I've been searching autotrader, everywhere. And I finally checked Carmax. Anyone had any experience with them? They have some decent deals on there. But my factory warranty will still exist even though I bought it from them right? Do they really inspect their cars as well as they say? I've heard some good AND bad about them.

 

those inspections are usually just visual checks...so pretty much as long as the technician looks at it and documents it then its a good inspection. brakes,fluids, and suspension, exhaust and tires.

we do vehicle inspections at my shop and its very basic...some customer think the vehicle inspections mean so much. vehicle inspections are just a status of the car currently. Maintenance records would be the things to look at for example a radiator hose maybe be marked ok at 60k as far as inspection right now but who is to say it wont fail you in 1k miles? having records of what has been changed would be the best way.

 

I have. You really have to do an inspection of your own, the best time to do it is before you get the car, or within 3 days of owning it (because then you can return it without hassle).

Carmax does check, but as mentioned above it's mostly visual. Sometimes they change out parts (they did on mine -- pads, two tires, air filter, oil and filter) and perform maintenance if it's within the major 30/60/90k schedule.

However, not everything is caught. And Autotrader/Carfax reports won't show everything either. So having your own inspection done really helps.

As for warranty, most of the time, the balance of the manufacturer's warranty transfers over. I was able to do a couple of TSB's, compressor and exhaust replaced without issue.

 

most of the things they check u cant really count on...compressors can go out at anytime, sensors can fail at anytime.

only thing u can count on is actual wear items like tires, brake pads, wipers, belts, visual oil leaks(usually hidden cus they steam clean it)

used cars are always hard if u dont know the history

 

I have a friend that works at CarMax and actually recommends to NEVER buy a car from them....Buyer beware.

 

i owned a shop that did bodywork for carmax in whitemarsh maryland. ten years ago, they never bought anything from dealer auctions that needed more than two adjacent body panels that needed paint. they never bought anything with frame or core support damage. now i hear that that is no longer the case.

 

By the way, not sure on other makes, but with the G, i was able to get all the previous maintenance records from the dealership directly.

speedracerg35, IIRC, Carmax does buy frame damaged vehicles, they just don't sell it in the stores.

The way i see it, i can go to Carmax, a private seller or one of the unknown used car dealers. Carmax is the lesser of the evils that comes with a guarantee.

 

Near the end of June, I bought at 07 Sport from Carmax...had all the bells and whistles (Navigation, back-up camera, satellite radio, technology package.....). The car was shipped from CA to TX in less than a week. Mileage was 12K. I paid 28K. Best deal I could find. So far it has proven to be a great ride and I felt I got a great price. I checked around and no one could beat the price. I found comparable 07's for $3-$5k more.

 

I bought my G from Carmax. Truly no hassle buying. Your factory dealer warranty will still be in effect so long as your car is under the specified time and or mileage. My G had only 31K miles on it so, not a whole lot mechanically that can go wrong with it. I assume they did a good inspection. The good thing is that you got that bumper to bumper 30 day warranty. During those 30 days drive the crap out of your G and test everything. Before you buy the car you want, make sure they wash it and leave it out in the sun. That way you can check the body and see anything that might affect your decision. My G had some minor paint touch-up and the front fender had definately been repainted, but I didn't see it since they parked it in their parking garage.

 

I bought my 07 in April and have loved it from the day I got it. My only issue was that it only came with 1 intellikey. I went back and informed them that I had only received the one key and they had a locksmith come out to the store and program a new one, which would have been $300. No complaints from this guy on Car Max.

 

I bought my G35 Sedan at Carmax and have had it for almost 3 years now. It was an 04 with aero kit,MT,Clean interior & 30k .....I have almost 50k on it now and only thing I've had to do to it, is replace the tires(due to my driving habits haha) and front and rear brake pads. Never had any issues up to date....(knock on wood)
The furtherest drive time this car has seen is to Vegas and back(i like 1hr north of LA aka 4 1/2-5 hr drive)
So don't worry about it...Just make sure you test the car,Make sure the fluid levels are filled correctly and dont be afraid to DRIVE IT drive it when doing so....if the sales person dont like it...ask for a different person.PERIOD.
Also the cleaning/buffing good they did was GREAT...I also got to check out the very clean and organized Mech stations.

 

my personal experience tells me to get it from Infiniti you can always uncertify it and get a better price and have a sense of knowing they took as good of care of it as any other infiniti.

 

Nothin wrong with carmax, they just wont negotiate lol

Also keep in mind, they get cars from rental companies. So if you see a newer G w/ high mileage, ask for a carfax report. You might see its from a rental co. Hth

 

Lol....true but then again you dont know whos driving your car and see what goes on behind the scene...thats why I do ALL my own mechincal work. if you know what to look for you can go to ANY dealership new or used and be able to tell by test driving it.....popping the hood too..aka get a lil dirty