experience. That being said, I believe I know how a vehicle should be sold and what condition it should be in when received. The buying process was really painless and I liked the fact that I had a good choice of vehicles to choose from. But that is where it also stops! After the purchase, I get a phone call on the delivery day asking me if it is okay for them to drive my newly purchased vehicle to me because it was raining and the "delivery truck is slippery and not safe when the floor of the bed is wet!" Okay, I am an easy guy, and I said of course not a problem.

My vehicle shows up and the rep, Eddie, is a really nice guy. Remind you, it's raining, and to be honest I should have asked them to deliver my vehicle the following day but I needed to replace my current vehicle and I had a doctors appointment, so I really needed my vehicle. So I look at the outside of the vehicle and I am thinking that I really cannot see much, but I did notice heavy brake dust on the wheels that should not be there! I open the doors and begin to notice that it is not that clean, but Eddie assures me it has been detailed! Guys/ladies, I do not like saying this, but that was a blatant lie! But Eddie says that I can get it detailed and they would reimburse me when I submit the invoice.

I say okay and begin to look through the car and notice that what is stated on the website is not in the vehicle. Eddie steps in and says no worries, I will order the items. Remind you, this is after he checks the website. Actually no, he could not find it, so I had to pull it up on my laptop. So he says no problem, done! He calls Uber, I offer to run him back, but Uber was already at my home by that time.

So the following day I am excited and I am getting in my car to head out of town when I notice a loud noise when I roll the windows down! For some reason, the rear defrosters are not working! The noise, when I roll the windows down, is because when Carvana removed the window tint, they left the adhesive on the glass! Now that is also why the rear defrosters are not working! Carvana damaged the defrosters on all three windows! So if they inspect the vehicles, why is all of this going on?

There is more...one of the rear vent register does not work, the wiper blades are torn, so this vehicle would not even pass state inspection! How can someone sell a car that would not pass state inspection? So now I am wondering what else has been overlooked or not check? I begin to look, and I pull the air filter and it's filthy!

So here is what I have concluded, if it was really detailed then someone has children and allowed them to color on the headliner and allowed the passenger to spill hot sauce or soda as well without a care in the world! I figured I better check the spare tire and sure enough, it is totally deflated! I considered trading it back in but would the next be the same? Their seven-day return is not truly seven days, by the way! The delivery day, no matter what time it is, is considered one full and is your first day!

Carvana has offered a allowance reimbursement for detail and to remove the adhesive of $250.00. But as of this morning, they lowered it to only $150.00 and that will not cover it! Carvana Repair Team has told me to take my vehicle to a repair facility to have the filter and wipers taken care of but they did not mention the defrosters or the removal of the window tint adhesive, and they are the ones that lowered the allowance by $100.00! It seems to me as if this car just came from the auction and they are leaving it up to me to look it over!

The buying process was great, and everyone is really nice, but that does not make up for lying to me to my face and thinking I must be some kind of idiot! And delivering a vehicle to me that is filthy and unsafe! The first gentleman I spoke to said that they only check safety items and the defroster is not part of that "but he said should tell the owner!" Really! Guys/ladies, I will say this, "shame on me for accepting this vehicle," and if you decide to purchase a vehicle from Carvana, expect to pay money out of your pocket and spend time at a repair facility. I am disabled and that is one of the reason why I chose Carvana. Thinking that I would not have to get out and try to walk the lot of a dealership and haggle. To have a safe reliable clean car delivered to me at my home was going to be a true blessing and I was so excited to the point that I was telling my family how easy it was and how kind everyone is that I spoke with. My true blessing turned into a broken halo!

Deceiving people is not a cool thing. I feel as if I have been taken advantage of and now they are wanting me to do the leg work in making this automobile safe for my family and self. You know, I began to wonder if they coach the employees to be so kind and cheerful on the phone? By the looks of my automobile, it seems as if they are all smoking gonga or something? LOL, trying to find humor in it all.

Last thing...the not perfect four. Whatever it says on their website must just be advertising because there is no possible way it can be true! I have worked hard all my life and I am now disabled and I really thought that Carvana was the great way to go and would be a great option for someone in my shoes, but instead, Carvana is going to make my life a bit harder. I truly pray that this vehicle lasts me. I will repost if they make things right! Guys/ladies, safe travels and Godspeed!

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 21, 2019

We’re always happy when the purchase process goes smoothly, but your experience with car quality is not acceptable and we would like to apologize for this. We do see that repairs are underway. We regret there was confusion in regards to the $250 amount being $150. This was a miscommunication on our end and we’re happy to have resolved this with you. Thank you for your patience, time, and efforts as you go through the repair process. The extra effort was not what we intended, but we’re glad to be moving forward in resolving these issues. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Helpful Review? 6 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 14, 2019

Just a scam

By Belle B., Dallas, TX, Verified Reviewer

BEWARE, they are just a scam! This company contacted me about a car I had listed for sale. The person from Carvana said he needed the VIN to make me an offer. After an hour or two of texting back and forth with him, he never made an offer and sent me some canned text telling me to go online to Carvana’s website to enter the VIN, etc. to get an offer that's valid for 7 days. Same as Carmax, just online. Frustrating. He wasted my time and didn't have a legit offer.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 16, 2019

Thank you for reaching out to Carvana regarding your experience. It sounds like there has been a lot of miscommunication and confusion, and we are looking forward to clearing some of that up. We do reach out to customers who are looking to sell their vehicles and try to inform them of our process; however, the intent Is to provide an easy and stress-free alternative. We are so sorry that you encountered any headaches with the process, that is definitely the opposite of our intent. Sometimes there is additional information that we need from customers so we direct them to our website in order to get an accurate offer. Your feedback is important to us and we will certainly relay this information to our team in hopes of continuing towards improving our process. If there is anything additionally you have questions on, feel free to reach us at (800) 333-4554.

Helpful Review? 2 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 14, 2019

Bad vehicle

By Ramsey G., Wichita , Verified Reviewer

I purchased a 2013 Chevy Malibu from Carvana about two and a half months ago. It has been a total nightmare. The car needed several repairs and I was still sold this vehicle. I have reached out to Carvana on several occasions just to be told that it’s my problem and there is nothing they can or will do. This is totally my fault because I never buy cars or anything online. I will tell everyone that I know to stay clear of Carvana. This company is a fraud and is ripping off people that need reliable transportation to support their families. Buyers beware.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 16, 2019

Ramsey, we would like to apologize that your experience with Carvana has been less than what we want for our customers. Customer satisfaction and peace of mind is the number one priority of Carvana which is why we do have a complimentary 100 day/4,189 mile warranty on all of our vehicles. After further review of your account, we see the vehicle had well surpassed the 4,189 miles in the 100-day period which is why we could not replace what you asked. We apologize if there was any confusion regarding our complimentary warranty. Please give us a call at (800) 333-4554 if you need anything.

Helpful Review? 4 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 11, 2019

Worst experience ever!

By Michelle H., Atlanta, GA, Verified Reviewer

I order a car. The site states see photos in 12 days and it will be ready with dates November 29th - December 6th. Estimated dates repeated 100 times as the days go on and no car. Agents are trained to be super nice and lie as well. I researched every VIN site with the car I had hoped to be receiving. I chose parchment interior, which the site stated. I advised Carvana over two weeks ago that I found a VIN report and the interior under this V is black. I asked to please make sure then. Did they? NO! I spent over grand in rental car fees! I advised how I felt about their 360 pics and I need a car now! Nope, I get an email telling me it’s about to be photographed. Are you kidding me?

Another two days go by and guess what? Yesterday the car was ready to view, nonsense, the INTERIOR IS BLACK. One month, three weeks and lies, no replies to emails, and no compensation, well 250 after RCV car and 7 days up. Slap my face and have zero regard what not having a car over Thanksgiving and Christmas did to me, as well as the credit card maxed in rental fees and employees BS me to death. Not one call update from Carvana during the whole process...excuse me, the one today - we’re so sorry, good feedback to know, but no discount is going to be given, anything else we can do for you?

Please people, be honest, review this company. They are trained robots with the same sweet sentences to appease you and claim transparency...their dictionary blows on definition and is clearly not what their business truly gives! Take a situation in your life - you counted on and looked FWD two and then someone blows it for you with nothing but a sweet-voiced "I’m so sorry, I understand." 10/1 all under 30 playing car sales games feeling in charge with zero understanding or care on what your feeling!

I've cried enough, which may seem nonsense to most, but that’s a great idea for me to do to avoid what anger would otherwise render me crazy and usually gets me nowhere! Well looks like getting angry is exactly what needs to be played with them! Before this business shows some true apologies and compensates me for stealing almost two months of my life and truly give the customer service they oh so valiantly proclaim they give! Stress-free my butt!

I left out so much. Hopefully, this sums it up enough to understand and others see enough to avoid doing business with them, or if you have money get a lawyer on them and hold them accountable. I sure wish I had my money back! I would get one. They would say their sorry by compensating me with another car that comes close to the car I believed took two months to "refurbish" even with 2000-$3000 difference. Instead, we’re so sorry. NO, they're NOT. On to the next case to them! Click! Now I’m ticked, lol. Seriously, just what I needed to vent! Thank you.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 17, 2019

Thank you for the detailed feedback of your Carvana experience. We are so sorry that the On Demand process has taken as long as it did in your case. We try to provide an estimated window for our reconditioning process, although depending on the work needed, parts being ordered, etc. we can take longer than those estimates. This is a flaw in this process and we agree that it sets the wrong expectations. It is disappointing that the color is wrong as the information on the OnDemand page should be accurate even before the photos arrive. This is part of the reason why we give our customers the 48-hour window to decide on the car once the photos go live. However, this was first an error on our part we would like to sincerely apologize for. We're thankful for your feedback, as we are continuously improving our OnDemand process.

We would certainly love to still work with you, so please let us know if you are still in the market for a vehicle. One of our Specialists will be reaching out within 24-48 hours or if you prefer you can call in at (800) 333-4554 at your earliest convenience.

Helpful Review? 5 People Have Voted

Posted on Jan 7, 2019

Debating

By Gina M., Tulsa, OK, Verified Reviewer

I bought a car a few weeks ago now. It was supposed to get here on 12/29, but it got delayed until the 4th. Then today I get another call saying it's delayed yet again! I'm getting pretty upset, and I feel like crying. Now I'm not even sure I want this car and am kind of worried it might not be in good shape. I was really excited about this car too. I'm debating if I should cancel this order now or not.

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

Company Response from Carvana

Jan 8, 2019

First off, we would like to apologize for the multiple delays you have encountered throughout waiting for your vehicle delivery with Carvana. Our goal is to provide our customers with exceptional service and it sounds like we failed on several attempts to do this for you. After reviewing your account, we can see that you have finally received your vehicle and decided to keep it! We are so happy that you were able to finally get behind the wheel of your new car and truly cannot thank you for your patience until your vehicle was delivered. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to us at (800) 333-4554. Welcome to the Carvana family!

Helpful Review? 3 People Have Voted
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