Complaint Review: CarMax - Louisville Kentucky

I purchased a car from CarMax at the beginning of the year. Mind you this is the 2nd car I have purchased from CarMax and the 3rd car purchased from CarMax by my family. I had problems from the get-go with a 3rd party vendor they used to install my car alarm. The company did NOT complete the install and when I asked CarMax to confront them they made me do it.

Fair Enough... I complained and they promised to fix it. They did not. After 3 attempts at "repair and proper install" the device decided not to work at all one day when I was leaving work. I downloaded the "Service Install" manual for the alarm from the manufacturer's website and took my car back to CarMax a 4th time. I showed the 3rd party installer the install manual and pointed out everything he had not done (including installing safety mechanism for the remote start system) that was in the install instructions and ask him why. He told me that the manual was old and that those items I pointed out did not need to be done anymore.

I then informed him and CarMax that I had downloaded the manual from the manufacturer's website the day before and that the manufacturer had assured me that it was the current and most up to date "Service Install" manual. After several other instances of issues for the same problem that had been "fixed" according to both CarMax and the 3rd Party Vendor. I had them remove the item and refund my money.

Now my current issue with the same vehicle - About a month ago there was a very bad wind storm in our area (about 5 months after I initially purchased the vehicle). My car had some minor paint damage and I took it to a body shop to have it repainted under my insurance policy. Today I picked up the vehicle from the body shop. However, before they would let me leave that requested that the body shop owner come speak with me.

A few minutes later the owner came out and asked me if I was aware of the damage. A bit confused I asked what damage. He then informed me of the body damage they had found in 3 places that had been slyly covered up. The rear bumper had been completely repainted due to a rear end collision but with an incorrect color (it's close but he showed me the difference and I can see it completely now). The passenger rear door had a filler job from wreck damage that had also been repainted. He told me that they never would have found it if they had not had needed to remove paint to repair the wind storm scratches. And third the driver side front quarter panel had been damaged down low and had been repainted with a lot of touch up paint. He said that the vehicle had been wrecked and repaired possibly multiple times (although I would think it more likely that it was all one event).

I asked CarMax the first time I purchased a car about the wreck check. The said "oh it's a very detailed check and no cars that have been wrecked would pass it". Concidently I asked AGAIN the next car I purchased because some time had passed and I like to be sure of myself. I got the same story. So this means then that CarMax LIED to me and the proceeded to sell me a vehicle that was wrecked moments after I had asked about the "wrecked car" policy. I'm now going to have to fight with them again about my supposedly never wrecked car they sold me just like I did the multiple times about my car alarm system. I don't know what I expect them to do but that is the last car my family or friends will ever buy from CarMax. My brother had just been to CarMax looking to buy another car from them. Thank goodness I found this out before he purchased. They lost a 2 time customer and 3 time (and quite nearly 4 time) family of customers through poor service, false policies, and outright lies.

Kyguy

Louisville, Kentucky

U.S.A.