Complaint Review: CARMAX - Burbank

So I buy a certified pre-owned vehicle from CARMAX with super low miles - - a sweet deal?  Maybe not.   I don’t have money to burn, but I get convinced that the extra insurance  coverage is truly essential, especially on an older car - - and not to worry, CARMAX service centers are open 7 days a week and they also work with a multitude of local repair shops.  That’s a HUGE plus for me since the nearest CARMAX store is a solid 30 minutes away (without traffic).

Fast forward 4 months….I’ve put barely 3,000 miles on the car and a very unpleasant sound has taken over my engine block.  So, I call Carmax to make an appointment to have it checked out.  Their soonest appointment is 8 days away.  Are you kidding???  When I ask about an affiliate that will honor the insurance I was sold at the time of purchase, I’m given the name and number of ONE mechanics shop which is “conveniently right down the street from CARMAX”.  There is NO other recommended repair shop located between me and dealership.  This is a bad sign…..

….so I call the shop they recommend, and the person tells me that I’m welcome to “drop off” my car whenever I like.  They’ll take a look at the car, a claim will be submitted , then an insurance adjuster  will come out and assess the issue (a 2-3 day process), and IF approved, I will be notified….and if the car needs work requiring more than a day in the shop they’ll get me a rental….

Is this a joke? 

Time, money, convenience and sanity are all things that are important to me - - - and so is feeling safe on the road….so, in the interest of all those things I took my car up to my local mechanic - - a wonderful and ethical business owner.  He identified the problem (a fairly costly and major one as it turns out) and offered to call the extended warranty division of CARMAX to see if he couldn’t work with them directly to get my car fixed and save us all some time.

Long story short - - he got the “runaround” for almost an hour and eventually concluded that even if I were to use the insurance, there is little to no chance they would use quality parts, and that their ethical compass is in desperate need of a magnet.  

I will be paying for the repairs out of pocket.  It does not please me…but I simply do not have a way to live without a car while I’m being “approved”, nor do I feel comfortable driving around this big city with repairs and parts that may be substandard.

Bottom line?  There are several - - take your pick.  I’m disgusted and furious, and promise myself I will not use CARMAX again - - OR refer them to anyone - - ever.  If I wanted to be treated like garbage, I could have gone to ANY used car dealership.