ABC 20/20: CarMax Caught on Camera Selling Defective Recalled Cars
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- Опубликовано: 11 янв 2015
- Did CarMax sell you an unsafe recalled car? We want to hear from CarMax customers about your experience. Contact us at: carconsumers.org/feedback.php
ABC 20/20 undercover investigative report finds CarMax selling unsafe, defective recalled cars. CarMax advertises them as passing a rigorous "125+ point inspection" and qualifying to be sold as "CarMax Quality Certified." But in reality, many of the cars CarMax sells have hazardous safety defects that have killed people or caused severe injuries.
Watch: Federal Judge tells CarMax's attorney: "I told my children never to buy a 'certified' car from CarMax" • Federal Judge: I warne...
Original broadcast on ABC: Dec. 12, 2014.
Want to know what a Federal Judge who examined CarMax's practices told their attorney? Here's video that shows her unusually candid reaction to how CarMax sells cars: ruclips.net/video/dIQLKxNKhh4/видео.html
A used car salesman lying? Say it isnt so....
as opposed to a general contractor? or lawyer? or policeman? priest? I always find it amusing how he assume car salespeople are such liars vs all the others .......politician? govt employee? mailman?
***** I knew you were joking but sarcasm is hard to detect sometimes...
***** I know...
+byrysh if a guy tell me he's a car salesman , I still don't believe him , LOL don't believe anything a salesman tells you .
byrysh espanol card. Fresno
I once went to Carmax to look at this one specific car. The salesman wouldn't stop with the B.S. "we fill and maintain all our fluid levels up to manufacturer's standards"...he was explaining to me for literally like 20 minutes about how they always maintain fluid levels and mechanical components to factory spec...while the entire time I was just there like "yah I just want to look at the car and go".
....I get in the car, the windshield is a little dirty. Pull the stalk back to activate the washers...and it's completely out of washer fluid.
You obviously didn't know how to use the windshield wipers.
You mean pull the stalk forward.
@@Elnegro.. lol wtf. have been driving for 13 years dude. I know how to use windshield wipers lmao.
@@allanwong1332 no...you pull the stalk *back* towards you to activate the washer. pushing it forward, towards the front of the car, doesn't do anything.
Omg that must have been devastating Potentially catastrophic did you get the $5 fluid before the Blew up
It's always the same... A company tells their workers to do something dirty and when that worker gets busted the company blames it on the worker.
@2:22-2:25 "we're actually from 20/20..."
dealer: oh good!!
... um no bro... not good... at all.
Yeah you could tell he was trying to hide the brick of shit he just layed in his pants lol
Viktor Viktor lol yup
Car dealers are SUPER sleazy. Many years ago I thought about trading in a car at a Kia dealership. So they took my car back to inspect it for trade in value. When they came back they said it wasn't worth much because it had some sort of a leak, power steering, or something like that. It didn't. It was fine. I told them that and they said, have you not noticed the smell? So I went out to my car, and lo and behold I could smell the fluid burning ... which I didn't smell when I pulled up. I drove away ... and once all of the fluid they placed on my hot motor burned off, the smell went away. They were just trying to con me out of a good trade in price.
Carmax....lots full of overpriced rental cars. Marked up $2000-$3000 over market value.
Exactly. That's why I don't shop there
Yep and then they buy your vehicle according to it's KBB, Edmunds or NADA value. And I believe them to ALL be scams, totally biased! In one year my Acura's value dropped $4k! It's such a bs racket all around.
basically in a nutshell
SuperGoldnut
Yep. And that is a problem. They always win, we always lose. Unless of course you have a close relationship with someone in the biz. Or you have luck at auto auctions :/
Steve G. Do your research before shopping for a car
worked as a mechanic at carmax for more then 4 years. It's just funny what passes the Inspection's.
Help me out...I requested a transfer from a CarMax 30 miles away from my location ..it's been 7 total days since it has arrived and going through final inspection... Is that way too long?.. when I first requested it price was $20,098.00..for some reason they cancelled my order the next day telling me I didn't pay the transfer fee in time ( only gave me a 3 hr window)... That same day the price changed to $23,098.00... I called and had to fight with them to change the price.. they did but now I feel like they are doing something with the car...like changing parts..what do you think?
When people tell you they're trying to gain your trust, *DON'T.*
I worked for them 3 years as a master mechanic and i can prove it. They are now hiring very low paid and very young people with no automotive experience to check and do repairs on their cars. These young guys (20 year olds) are told to only repair/glue/screw on/touch up the absolute necessary cosmetic things that make the car look "nice" and dont change belts or do any maintenance. They really do glue things back together all the time just to avoid buying a new part. I can show proof and videos of this any day. The mechanics are also told to wipe off any leaks and wash off anything that appears to be leaking. Carmax likes to call these leaks "residue" and normal. Tires and brake pads are left on the cars very low and worn out and they call it a good carmax standard. They have books that were made by carmax that explains what is "allowable damage" and whatever damage is not visible is to be ignored or covered up. They dont change coolant or timing belts so that cars are reliable. They NEVER change spark plugs and cabin airflters that are filthy and caked with trash. The managers say if its not in the carmax standards book just ignore the issue. They allow to paint things with spray can paint to cover up damage on interior or exterior parts of a car. Carmax has contractors on their lot fixing bodu damage and not reporting it to CARFAX because this way the holds more value. Then tha customer buys a car that was wrecked and never knows about it unless a professional looks at it. EVERYDAY they get used parts off their junk cars that are traded in or are going to the auction. All this crazy work is done by overworked low paid mechanics that are commission paid and they rush through the car repairs so that they can try and make some money. All while customers buy cars with dangerous safety recalls, glued on parts. Remember I have proof of all this because I was there 3 years and will be very glad to post pictures and videos that my friends at carmax can send me. The other fishy problem carmax has is that they also make all employees stay quiet and never say anything about carmax on social media or internet or to camera crews. They make employees sign paperwork and take training courses online on how to avoid speaking about carmax online or to news stations and they threaten with immediate termination of you talk about them. They call this "the carmax way" and its sick. I hope you all learned something here and PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT CARMAX.
+O. Blue Thanks for telling it like it is. We'd be interested in finding out more. Here's more info about CarMax and how to contact us: www.carsfoundation.org/contact.php
+O. Blue just because they are young they cant be mechanics?
+O. Blue That really sucks my father just bought a car 5 months ago and the battery already went out in it and its a 2014 Nissan Altima, there so called extended warranty is a joke to. Thanks for the info I will never buy from them!
+O. Blue Well, it's just like a chain of restaurants. The more locations they open, the lower quality the food. In this case, it's auto repair.
+Pony Rider it matters if they are young enough to not even have been able to put in the required time to be one.
I had a wonderful experience with carmax no complaints here...
Samer here twice
"It is completely unacceptable......to get caught being dishonest."
Bought an 8 year old car in excellent condition from Car max. $8k. 85k miles. Fully loaded. It was a fairly good deal. The first 30 days the car was in their dealer repair shop. I took it 3 times in all.
It had
-Worn brake pads
-bad AFM (turning car off)
-Bent joint (causing loud noises in back)
-short circuit (killing battery once a week)
-leaking coolant from valve cover seals
-Bad wheel bearing hub causing loud noise (they never covered it)
-All these within the extended 12K Mile warranty I paid $2.5k for.
Had I not got the extended coverage I would have been totally fcked! Funny part though, every part on the car had a dot on it, as if it was inspected and passed. even the squealing brakes and faulty air flow sensor. LOL
192 CarMax Dealers disliked this video.
Their prices are definitely not the best.
2:23 "oh good!"
what a genuine display of enthusiasm. his voice couldn't have gone any higher if you kneed him in the jewels.
About a year ago, I took the test (questionnaire) to become a Carmax sales associate. It is a long (100+) question interrogation containing "what would you do", or more specifically, "How far would you go" scenarios. Basically, your job is to convince the buyer in whatever manner you use, that the car he or she is test driving is the car they absolutely positively MUST have. Oh, and yes, they do suck up all the cars that Enterprise, Hertz, etc. unload after they turn over their fleet. Think of how you drove your last rental car, and multiply that times a couple hundred drivers. Would you want to buy THAT car?
I got my 2012 Honda Civic from there 2 years ago. Still running strong.
Thanks, Brett. That's great, but unfortunately about 1 in 4 cars CarMax sells has a serious safety recall defect, that they didn't bother to get fixed before selling it for family transportation. Many cars they sell have multiple unrepaired safety recalls, like catching on fire, faulty brakes, steering wheels that come off in the driver's hands, ticking time-bomb airbags that are like having a hand grenade in the car, and other safety defects that have been killing and maiming people.
How much they paid u to say this ?. Or maybe u are their employer getting paid for good feedback 😄
CarMax should be renamed to CarJacks.
EPIC
Or CarLacks...
When is a company not to blame when their employees lie on their behalf?
+Orville Story What if the employee was just misinformed? So 20/20 found one person who was ignorant and now paint's CarMax with a wide brush? Nah, I can go into any business, find that one person who misspeaks, and make a generalization about the whole company.
+VaporheadATC totally agree. I worked in a spare parts shop and would only sell customers the correct weight oil or specified coolant. A boss decided we should operate on the 'don't ask don't tell' policy. I said I wasn't leaving myself open to be sued and would continue on as I had been selling correct parts. I was told my job would be in jeopardy so I offered my keys and card back, and they had a rethink and didn't enforce that shit. Some people don't have the option to challenge their employers and have to stick to a script.
A business is responsible for the actions of who they decide to employ.
+Orville Story yes but what if he didn't know? He may not know policy and be saying what they think people want to hear. Yes, this is still company's fault for not training them better, but some people just say anything to close a deal.
The company hired the individual and he then represents them. I'm not saying the company did the deed, but they first hired and then neglected to identify and then fire the certain individual before the indiscretion was committed.
Why are they questioning the sales person? He's just in SALES. Go accuse the managers or corporate for that matter. The salesman doesn't make the rules, do the inspections, or deal with the policies.
I worked in car sales for new cars and we also sold used cars. Most of the used cars were fine but a couple did have problems with them. Was that my fault? No, and I would personally spend a little more money to fix up the cars and sell them right. It's the managers for screwing over customers and only caring about making the profit.
If you want a good used car, go to the dealer which is the same manufacturer as what you're looking for and purchase a CERTIFIED pre-owned car. Those do go through thorough inspections and have additional years of warranty. In many ways it's a way better deal, especially than buying a brand new vehicle because of the depreciation. You will spend a little more but a warranty goes a LONG way and usually pays for itself and then some.
Good point, Khalid. Thanks for the comment. You are so right. The problem with CarMax starts at the top. They're so greedy, and profit-driven, they are perfectly willing to put their customers' lives at risk, and also risk the safety of their families, other passengers, and others who share the roads.
Among the defects in the cars they are offering for sale: faulty brakes, catching on fire, loss of steering, axles that break, wheels that fall off, airbags that explode and maim or kill people. CarMax is playing "recalled car roulette" with people's lives.
I think the point they were trying to make was that the salesmen wasn't knowledgable in the policys, and lied about the recalls. He was also very uneducated about the cars that he is trying to sell, that guy should have never been hired.
no he should know about the inventory hes selling..sorry
The salesman was trained how to answer those questions, but he lied anyways. Needless to say, he was canned. Even the inventory guys were trained with how to answer recall questions.
"We're with 20/20"........."Oh, good"...............hilarious.
I was taught when very young to understand the English language, and to not "read into" any statement someone makes. For example, a 125 pt inspection sounds great, but it doesn't mean anything. "I inspected the engine, and it is about to throw a rod....CHECK.". Doesn't mean they FIXED anything or that nothing's wrong with the car.
Instead of fixing the problem and taking care of the recalls, their solution is simple... Blame the salesman.
That power window switch could self destruct at any moment and take out an entire city block!
Yep, you got it. That is a serious defect. The faulty switches are prone to catching on fire. In some parts of the country hit by drought, all it takes is one fire and strong winds to burn down an entire town. CarMax is being terribly reckless and is literally playing with fire -- putting lives, businesses, and homes at risk.
This very thing just happened to my brand new minivan I've had only a year. My husband was driving down a dark road late at night and all of a sudden he smelled smoke, at first he thought it was from the only other vehicle on the road a truck in front of him but it kept getting stronger and then he saw smoke coming out of the door through the window tracks. He didn't know what to do, was on a dark road with no stores or even houses. He looked around and all he had was a coffee and he dumped that into the door just as he started to see flames coming up. Found out there was a recall on the door switch we didn't know about. Took a few days to get an appointment and my van smelled horrible that whole time.
scdevon xaxaxaxaxaxa
Never buy a car without your own research on specific models you intersted in and taking it to another auto repairshop for a precheck.
First and foremost I sell new and used cars myself. Random recalls can happen after numerous days or weeks of being recall free! Do we have a system in place to catch it? Yes but its not as easy as you think.
People think the whole car is recalled and the car is replaced lol. All cars have recalls on specific parts. The parts are replaced with new ones and back on the road.
How can you tell when a car salesman is lying? His lips are moving! LOL (Old but true)
the old saying let the buyer beware is as usual, good advice. Do not purchase anything without knowing what the heck you are buying...
Another type of bottom feeders are catfishes
I worked at CarMax for five years, they are a garbage company. Their "125 point inspection" is a joke. They skim the car over, and check for frame damage. They will not sell cars with frame damage. The only reason they are so strict about that is because they do not want to get sued. Other than that, they do t really care what shape the car is in. Once, i was showing a truck to someone on the lot and one of the storage compartments had an old flip-flop in it from the prior owner. The "inspectors" new even opened the storage compartment in it! Some cars are filthy, run down, and covered with dings and whatnot. But, CarMax still demands absolute top dollar. Another thing people don't realize is that when you finance a car through CarMax, not only do they have their own finance company, but they also go through a handful of other banks with whom they have contracts, they make a percentage of money for every car financed. They are a rip off!!!!
+evan higginbotham Let you in on a secret..ALL car dealerships get a cut in on financing the cars with the banks dummy...
Oh, really? I thought car dealerships were charities.
You are still a greenpea, people are shopping at carmax because their credit is whacked, the same irresponsibility that left their credit in shambles reflects the rest of their life. Because Carmax is a nationwide corporation they do not do some of the scummy things small and regional used car dealers do. If I had 20 bucks for every time I've seen a 3 K used chrysler sold for 10K on paper I could book a round trip on Space X.
I used to work at Carmax, and I can say that some car are in a good shape. BUT others are all messed up (what they used to call Value Max). When the reconditions are to extensive, they don't want to perform all needed repairs. Then it have to pass a "Quality Control" inspection, and when it fail they come after you because you are not "doing you job right" even when the necessary repair was declined by them. I received an e-mail inviting me to apply to work with them again and, guess what I did?? Erased in a heart-bit. Fuk em!!! Carmax Ft. Lauderdale by the way.
where are the state attorney generals suppose to monitor this!
So dumb. That salesman makes 10 bucks an hour and probably never made it through high school. He was trained for a day and sent out to sell cars. Blame the Carmax. Not the peon working there
Dear S. Trav -- You are absolutely right. CarMax's decision to sell unsafe recalled cars was made at the very top. They clearly decided it was worth it to put their customers' lives at risk, so they could rake in extra profits. CarMax admits that they sell dangerously defective cars to consumers, at retail. Even cars where there are no replacement parts available, so if you buy one, there's no way you can get it repaired.
I sell cars and I have a bachelor's degree. I don't make 10 bucks an hour either...
@@wookugot-maywell627 do you have diamond earrings, Jordan's, & an edge up fade/beard?
Who the fuck cares? Safety recalls are free. If you buy a car with open recalls go get them fixed for free or tell the place you're buying them at you want them to deal with the hassle before you buy it and they will. This is kinda a non issue.
Yes yes and yes!! People are such Whiney little girls about everything, now days.
IT IS ILLEGAL IN NY TO SELL A CAR WITH OPEN RECALLS.
Emma Anderson A perfect example of this is the great airbag recalls that have happened in the last 4 years. Almost every manufacture gets their airbags from the same place and almost every single passenger side airbag for the last 10 years hasn't worked properly.
Test drove a car once at CarMax and the power locks were going up and down the entire ride.
Lol CarMax throwing the associate under the bus to save face
I bought a car from a Houston,Tx CarMax in November of 2013. I pointed out it needed the front tires replaced three different times but each time I was told the tires passed inspection. Two months later I had a tire blowout but they did absolutely nothing about it. I asked why they put new tires on the back but not on the front. They refused to answer the question. I ended up buying 4 brand new tires because the back tires were no name tires and low quality tires. Be aware of their practices. I am lucky that the car didn't flip when the tire blew out
Ty, Thanks for the comment. A lot of other people who have bought cars from CarMax have complained about similar problems with the tires. Very dangerous.
Why didn't you get an independent inspection of the car? They have a 5 day money back guarantee where you could have had the tires reinspected by someone else.
No haggling means you’ll get stuck with 16% interest or similar. A friend of mine recently got hit with the highest legal interest, and it was from carmax. 29.9% interest. He had established credit too. They’re scammers. Do -NOT- shop at carmax.
Was looking on Craigslist and I noticed some of the cars was brought off craigslist and ended up on a car max lot lol
CarMax... please! My brother had a Maxima that he repaired due to an accident, but was never reported. CarMax bought the car from him and resold it on their lot. So all that fluff about inspecting cars before selling them is a crock of sh*t.
He can't comment on it but he can comment on fake safety recalls being done...lol
There was a real decline in Carmax across the board. I worked at more than one. MOST cars were good. At one dealer, the GM was a Very good guy and did his best - usually. Still, once I had ordered a very expensive vehicle from out of state for a guy. The Carmax manager who delivered it from another lot noted it had a bad transmission. I drove it and thought the same. Our mechanic drove it and said something was definitely wrong with it. Our service manager then came and tried to convince me it was just fine and it had no problems. Still, the mechanics were old timers who knew there stuff, the buyers were walking encyclopedias, and most of the sales guys and managers are decent. Some weren’t. But then Carmax as a whole started pushing out the very experienced people and getting in people, like appraisers, who had zero experience and very little knowledge of cars. Realize during training, you’re told how amazing the cars are, how everything is fixed, blah, blah. So, often, sales people are clueless things may be bad.
At another lot, where when a car arrives on the lot, it is supposed to go through a general - not mechanical - inspection there to see if things were in working order. They didn’t even bother. When it kept complaining to a sales manager, he said if he took it to the GM, the GM would just laugh.
Honestly, you WILL probably get a better experience at Carmax than most places. There isn’t the outright shenanigans that take place at some others, but other times, they will cut corners and try to pass off stuff.
Wherever you buy a car, always have the ability to return it. And ALWAYS, ALWAYS go to an independent mechanic within 24 hours and PAY them to do a through inspection and diagnostic to spot problems. That money is well spent and may save you thousands.
Again, talking to customers, there is horrendous stuff routinely happens that never happened at Carmax.
Just be careful, cautious, thorough, etc.
And don’t be stupid and buy an old BMW or Fiat or Chrysler or something. Stick to Hondas, Toyotas, Mazdas, and such. Buy a good car and you more than likely thing you got a good deal.
One rule to live by= Dont trust big company's NEVER EVER!!!
why fire the salesman? the next one will tell you the same thing lol
I managed to get them to buy my used 2004 Saturn Vue AWD with v-6 engine in 2014, They gave me a check for $2500. The car needed a new transmission, air conditioning kit, new brakes, new tires, and a new 6-disc CD player. The car had 113K miles on it. They spent maybe 20 minutes evaluating it. It would have cost me well over $5000 to fix it!
I knew CarMax was a scam over 20 years ago, I took a Nissan hard body truck to sell fast. It was worth at least $4k. The guy that appraised my car was still in diapers(26 years old tops), he offered $1350, I told him to go and drink milk to grow up. 5 days later I sold it to a private individual for $5500!
Shared with 28 people via e-mail.
Damn...I bought a car at that same store.....bought it outright for $24,000, and a year later went in to sell it, and they only offered me $9500.
How did the value go down that far that fast?? Luckily that car didn't have any recalls, though.
It didn't go down in value that much.
It is likely you paid $6000 too much and they offered you $5000 too little a year later.
The other $3000 was depreciation.
It's how they make money from people who don't bother doing the homework.
If you don't like homework then expect to be charged for the service they or any dealer provide.
Not blaming you it's just that the service they provide is not cheap, labor is not cheap, buildings are not cheap, health care is not cheap, insurance is not cheap, lighting heat and A/C is not cheap, taxes are not cheap, I could go on but I think you get the point.
Not to defend Carfax, I think a dealer should at least do what they say they do like inspection and repair of safety issues.
Question, I will be starting a website called @t here in the next month or so. It will have a video section and if I can figure it out a blog section where people can share their crappy fails with CarMax. Chances are I won't be able to link videos depending on how I build it, would it be okay to download your video and use it with credit and link to your RUclips?
I have had a REALLY SHITTY experience with carmax (documented on my youtube), and want to share EVERYONE's experience as well. What they do to people is #$%ed up.
Thank you.
"I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to comment on my lies."
The worst part was when Carmax threw their employee under the bus.
This is why I now call them Crook Max. I was so ripped off by their service department. Worst mistake ever! I went to the North Austin location and I told them my main problem was the clutch. They didn’t even look at it and said it was a listed concern, therefore, it wasn’t checked. They wanted me to schedule another appointment and pay another diagnostic fee. Oh, and they told me I needed a new battery. I knew that didn’t sound right and I wasn’t going to pay $300+ for them to put in a new battery. The following day, I’m still having problems and I go to an AutoZone and the manager checks the battery - it was at a 100%. They were even shocked that CarMax would say that was the problem. I got more help from AutoZone than CarMax. Never again, and ladies, take a man with you because they will disrespect you as well. I don’t know what is worse, the disrespect or being ripped off. I hate them! Allen Schwartz, Dawson - tech guy, Nick - Operations Managwr and David Hernandez at the north Austin location can all go to hell. Allen Schwartz was a rude a-hole - as I walked out the door, he goes “thank you” as if to say “get out of here”. I hope all these men who rip off women end up in a bad nursing home. See how they like being talked down too and ripped off. FU CrookMax!
I have a report im sending to the AG of Florida RIGHT THIS MOMENT!
take a car specialist to inspect the car from bumper to bumper
Carmax takes 30 days to pay your vehicle off once you sell it to them...
omg say it isnt so mama.the salesman lied.lol ......
5 minutes is how long it took them to do a 125 point inspection
I bought a new (used) Toyota Camry Le/ 2013 model.
From CarMax in N.California where I live. They (CarMax) didn't tell me about the few recalls that was on my car,I went on line to find out. I took the car to the shop that I do business with,and they went over the car.
I paid cash for the car. I own it out right. I went on line to find out that the recalls were taken care of. CarMax didn't tell me about the recalls.
I found out on my own.
Other than that small mishap, it has been a very good car ..
And it runs very well. Has plenty of good power.
If asked, if I would buy from them again,I would say yes...
Just keep a good eye on the salesperson.
I'd like to know the age of the vehicles in question. I did a little search on how vehicles are recalled and found this: If you own a vehicle that is more than eight years old, it cannot be recalled. However, remember that the problem still exists and should be
remedied - you'll just have to pay for it yourself.Note that there's another limitation to the recall rule: If a manufacturer challenges the government's demand for a recall in court, drivers cannot attend to their car's needs until the case is finished. Since these procedures can take years, owners often have to pay for the repairs on their own. If this should happen to you, remember to keep all your receipts because, if the NHTSA wins the case, you may be entitled to a reimbursement.I wonder if any of the cars in this video fell into this category.
CarMax has a very thorough inspection policy, this surprised me.
+Josh Mckinnley My brother in low worked there for a few months and ultimately quit because of the ethic of Carmax. They have 3 bays that have different levels of inspection. They have a time limit on each bay. The do not inspect the cars and try to hide the imperfections instead of fixing them.
The #1 rule for buying used cars is to ALWAYS get a pre-purchase inspection from a competent, independent mechanic.
I had fun messing with one of their salesmen several years ago. I was in the market for a hybrid as have a long commute on flat roads. For a 2002 Toyota Prius with 40k miles, they wanted $12k. I drove it and it didn't handle right which told me there was something wrong. I pointed that out and they refused to drop to $8k like I was asking. Took my business to my local honda dealership and bought a 2010 honda insight with 45k miles and flawless on the mechanical side with moderate paint damage from people parking it under a tree and not washing off fallen sap for $9k. Spent about $1000 on getting the little rust removed and repainted. Had it for 100k miles now and going to put on another 60-100k miles before I look to replace it.
A week after visiting the carmax they called me and said they would go down to $11k and this was after I already bought the honda and it was getting the paint repaired at the time. Best decision I made so far when it comes to cars. I imagine it would have taken $1-2k to fix what ever issues was with the handling.
A dishonest Salesman, who knew, next you will be telling me Politicians lie too.
I hope people take this serious CarMax is a joke my wife bought a car from them and they're expensive warranty having a newborn baby they couldn't care less about any issues and did nothing to fix anything after basically telling them what was exactly wrong with the vehicle and proving to them there is an issue they still denied doing anything I refuse to do any business with them forever there's only one good thing about them they have a large lot of all different vehicles if you're in the market for a used vehicle you should go there and use them to test drive a car you might be interested in and buy it elsewhere like from a reputable dealership
I went back to the dealership three times but kept getting the same response. I didn't think about going anywhere else for the inspection.
If you're having problems with a car and want to get an independent inspection, Car Talk's Mechanics Files is a good resource for finding a reliable mechanic, based on customer reviews. Here's the link: www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files Best wishes for safe motoring!
Same guy who started circuit city now running carmax ? RUN....
OMG and I bought a car from them 3 years ago! So far no real issues but that is very scary.
Only a brand dealer can fix a safety recall.
Confirmed all suspicions...being in the industry since the 70's, I have no idea where I would go if I didn't repair all my vehicles myself. CARMAX is absolutely where peoples who no nothing about cars shop. And I agree with O. Blue, how can a 20 yr. old "kid" be a service consultant and tell me about my car? I have shoes older than him!...heed all warnings and stay away. You'd be better off with CraigsList!
+Jim Holden That's the reason why I wound up getting fired from a dodge dealership. I first applied for the service adviser job. Keep in mind I was 26-27 at the time. Had a college degree and 3 years of being an automotive tech. They wound up offering me a basic service tech job (Okay...I needed the job and took it) And they promoted the idiot on the wash bay to a full service adviser. This idiot wouldn't have known a dipstick from a &hitstick. We butted heads for a few weeks before the service manager released me. I WAS the one doing ethical work. The service kid was selling a ton of crap that was not needed.
Sahadi420
Yeah any moron can look up the vin at a dealership. The shady part is when a shop states they already do that for all their cars and ensure the recalls have been preformed. That puts this on their shoulders for any current and past recalls. The used car dealership lied in the advertising. Not sure why anyone should be surprised. But some will trust the advertising and the paperwork....
Sued them. Got my full money back and they were mad! Should’ve took my car back in the first month of purchase like I asked.
I bought 1 car here being the exact make/model/trim/color I wanted at a good price. It went well in the end- but I really held the screws to them to suck every free service and part/fix I could the first 90 days. Understand this takes some effort, time and auto know-how to actually know what you need to do with these guys to get exactly what you want. And I think that's asking too much for most people. If you just buy the car and walk away, I could see how someone could most definitely feel taken advantage of if they didn't go back and spend the time to actually get the car in shape which it should have been from the start. Carmax cars are often found rough, dirty, and some down right sad- I even had our sales guy admit to this. Its all about volume, flipping cars fast. Thankfully they delivered in the end, everything I was concerned about was fixed and I'm happy. If it were not for this particular model, I would be buying my next vehicle certified used with a dealer warranty and eat the premium price. Buyer beware, just know what you're getting into with this place.
+srarcade Same here i got them to replace a bit over 4k in sensors and other stuff i knew needed fixing. I did a lot of research on the car before i actually went in. i knew what to look for and during the test drive i spotted some right away.
When it's comes to used cars, the best bet is to find a manufacturer dealer of the car you want. Want a 2013 ford? Go to a Ford dealer. Most of their used cars are lease trade-ins. CarMax has mostly rental fleet and repossessed used cars.
Best bet for used cars is the Certified Vehicle program that most manufacturers offer now. In the case of recalls, they have to stand behind it or the manufacturer gets in trouble - and none of them want that bad publicity. Just look at what happened to VW when it cheated on emissions.
Wow, must have been a slow news day or Carmax stopped advertising with their channel.
There is a Ford dealer near here that has multiple lemon buybacks in its used car stock. Pity the poor buyer that doesn't spot it in Carfax before buying the car.
Granted they are probably a shady used car chain, but you can't hinge all that recall stuff on just 1 salesman. they should have asked multiple salespeople before breaking cover.
I'm a handicapped person. I went into a CarMax not too long ago, in Savannah, GA. I asked if I could drive my vehicle thru their lot, because I cannot walk long distances. The guy behind the counter told me they didn't allow private vehicles to be driven on their lot. That's all he said. I then told him, "I guess I can't buy a car!" His response was, "I guess not, sorry." Carmax are pieces of #$%^!
i have NEVER been lied to by a used car sales man! wait, i've never been to a used car dealer...
Wow my parents bought a Mercedes Benz about 3 years ago FROM THE SAME CAR MAX IN HARTFORD
Buy a car from an individual or an auction where at least you KNOW you're buying a 'pig-in-a-poke' but you'll save lots on the price.
I hate used car salesmen but mostly because they state things as facts when they don't know. Honestly, what the hell does that salesman know? Only what Car Max told him and they threw him under the bus.
_The more you know_ THANKS
My one and only time dealing with CarMax was a disaster. I was passed around from one sales person to another, offered 1/3 of the blue book on my trade-in and felt very rushed and uncomfortable. To me, they are no different than a shady back street used car dealer.
Parents bought a truck at carmax back on 2004 and it still runs today 2017. Bought a used car in 2009 at another used dealership, and transmission blew up 2 months later. Got a carmax car last year and despite of its markup, it's definitely more reliable
Thanks for your comment. That's great that your parents and you had good experiences at CarMax. Unfortunately, a lot of people are very unhappy with them, and they continue to sell unrepaired recalled cars -- many with defects that the purchasers can't get repaired, due to severe shortages of repair parts. Types of safety defects in CarMax cars include seat belts that fail in a crash, faulty brakes, exploding airbags that cause people to bleed to death, catching on fire, steering loss, hoods that fly up in traffic, axles that break, wheels that fall off, and other defects that have killed or maimed people. This is illegal and it has to stop.
So - it seems as long as that salesman was good at selling cars with all the usual used car salesman BS, things were good - until he stepped on "it" and CARMAX threw him under the proverbial bus! Hahahahahahahaha
A salesman that lied? No way!
just bought a car from carmax got warranty with it the engine went out in 7 months and now the warranty company wont cover it consumer affairs investigator said they dont do 125 point inspection and when i asked for the inspection they gave it to me no 125 point inspection all crap now im screwed
If it's any comfort, a lot of people have complained about CarMax cars that don't live up to their claims about "125+ point inspections" and how they supposedly "recondition" their cars. If you're willing to fight back, you may be able to find an auto fraud expert who will be willing to represent you against them. Here's an organization with members who bring cases against unscrupulous auto dealers like CarMax -- listed by state and area of expertise. Many states' laws provide for refunds plus attorneys fees, for consumers who can prove they were cheated. www.consumeradvocates.org/ Hope this helps. Having an engine go out is such a drag -- even when the warranty does cover repairs.
im going after them the inspection paper that they gave me says inside that when carmax bought the car it was having engine problems they are screwed and now my engine is gone and the warranty company maxcare wont pay for a new engine all crap i also called consumer affairs they are gonna send an investigator out
Best wishes with fighting back and getting them to do the right thing!
People have been ripped off worse at other dealers. Majority of the cars, Carmax sell are good quality but this was apparent a decade ago. If the quality of their cars are going down and no longer dealing with recalls, in which a car i bought there had a couple of recalls that was honored by Carmax you got to wonder if any car dealer is even reputable these days and the only way you won't get stifled into a bad car is if you are a mechanic that doesn't mind fixing whatever is broken.
I had gotten a 06 mustang and the airbags weren't good, and inflator both was recall, also there 125 point inspection is bull they slap a copy to every car and that's all
Thanks for the comment, Andres. A LOT of people who buy so-called "certified" cars from CarMax end up with recalled cars. It's really outrageous that CarMax is so reckless, endangering their customers' lives.
You may have legal recourse against them under your state consumer protection laws. Here's an organization with members who specialize in auto fraud, who may be willing to give you advice about what steps you can take to hold CarMax accountable: www.consumeradvocates.org/.
Meanwhile, if there are replacement parts available, and you can get the recall repairs done, it's important to do that right away, at a Ford dealership. The recalled airbags keep killing more people, or sometimes cause blindness when the shrapnel from the inflators hits drivers or passengers in the face or neck. Stay safe!
Thanks, 20-20.
Just returned from Car Max.. Ya, they tried ripping me off.. 1st and Last time I ever go there..
CarMax sucks, they tried to low ball me. I went to them asking for the same car I had to trade in but didn't drive that car in so they didn't know that yet. After they "found" the car as they like to say. With shipping to that CarMax from the other CarMax it came out to be around $15,000 for their car. I said ok great, ill be right back after I go get the loan from my bank. I returned in MY car which was the same as THIER car lol. I said hey, you buy cars right, they said yes with a really puzzled look. I said great, so minus the "shipping" you should buy my car for about $13,700 based on my car being less miles and better condition according to them about the car they had. They said oh, no we can't do that. Gave a lot of reasons why which same as you case was bullcrap. I laughed and said oh ok, so you charge high for yours but mine with less miles isn't worth that???? Manager said nothing other than thanks for coming by and asked me to leave. I will never ever buy anything from CarMax. I don't care how cheap the price is.
As for me, I wouldn't buy anything from Carmax.
This is the car sales industry. They all lie. I am so turned off by cheesy salesman that I no longer swap cars every year. Car buying should be easy quick and fun and exciting but salesmen make it undesirable.
Car Max is a great place to get a nice used vehicle I jax gotten a Lincoln LS with Bumper to Bumper warranty $50 deductible ..
Bought a 2013 Ford Escape from Carmax is Oxnard, California back in October. Had it one week and wouldn't start. The battery was junk but I did return it and they replaced the battery, no questions asked. Its been OK since then...knock on wood.
Damn a new battery needed already? I still have the original battery in my 2012 Tacoma. Still cranks good. Knock on wood lol
awww man this makes sad that andy daly does commercials for them :(
There is no way you can guarantee or check a used vehicle for problems, unless you have real mechanics stress test the engine and drivetrain with proper tools. And even when they do run all the usual tests, it's hard to predict how a car will behave after it leaves a lot. The best thing dealers can do is stand behind the products they sell. If it breaks down a few days later, help fix it or exchange it. A good car is very had to find.
What terrible reporting, we don't even know the question the salesman was actually asked - he could have been asked about safety in general and for all he knows they wont sell a car that has a wobbly wheel or something - which is why he said every major safety concern is taken care of before putting the car out there...
What a stretch for a story.