CarMax

I can’t say anything about the service department where your car would be worked on at CarMax in Albuquerque, NM but I can say this: Having had Andrew Del Mastro as our sales person yesterday and only given 2 hours to work out a possible sale, was the best experience I and my friend Yolanda could have at a car dealership. He not only is willing to help you, please you and give you his best, he also is a man of integrity, honest and not in it for himself. Being a woman and feeling insecure about making such a decision I felt no pressure at all. I recommend that you ask for him for sure. I ended up not buying a car from CarMax because what I can afford and what was available didn’t line up. But I can recommend Andrew Del Mastro as someone you can have full confidence in when it comes to buying a car. And tell him Kalani sent you.

Here’s the condensed version:
VERY helpful and responsive when selling you a car. Will answer all your questions and be extremely helpful.
BUT when it comes time to service the vehicle or make a repair (even when within a week of purchase as is the case with me) you should be prepared for the runaround, to be delayed and told to go elsewhere. I’ve been told I would get a call from the service department on three different occasions and have received exactly zero calls.
Please message me for more info but unless you don’t care about car service or repair I would avoid CarMax like the plague. My experience has led to my father and two friends purchasing cars elsewhere. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

I have bought and traded-​in a total of three cars with them. Traded them each in for different reasons, but they all worked just fine. They give you a decent offer for your car (as long as it isn’t a really old car that they probably won’t be able to sell). Although it is a no haggle price, there is always extra fee’s and time consuming paperwork, but that’s just how it is whenever you invest in anything with this type of monetary value.

Buying a car? Don’t go anywhere else. Robert was our guy. Low key, no pressure, friendly, available. We got an outstanding trade-​in for our old car, and drove out of there in a new one at a really good price. I mean, really good. When we were ready to buy it, the whole process only took about 2 hours — all the paperwork was handled right there by super friendly folks.
Here is a tip — if this location doesn’t have the car you want, look for it on the national web site. Depending on where you find your dream vehicle, it might only be an extra $ 100 to have it transferred to the lot nearest you. That’s what we did. And it only took a couple of days to get it delivered. If we had not been satisfied with it once it was here, we would only be out the delivery fee. But we knew it would be good — they won’t sell you a car that hasn’t been inspected, no frame damage ever not even repaired, and they are thorough. They washed it and gassed it up, and here we are … ready to roll.

At first it seemed great. Easy sales process and easy to get financing. You just need to have the car really checked out by a 3^rd party. I have had nothing but mechanical issues with the Audi I bought from here. Plus, I recently had the tires rotated and then the car was shaking like crazy. At first I thought my Audi dealer did the rotation wrong. I took it to a independent tire shop and the truth came out!
When it was at Carmax apparently someone was trying to «drift» the car and torn up the back tires. This created 2 flat spots on the rear tires and when rotated to the front it created a severe vibration in the steering. I had to have the tires unrotated to fix it. Just make sure you get any car you buy here checked out by an independent mechanic. They definitely did not fully disclose all the things wrong with the car.
Of course, Carmax will not take responsibility for this and that is just further evidence to the saying of «buyer beware». Take your chances.

No call back after I stop by to inquire about a car on «hold» yesterday. I return to find out the customer the vehicle is on hold for did not qualify to make the purchase. The fun part is that now they tell me it is still on hold while this person tries to find a co-​signer. I’m standing in the lobby with a check in my pocket and cannot even test drive the car. What a joke! I will not return to Carmax and I’ll be sure everybody I know is aware of the poor customer service I received at the Alameda location.

THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT A SALE OF A CAR TO CARMAX. I DID NOT PURCHASE A CAR OR SELL A CAR FOR TRADE-​IN.
We had to go to NM to deal with the close of an estate, including a car to sell in a very short period of time. I had dealt with Carmax once before in Texas for the sale of a car, so while I know their process this was a different, more time-​sensitive situation.
We pulled in having given the car a wash and a vacuum, and were quickly greeted by Brian to get the process started. The car had low miles, no accidents and was in very good condition — not mint, but very good.
The «Appraisers» went to work quickly, and then revisited the car after their initial inspection, paying close attention to the roof.
After 30 minutes, the appraisal came back at a number we were comfortable with. It was below what we could have yielded from the classifieds, craigslist or ebay, probably by 10−15%, but again, we didn’t have time for that.
One «bad» checkmark the car received was related to ‘dents in the roof’, which I looked at on my way out, having already accepted their offer and had check in hand. I didn’t see any dings, dents or marks on the roof. In hindsight I should have gone out and looked at the roof as soon as we received the Appraisal report to perhaps have the appraiser point out where they found these dents to be and debate their significance, but I’ll chalk that up to a good lesson for future reference.
All in all we were in and out in less than 90 minutes, and the price was fair. The staff was polite, professional and perfect for the situation we were in.

Man these guys give you low ball offers on your car. An entire 3k less than KBB trade in value. I went to Nissan dealership and they gave me 3K more (I wasn’t buying a car from Nissan). There’s so many better ways to sell your car than carmax.

I had my heart set on a Fiat, but came to terms that I couldn’t afford one. I went to Carmax, not knowing what to expect. I was treated kindly and fairly. The associate I worked with went out of his way to explain everything to me, then let me peruse the lot at my leisure. I found a Fiat! It was a little out of my price range, but my associate worked with me to make my dream car affordable! They have called to check up on me and I get good service every time I make a payment. We will be purchasing my husband’s vehicle from Carmax at the end of the year.

3^rd vehicle purchase… and of course 3^rd time is the charm
Our past 2 purchases were seem less and flawless. Andrew in sales and Steven in service are great people. Very helpful, friendly.
We found a titan we like and drove 10 hours to Kansas to pick it up instead of having to wait 3 weeks… the gas and hotel came out to just slightly more than the shipping cost so it was even.
When we saw the titan we were astonished at how horrid it was– Carmax prides themselves ok a 125 point inspextion, selecting ONLY THE BEST vehicles to sell, and RECONDITIONING them to the best possible standard… Guess they forgot to do that on this one. Not only was the interior grimmy… like seriously grimmy and sticky, but there was over spray everywhere on the truck; there were even tape lines on the fender flares and windows– over spray in back window, paint on the weather stripping, ect.
The Kansas store did their best with the limited time they had since we had to drive back.
Then the Albuquerque store stepped in… wow– I’ve never been treated so horribly as a client in my entire life.
It was a battle to get them to give me an appointment, they flat out said no to replacing the shocks that were completely rusted out, they said they would just double side tape the interior plastic trim that was rattling. … can you say GHETTO fix.
They charged us retail for this truck that had been sparked and had things falling off (I know, our fault for buying it, but we figured the last 2 cars were good and they would fix it)
Needless to say– now I am looking for a new truck because the horrid customer service led us to returning it–
When I dropped it off to give them a final chance to fix the overspray– they refused to give me a loaner car — WTF!!! That’s awesome.
Best advice– be seriously cautious– they take rental cars, cars that have been sprayed, and cars that you shoukd expect from a ghetto lot on Central– turn a round and sell the for RETAIL– can you say CORRUPT FALSE PRETENSE.

When I purchased my car here two years ago I was happy with Carmax and felt like the whole experience was a good one. But now two years later, and every time I have returned to Carmax to utilize the full warranty that I spent an extra $ 2000 on, I feel as if I am being taken advantage of and never get my repairs fully taken care of. The service advisers always act like they can’t figure out what the issue is or where the sounds is coming from, etc. and are great at giving the runaround when it comes to servicing my vehicle. Yesterday I went in for an oil change and a sound coming from my dash/​windshield area and they charged me $ 90 to repair it only for me to drive off with the car and find that the exact noise is still present. On top of that I have some scrapes and scratches on my car now that weren’t there yesterday morning when I dropped the car off. I’m done with u Carmax, you have betrayed my trust and my loyalty and I will never be returning for service or a purchase.

I received amazing, amazing customer service here. I picked out a car from the online listings and called the store to have it transferred down from Colorado. The salesperson Carl was very helpful and I never felt pressured or rushed by him at any time. He ran a financing estimate for me over the phone, but advised me not to bring a certified check for the down payment until I had already test-​driven the vehicle. In fact, I felt like he was making sure I didn’t jump the gun on my choice. He reminded me a few times «Make sure you like it first before you decide on anything.» I felt like he was just there to assist me in finding what I was looking for, rather than trying to guide or direct me towards a choice he wanted, like the normal sales-​hustle you get at dealerships.
The car transfer was very quick, about 3 or 4 days, and I was able to test drive nearly the same day it arrived. The car was exactly as described in the online profile, it had all of the features such as the cold weather add-​ons installed. It was in fantastic shape for a 2010 model. We drove it around my neighborhood for about 30 – 40 minutes and as we did Carl very matter-​of-​factly explained various things about the make and model. He wasn’t just going over the pros, he also went over the cons. He reminded me it didn’t have the great gas mileage my previous car had and would cost me a lot more in gas money. He brought up similar considerations for me to think over as we drove it around.
I felt very confident about my purchase by the time we signed the papers. We reviewed the car’s history, the car’s specs and features, and went over financing options. Although the process did take a while, Carl and the other employees were extremely prompt and were doing everything they could to speed up the process, such as get the car through the service department for an inspection and wash before I drove it off the lot while we reviewed the paperwork. We spent almost no time sitting and waiting on anyone. At most, we were left unattended maybe 5 minutes tops.
They were also patient with me when I asked questions about the contracts. I hesitated over the mediation agreement, but they allowed me to read through it line by line and didn’t try to «convince» me to sign it or whitewash the meaning of it as I reviewed it in-​depth. They were extremely respectful of any reservations I had and didn’t attempt the intelligence-​insulting B.S. routines many, many salespersons will try on customers during the contract-​signing portion.
This was one of the best buying experiences I’ve ever had, anywhere. This is how customer service should be!

F’n false advertisement asshole!!! After sitting here for over 5hours, right before we sign the papers, we asked to fix the navigation that wasn’t working. They make us wait another 45 minutes to tell us that the navigation that was listed as the included amenity isn’t actually on it. WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? Not being able to have a satellite radio was one thing but now you are telling me you listed the car features falsely and was gonna make me come back to «fix» the navigation at later date AND only «find out» that the nab wasn’t even in the car when we asked to fix it before we sign??? F*** YOU!!! What the hell kind of shady scamming business are you doing here? NEVER AGAIN, CARMAX. You’ve lost all my trust and confidence I’m your sleepy company and I will tell EVERYONE about this!!! FIX IT NOW! Not FIVE days later!!!
Update–
False advertisement. The three things I specifically asked for from the get go were: NAVIGATION, leather seats, and efficient gas mileage. Found the car, according to the posted and published (internet) info and we spent over 4 hours by the time we were ready for the papers. Just to make sure that they fixed the navigation I noticed that wasn’t working at the time of the test drive BEFORE I sign, they left us waiting for over half an hour then came back to tell me that the nav wasn’t installed in the vehicle. They did not even try to fix their error until hubby demanded it and asked to speak to the corporate visitor who happened to be there. The worst part is they were gonna make me make an app and come back to «fix» it at a later date. Then they tried to offer Tom-​Tom! ARE YOU SERIOUS? Cannot believe their lack of urgency… SMH… Hubby had to tell the sales «MANAGER» to stop telling us what they’re not willing to do but start telling us what they’re going to do to fix it since it was an error (a big one) on their part putting false info on the sticker. Before this, they were going to sell the same car for less $$ or have us come back 5 days later to see if they could even do it. They admitted they weren’t even sure if the car was compatible for the nav installation??? Hubby had to tell them to take the car to the Mercedes now to find out and get it fixed NOW. Only after mentioning that he’s willing to speak to the big honcho who’s visiting today if the «policy» they keep mentioning is hindering them from fixing their error. Not long after that, we saw «my» car drive off to the MB dealership.
They were just gong to change the sticker and sell it to someone else or stick it to us with less $. That wasn’t even the point at this time.
After 6 hours of this INCREDIBLY UNPLEASANT experience, we finally got it fixed (the MB dealership had it in stock and took care of it right then) and I got my car. Why did it have to take THREE HOURS to take ownership of their error and get it fixed NOW? I don’t know but they definitely can’t say «haggle free» car buying experience. If it wasn’t for my husband’s superior sales & service expertise, they wouldn’t have thought of doing what’s right. At one point the sales manager told him that it could possibly cost them up to $ 15k to fix the issue and THEY WEREN’T WILLING TO DO THAT because it costs too much.
NEVER AGAIN.

Maybe OK to buy a car from but never ever sell them a car. I’ve had then appraise a few cars and always been crazy lowballed. I recently sold my own car for 6500 more than they offered me within 2days. Also salesman didn’t shake my wives hand or acknowledge her… very bad move.

From my vehicle purchase over a year ago to the customer service to the repair department, I have had nothing but positive experiences here. Today Steven in the service department went over and above to get my car in for an oil change and to make sure I didn’t have to wait long with my infant son in tow. Fantastic customer service. I also love the play room to keep the kids happy while we wait. Awesome.

Uneducated staff about their cars on the lot, about the cars in general, and poor job trying to help. If you want me to buy your cars, you at least have to come out of the building to help me. They were too busy chatting it up with each other to help. Save your money, this place is a joke.

I recently purchased a 2010 Honda Pilot EX-​L from carmax here in Albuquerque. I test drove the vehicle so I could purchase it for my pregnant wife, as this is the vehicle that she wanted. The tires on test drive where low with the low TPMS light was on and also they said they had done an oil change on the vehicle, however the service light was also on with 15% oil life remaining. I brought up those issues and they had fixed them before purchase. However after purchase I noticed that the vehicle would pull to the right and also had a slight shake in the steering wheel. I was driving behind my wife also after we purchased the vehicle and I noticed that the rear driver side brake light was out. I when I got home went back out to Autozone and bought a new light, since this was a safety hazard. I then a week later went to carmax to have a balance and alignment completed. The alignment was off and they fixed it, however the shake in the steering wheel was slightly still there. I also noticed the transmission fluid was low of about 1 quart. I was not informed at time of purchase that there were any dealer recalls on the vehicle — I found that out with my own investigation. I brought the vehicle to Garcia Honda — at which point, they have serviced the recalls and I got all 4 tires rebalanced — instead of CARMAX they only balanced the front and it appeared the rear tires were missing weights. I am not to happy with the repair service at Carmax. I was showed around by the service manager as to how they inspect cars, it looks like a great process, however to have this many issues with a vehicle that was pre owned, I feel should have paid attention to greater detail on placing it out on the line. The sales people where great and friendly with us, but we already knew what we wanted and had our credit union finance our vehicle.

I wish I’d had the presence of mind to consult Unilocal and especially Golly G’s review before buying from Carmax. Unfortunately, I had to find a car, apartment and get married all in a week’s time and so I wasn’t at my wisest when I visited this store.
I must confess that the «No-​Haggle Prices» and guarantees and all the other reassuring messages they plaster on their cars and on the walls and everywhere else really had me going when I made my purchase. I felt reassured, but in retrospect I should have known better. Well, you live and learn and you spread the word so that others can avoid the same mistakes.
My primary concerns with this place are two-​fold: 1) In the aftermath of my purchase when I went to refinance my loan with a credit union, I discovered that the CU was indicating the value of the car at $ 3,000 below that no haggle price Carmax had me on the hook for; 2) Within a month of me owning the car I began to have difficulties with the steering, the car began lurching and I had a tire blow out.
Now with the latter, Carmax really work hard to convince you that every car has passed through a rigorous inspection. However, my thoughts were that if such an inspection had taken place, I wouldn’t have so many issues arise in such a short period of time.
I took the car in because it was thankfully within their short window of warranty (because after that, if you haven’t bought their overpriced care system, you’re up you know what creek) and essentially asked for my money back and a termination of my contract. My belief was that they had used deceitful sales practices with all their assurances on the vehicle’s status and plus I was ticked about overpaying. Obviously, Carmax wasn’t going to lose a sale so they refused.
The only reason why I can even give a second star is because they did at least fix my car, although I noticed rather belatedly that they swiped my car jack and tire gauge from the vehicle. So wait, you know what, this place gets a one.

Although my review is specifically referencing the Albuquerque CarMax store, my recent experiences have been similar in other cities, so I’m generalizing a bit here.
CarMax started with a great business model (and reputation), but, alas, they have squandered it.
Used to be, you could get a used car for a little more than fair market retail value, and get a trade-​in offer for a little less than wholesale value. Maybe not quite as good as you could do going into protracted battle in the slime pits of the Big Dealer, with the «let me take your offer to my manager» dance, the car value/​trade-​in allowance shell game and the pin striping/​anti-​corrosion undercoating/​window etching dealer add-​ons — but overall, a reasonable deal that got you in and out feeling respected with a minimum of hassle, gamesmanship and slime.
But they have evolved. Now their «no haggle» prices are considerably more than a little over fair market value. And their trade-​in offers are at or *below* the initial offers at the Big Dealers.
I actually had my CarMax appraiser, upon giving me an offer on my existing car that was even lower than the opening offer of the Big Dealer, say to me, «We like to go by auction values — why would we offer a Kelly Blue Book value of x when I can get it at auction for y?» Excuse me? That’s like saying, «Why should I pay you 250K for your house in town when I can get a boondocks bank repo for 65K?» Not necessarily apples to apples. (The car was a low-​mileage, good-​condition, no-​accidents Subaru Outback turbo being sold in Rocky Mountain country. Cars like that don’t generally need to go to auction. It’s not like I was trying to unload a ’92 Pontiac Sunfire with a bent frame and a different color door.) Maybe I’m being overly sensitive, but I found that argument to be disingenuous and very Big Dealer-​like.
I guess with an organization this large, it’s only a matter of time before bottom lines, CEO bonuses, stockholder expectations, etc. supplant the consumer-​friendly practices they started with. They have completely lost their appeal to me. I’m done with CarMax. I’ll take my chances with a slime suit and battle ax.
I’ll still give them 2 stars for not putting a guy through the Big Dealer rigmarole, but if you want value, you’ll no longer find it at CarMax.

This place has great cars, but the staff is a bit terrible. They weren’t very familiar with what they had in stock and weren’t all that friendly. My boyfriend and I were handed off more than once to different associates. They definitely wanted nothing to do with us because of our age. I ended up leaving without a car. I might come back in the future, but not any time soon.