CarMax in
Costa Mesa (CA)

Sold my car. Prefilled the application for a quote and set an appointment. When I got to CarMax I was greeted and taken care of and in and out in less than an hour. I was also given a complimentary Lyft ride home. The whole process was so easy and smooth and was the easiest and most convenient car selling experience. I would do it again and recommend my friends and family to go to CarMax for their car needs.

The Bad: Multiple areas of damage which were not disclosed on the inspection sheet including large chips in the windshield which were poorly filled. The filling makes it obvious that it was known, yet was not disclosed. Scratches around the rear camera cleaning assembly which voided the manufacturer warranty. The Good: Sales and finance teams were very responsive and able to help quickly with some paperwork confusion after the sale. Bottom line - inspect any car in person very closely because this location may not disclose known damage.

Great experience with Agnes! So sweet and efficient. If I ever sell another vehicle through CarMax, I would hope to work with her again!

I had a great experience selling my car at CarMax. Agnes Janchoi was professional, kind, and very helpful throughout the process. Everything was straightforward, efficient, and transparent, and the final offer matched the online quote exactly. I really appreciated how smooth and stress-free the experience was. Highly recommend working with Agnes!

Superb experience selling my vehicle. Josh was great, he was the right balance of friendly and efficient. I walked in with an online quote, he had me in and out the door in about 30 minutes.

DO NOT BUY FROM CARMAX. I'm leaving another 1 star review. Sold me a car with issues that they did not fix before hand. My car has been in the service shop longer than I've actually owned and drove the car. First time, they had it for a 1.5 months and I had to bring it in for a second time and it is approaching 3 weeks. They will lie to you about when the car will be done. I wanted to take my car to my own service shop and asked if they could reimburse me since they like to waste time. They are just looking to keep as long as possible so my warranty expires. Do not buy cars from them, they will sell you defective cars. I plan on selling the car i purchased from these idiots

Do not finance a car through CarMax. They “lost” a payoff check and applied additional interest charges while a replacement was issued. The representatives on the phone were no help and it has taken 6 calls so far with no resolution

I recently sold my car to CarMax and the experience was surprisingly fast, smooth, and completely stress-free. The whole process was transparent with no hidden fees and zero pressure, which is very different from traditional dealerships. The staff was professional from start to finish. They inspected my car and gave me the final offer in less than 30 minutes — and the offer was actually higher than what I expected. What impressed me most was that CarMax doesn’t play games or lowball you. They don’t nitpick small flaws to push the price down. Everything they check is clearly explained, and the price you see is the price you get. Once I accepted the offer, I got the check right on the spot. The entire process was extremely smooth. I used to think selling a car would be a hassle, but CarMax made it feel almost as easy as trading in a phone — simple, honest, and fast. If you want to sell your car quickly without wasting time negotiating or dealing with uncertainty, CarMax is hands down the most reliable and hassle-free option I’ve found. Highly recommended!

Cristian Perez from the Costa Mesa location was amazing! We truly believe that a great sales representative makes all the difference in the experience! We left a different CarMax location disappointed, and decided to make one more stop to look specifically at ONE car we had in mind. Found it. Loved it. Financed it. And drove home just a couple hours later. Thank you for being so kind and so helpful!

I’m highly disappointed with this location. I wanted to like my experience, but the negatives have far outweighed the positives. Positives: 1. The sales team was great. 2. They did cover a radiator leak. But here’s what really happened: 1. The service department is disorganized and unreliable. 2. I paid $42,000 cash for a truck that had been in an accident (this was disclosed and shown on the Carfax), and I was told all repairs—including paint—had been fully handled and the truck was back to street-legal condition. Not even close with the paint job. The paint is now torn and peeling down the side. Since it’s past the 90-day mark, they refused to do anything. 3. There are water stains on the interior roof—backseat area I’ve never even sat in. This is what broke my trust completely: I paid $3,700 for the extended warranty. The service center said my alternator was about to go out (not that it had failed). They told me it wasn’t safe to drive, so I had to leave the truck there. It sat on their lot for 3 months while the part was on backorder (which I understand isn’t there fault). When it finally came in, it was an aftermarket part—and it didn’t work. I asked to take my truck back while waiting on the correct part—they said no. They gave me a loaner, but it couldn’t leave the state or tow anything. I had to rent my own vehicle for work—cost me $1,800. CarMax reimbursed $600. The service manager kept telling me to send in receipts and said I might be reimbursed for the rental, but after weeks of trying to get through—and my calls not even being answered by the front desk anymore—I escalated it to corporate. Only then did Julio finally call to say I’d be getting reimbursed. Even after that, it took weeks and another follow-up call before I actually received the check. After I moved to Utah, I called the Costa Mesa CarMax to get an update on the part. They told me it was still backordered. I asked them to update my address so the part could be shipped to Utah once it arrived—they said there was nothing to update. Then, the very next day, they suddenly claimed the alternator was in stock and had already been shipped to Utah. When it arrived, it was the same exact faulty aftermarket part they had already tried months earlier. CarMax in Utah had the correct alternator installed within a week. Julio Garcia, the service manager, dragged this process out for 8 months. I couldn’t get a return call until I went to corporate. Then it took weeks just to get a partial reimbursement check that barely covered a quarter of what I had to spend out-of-pocket—while they had my truck. I would’ve saved time, money, and 8 months of stress if I hadn’t bought the extended warranty at all.

Sold me a car that had issues and they did not fix or properly acknowledge beforehand. Terrible service. Communication with the service department is terrible. Had my car brought in for an issue, they couldn't fix it so they had to bring it to Toyota and communication between those two are terrible. I'm always told different things and never given a real answer on when my car will be available. For example, they said the car is being worked on then they change it up to the fix needs to be approved then to the part is being ordered. I reached out to Toyota for information regarding my car and they said they have to get approval from CarMax to release information about the car I purchased. I still haven't gotten an answer of when it'll be fixed and it has been 3 weeks.

It was great experience. Very courteous and quick process to obtain my car's value. Greg was great help and he took only half of time he promised! I definitely recommend!!!

My partner got a car from here 3 months ago. Been dealing with getting a headlight issue fixed for just over a month now. Service communication is HORRIBLE. “We’ll call you in a few hours, days “but the call never comes. Had to walk into the store in person to see what’s the hold up just to find employees in service at the desks hanging around talking/ showing each other body fragrance misters while I had been trying to get a hold of someone for over an hour. Just for them to tell us they were “busy with other customers” when I was physically there watching them not even doing anything world related. At this point seems like we’ve been sold a lemon and they’re just trying to hide it. First time buying a car here and will be the last and to anyone looking to get a car from here brace yourself for the headaches that will come with it.

As a 30 year auto repair industry veteran, I typically despise dealerships and car lots. I just figured Carmax was the same. But Stephen Shelton in the Costa Mesa location completely changed my mind. The carmax matrix of business conduct is simple, Everything on the lot is "good" cars that meet their quality standards. That said, the experience meeting Stephen was like meeting a stranger at a ball game or out walking the dog or, you know, crossing paths with a stranger that ends up with a great conversation and that feeling of, hey, there still are regular cool people around here. He was perfectly professional, knowledgeable and direct with ethics and honesty, yet felt like we were at a bbq or coworkers chatting in an elevstor. I am going to refer anyone looking for a carmax criteria type car to him specifially. I was genuienly surprised at the pleasentness of the ease of experience. And after a 20 minute solo test drive, I didn't even buy the car I thought I wanted. Still an amazing dude. Thank you for that.

It’s taken me a year to write this review because I wanted to give the situation time to be rectified before hand. The vehicle I bought from Carmax has been an unfathomable disaster. I bought a Hyundai with only 5,000 miles. I paid over market value, understanding the no haggle process. My thinking was hey, at least they source better quality vehicles and this one is extremely low miles, so it should be great. WRONG. 3 weeks after owning it… as I’m cruising home on the freeway from work one night in the fast lane, my car starts sputtering out and jerking. Losing power at about 70 mph. This caused me to lose control and swerve right as I was trying to get over to the shoulder. I almost got hit by a semi in this moment. Finally got pulled over, stunned that a car with about 6k miles now has left me stranded on the highway. I had it towed in. It ended up being an injector. That was just the first issue. In the coming months it would spend SEVERAL months at Hyundai for multiple injector failures on the freeway, a maintenance interval issue that can’t be repaired, now a bad transmission that is on back order possibly for months. This is all at low mileage! I understand used means as is, but I would think a massive company like Carmax would stand behind their product more. Do anything to make things right with a customer they sold this product to. Instead they bounced me from customer relations to a store manager that offered to appraise my vehicle (something I can do anywhere and already did). I have several friends and family in the car market. I worked in the car business years and know a ton of people in OC. I’ll make sure they avoid Carmax. If I’m going to pay a premium price, I expect premium customer service.

I’m so happy I went to this location. Jesse Mercado was the person who helped me through the process of buying my new car.. he’s amazing. He really care and respect. Give you the best advice, highly recommended.

I totally recommend you come to carmax ! I had a great experience purchasing my first car!!! I came in with so many doubts and Cristian my sales agent went above and beyond to help me in my vehicle search. if your a first time buyer/or upgrading your vehicle!! This team here is the best!! thank you to everyone !

Great experience. Received on-line offer. Brought car into Costa Mesa store on Sunday evening. The staff was quick and efficient. The appraiser inspected the car and we had confirmation of on-line offer. Accepted the offer, completed the paperwork and were out the door with our check, all in less than 1 hour, at closing.

Recently bought my car from this Carmax location and it was a wonderful experience! My whole experience was hassle free and stress free. Winston helped me out, saw the car I wanted on the Carmax app and decided to go see it! I was greeted immediately by Winston. I told him the car I wanted to see and test drive he brought it out for me and my sister to check out. It was definitely love at first sight when I saw my car. The car was exactly as described from the app. Took it for a test drive and fell in love with it. They let you drive it on your own which I like that. During the sale process it was seamlessly and easy. No pressure for any additional add on, it was very straight to the point! The previous owner scratched up the hub caps on the passenger side so I pointed it out. Daniel the manager of the location approved for the hub caps to be replaced! The whole process of purchasing my car was less than an hour. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase and the experience. I also did get my brand new OEM replacement hub caps as promised 2 weeks later! Definitely recommend buying your next car at Carmax, especially from this location!

Joan Rizo was the best salesman ever! Not only did he help me narrow down my search but he came back to me with a fantastic deal and super low mileage! Joan really knew how all the bells and whistles worked on the car and showed me all of them. I can't thank Joan enough for his professionalism and going above and beyond to find me my beautiful car. Thank you!

THANK YOU CARMAX!!!! …& God most importantly…. But yes thank you CarMax! Thank you Miguel, Kyle, & Sugar at the Costa Mesa location!! You three made my experience the most memorable car buying experience ever. The first night I came in was a little rough… I had my 2 year old twins (bad idea😆) and I have never bought a car before. I just showed up with legal binding documents, money and a lot of hope. The employees at CarMax not once made me feel shameful about my kids causing a ruckus. Unfortunately at that point I was ready to tap out but wouldn’t you know they were open the next morning on the 4th of July to allow us to finish the deal!!! Simply amazing… they worked diligently with us as they kept pushing information in and out of their system allowing this to become a dream come true for me and my family! They understood particular parts of my situation and reiterated all of that to the lender and made sure we walked out with the first initial car we chose that worked within our budget and reassured us that if we couldn’t there was so much more to pick from. I love their 10 day exchange policy where if within 10 days I don’t like my vehicle I can come back in and refinance on a different one of my choosing. That’s the biggest part for me, because you never know and I like the security of that option. This store deserves an award for all that they do. Thank you from the Santiago Family!! **HERES AN UPDATE** This is for the Service Center, not the Salespeople at CarMax. I believe I could have done better by doing a test drive and allowing my husband to do a full check on the inside of this vehicle. The oil had never been changed with my vehicle, nor had the spark plugs or any of the 3 filters within the vehicle. My husband had to do all 3 because my car started running a little off, grant it I drive a lot of highway miles to work. The oil looked as though it had never been changed since the first original owner, and the 3 filters had detailed signs that they have never been replaced and it was necessary that the spark plugs needed to be replaced as well. It was obvious the only thing the service center did was replace the windshield wipers… and that was it. Kind of disappointing considering the fact that the service centers one and only job is to make sure everything was top notch before I drove off with this car- and not by just the way it looks on the inside. They could have even put two new tires to match the back new tires but they didn’t do that so I’ll have to replace those soon too. These are the things that truly matter because the value of a car like this can go down immensely had something happened. Yes I’m still happy with my purchase but when I look back on other peoples reviews I see exactly what they are saying when it comes to this kind of stuff.

I bought a car from CarMax in January 2025, and guess what? By mid-May, the battery was completely dead. No warning, no signs - just stranded and unable to start my car. I had to go to AutoZone to get it tested, and the results clearly showed the battery had already failed. Less than four months after purchase! This is outrageous. A car battery doesn't just die in four months unless it was already near the end of its life when sold. What happened to the "125-point inspection" CarMax claims? What happened to selling cars you can trust? Either the battery wasn't checked, or it was knowingly sold on its last legs. This experience shows a serious lack of integrity, transparency, and customer care. CarMax is supposed to be a reputable company, but what I got was no better than a shady corner lot. If you're thinking of buying from CarMax, ask yourself. Can you really trust what's under the hood? I trusted CarMax. That was my mistake. Don't make the same one.

had a great experience with CarMax—especially thanks to a gentleman named Ibraam, who helped ease my nerves and made the entire process run smoothly. The service overall was fast, efficient, friendly, and transparent. Car buying and selling can often come with a lot of anxiety, but CarMax made the experience as seamless as possible. Their online inventory made it easy to browse, and the filters allowed me to narrow down my search based on exactly what I wanted. I appreciated being able to reserve cars I was interested in and easily adjust appointment times as needed. Although I was pre-approved for a car loan through my credit union, CarMax fully cooperated with the process. They promptly sent over a purchase order that clearly broke down the cost of the car, including taxes, fees, and my planned down payment. While CarMax doesn’t negotiate on price, their transparency really stood out. They provide a full inspection report (they do a 125-point inspection), a vehicle history report via Carfax, and a 20-minute test drive. On the day of my test drive, Ibraam guided me through every step. He managed my expectations well, explained everything clearly, and wore a kind, reassuring smile the whole time. He even reminded me to snap a picture with the iconic CarMax bow so I could share the moment—such a thoughtful touch that meant a lot! I was also helped by Kaity, whose customer service was outstanding. She kept the process moving efficiently while making me laugh and chatting about movies. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. For full transparency: I did receive a better financing rate through my credit union than what CarMax offered, and the trade-in offer on my previous vehicle was quite low. However, both of these are common when working with dealerships, so knowing this ahead of time can help set realistic expectations. Overall, I’m incredibly happy with my CarMax experience and would absolutely recommend them—especially if you value efficiency, kindness, and a hassle-free process.

The whole process of purchasing my Altima was due to the credit of Kailee my Carmax sales agent. She was knowledgeable, personable, and had a smile on her face the entire time you could tell she really enjoyed her job, which is more than I can say about my experience with other car dealerships. This is my second purchase through Carmax and when and if I decide to buy another one, it will be through Carmax. At the same time, I will refer my family and friends to share the same experience that I had! Thank you, Carmax and Kailee!

Such a seamless experience for car purchase and trade in of my car! I could not have been happier with the exceptional customer service and the process! Having purchased many new vehicles over the years I highly recommend searching for the best used vehicle that fits your needs and using Car Max !

The buying experience was excellent except for one small, but important detail. When you purchase a 2023 model year car with 7K miles, you expect all of the parts to be there. Prior to purchasing the vehicle, I noticed there was a small body part missing (a cover was removed for towing). This part was showing in the pictures of the vehicle listed on the CarMax website, so I was a bit surprised to notice it missing. CarMax filled out a Vehicle Repair Request Form for me to order the missing part, but I was the one who had to call the Service Center with the information on the form! After 3 weeks of not receiving the part or getting any updates, I followed up with CarMax Service Center two different times - one which was a poor customer experience. Even after these follow-ups, it has now been 4 weeks since the purchase of the vehicle and the part has still not been sent to me. One would expect that a new-ish car with low miles would have the part that was present in the pictures on the website. I understand that things happen, but I expect that getting a missing part would be relatively hassle-free. However, 4-weeks later with multiple follow-ups and still no part, this really has not been the customer experience I was hoping to receive from CarMax.

Best auto buying and selling experience with no pressure sales tactics.We were immediately greeted by Oscar who helped and guided us through the whole process. He was very professional and knowledgeable of the inventory at hand making. My girlfriend ended up purchasing a used 2018 Infinity Qx30 that had to be delivered from their Burbank location. We had it set aside on a Saturday afternoon and it was available by Tuesday and finished the deal in less than 2 hours. A week later, I said goodbye to my beloved Jeep Wrangler. I had received a prior offer and decided to go in and finish the deal later that week. Selling my car was even easier. I handed them the offer I had received, I was still within the 7 day period. The only wait time I had was waiting for one of the desks to open up. Once a desk or booth came available the process took only 15 min to complete, I received all pertinent paperwork, and a check for my offer. Hassle free, no pressure, no lies. We would definitely come back and purchase or sell another vehicle here.