CarMax
Costa Mesa, CA
48 Reviews of CarMax
I had an unsatisfactory experience with the after-sales service here. When I purchased the car, they promised to fix and replace the car’s air conditioning vent. I went to the dealership three times spe service here. When I purchased the car, they promised to fix and replace the car’s air conditioning vent. I went to the dealership three times specially. The first time they said I had no appointment and rescheduled me to the next day. The second time I showed up, they had booked the wrong date and moved my appointment to the 17th. I came back on the 17th on time, then they told me the needed part was not in stock and they had to order it. After talking with them, they added a little gas to my car and told me to wait for their notice, saying they would contact me once the part arrived by next Wednesday. Up until now, I have not received any phone call or message from them at all. The service arrangement is disorganized, and there is no proper follow-up. My overall experience is not good, and I would not recommend this dealership. More
I was sold a lemon car from this lot. Had multiple issues. Took it to another lot to be serviced. 3 weeks my vehicle has been there. And the other service dept. just advised i need a new Had multiple issues. Took it to another lot to be serviced. 3 weeks my vehicle has been there. And the other service dept. just advised i need a new engine for the car. I didn’t even have the vehicle for a whole month. Yet alone i only drove it for a week. Before taking it into be serviced. Which i was only given a repair order for 1 thing but over 4 things i seen had to be fixed but the service dept said there were multiple issues. As well as when i purchased the vehicle it was given to me DIRTY. Nothing was clean and wiped down on the inside it was dusty and had crumbs all over the back seat and floors. The car had been “washed” but nope it was dirty on the outside. With bird droppings on it. Not a pleasant experience. More
Terrible management, sales, and service. Extremely poor experience from start to finish. I was sold a black 2017 Hyundai Tucson for $17,000 with multiple serious defects that should never h Extremely poor experience from start to finish. I was sold a black 2017 Hyundai Tucson for $17,000 with multiple serious defects that should never have passed inspection: Heater did not work Passenger door would not open from the outside Driver's window did not work Engine shook badly I brought the vehicle back within the 10‑day return window. At that point, I was told I could return it, but if I would allow them to fix it first and then test drive it before deciding. They agreed to make an exception--but that never actually happened. Instead, it took over 20 days just to order parts and schedule service, which effectively removed my ability to return the car. Because I still needed a reliable vehicle, I felt forced to exchange it for a 2022 Hyundai Sonata for $25,000. That exchange process took over 5 hours. The very next day, I came back simply to remove the extended warranty, and that process took another 4 hours. Staff seemed visibly upset with me for requesting it. Instead of merely removing the warranty, they re‑ran my credit and processed an entirely new purchase contract, without clearly explaining why. They also took the vehicle keys, and I am still not sure what was done to the car during that time. Now, the 2022 Sonata shakes when approaching 60 mph, a problem that did NOT exist before. At this point, I have zero confidence in the dealership's inspection, repairs, or honesty. I just need a safe, reliable vehicle. I am taking the car to another facility for inspection, and if this issue is not resolved immediately, I will return it and take my business to a legitimate dealership. I strongly advise others to be extremely cautious when buying a vehicle here. 04/17/26 update: I had an extremely frustrating experience with CarMax Costa Mesa, and I strongly recommend avoiding this location. After purchasing my car, I noticed issues immediately after driving off the Costa Mesa lot, despite having no problems during the three days I drove it beforehand. When I later took the car to CarMax Buena Park, they confirmed that all four tires were unbalanced and that the engine cover was missing a latch. The Buena Park technician even said it made no sense that all four tires suddenly became unbalanced--yet that's exactly what happened after Costa Mesa handled the car, with no reason whatsoever to need my keys or the car. What made this worse is how CarMax Costa Mesa handled the warranty removal. I was held there for three hours, asked for my keys, and forced to redo paperwork I had already completed just one week earlier for another vehicle, which took only 20 minutes and did not require my keys. The inconsistency alone is alarming. It honestly feels like retaliation over the warranty I chose to remove--money they lose when customers opt out (bonus 300$). Whether it was pettiness or incompetence, something was clearly not right. To top it off, the attitude was unprofessional. When Alma, the manager, approached and referred to my situation as a "problematic purchase," I was shocked--especially considering they sold me a car that needed immediate fixes. The salesman Calvin also had me redo the entire process despite me clearly explaining that I had just done the same thing the week before. Nothing about this experience inspires trust. Conclusion: CarMax Costa Mesa wasted my time, mishandled my vehicle, and treated me poorly as a customer. If you're considering CarMax, I highly recommend Buena Park or Irvine instead. Do not go to Costa Mesa. More
CarMax is a company with integrity! It is rare you can praise a company for doing the right thing, but CarMax does just that. After a string of issues with the car I bought my daughter, It is rare you can praise a company for doing the right thing, but CarMax does just that. After a string of issues with the car I bought my daughter, I contacted our Costa Mesa dealer where we bought it to see what could be done. The manager responded immediately and long story short, within a few days, my daughter was in a new vehicle. They stand by their sales, their Care Max warranty and wanting to put the customer first. I was thoroughly impressed with the entire team I worked with at CarMax: Giovanni, Stephen and Nick. Each of them went above and beyond in service, troubleshooting, staying late and finding my daughter a great car. I highly recommend this dealer, CarMax and the Care Max is 100% worth it for covering repairs. Bravo! More
One thing I would recommend is help with paying for a duplicate Fob. Mine only came with one and they are expensive. A buyer who is on a budget needs all the help they can get and I need to spend another duplicate Fob. Mine only came with one and they are expensive. A buyer who is on a budget needs all the help they can get and I need to spend another $350 for a Fob which came as a disappointment. I for one would have been very appreciative knowing that Carmax stepped up to help with this. More

