Carvana offers a new and unique way to buy a vehicle, providing consumers with the opportunity to pre-qualify for an auto loan that will give them access to Carvana's expansive inventory of cars, tailored to the consumer's financing terms and with no impact to their credit score. To become pre-qualified, a consumer fills out a two-minute application form, and then receives competitive rates that are valid for 45 days.

The lender works with all types of credit, including bad credit, and there are just three minimum borrower requirements:

Minimum age: 18
Minimum annual income: $4,000
No active bankruptcies

Keep reading for pros and cons, plus Carvana reviews from real customers.

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The Good

No Middleman or Dealerships
Certified Vehicles
Worry-Free Guarantee
Get Prequalified in Two Minutes
No Haggling Tool

No Middleman or Dealerships

Buying a vehicle through Carvana will provide you with a new way to shop. Carvana cuts out the middleman and dealerships, which means you won't have to pay any hefty dealer fees or sit around at a dealership for hours on end in order to receive financing.

Certified Vehicles

Every vehicle Carvana sells comes with a "Carvana Certification," which means that the car has passed through a rigorous inspection and reconditioning process that includes a 150-point inspection, an oil change, and a premium detail.

Worry-Free Guarantee

All Carvana vehicles come with a worry-free guarantee. The company provides you with a free Experian Autocheck vehicle history report prior to purchase and guarantees your new car for 100 days or 4,189 miles, whichever comes first.

Carvana also offers a no-questions-asked return policy that allows you to return the vehicle and terminate your contract for any reason within seven days of purchase.

Get Prequalified in Two Minutes

With Carvana, you can get prequalified online in two minutes with no hit to your credit score. You will then receive a real down payment and immediately know what interest rate and terms are available to you.

No Haggling Tool

Carvana's "no haggling" tool enables you to shop for a vehicle on your own terms from the comfort of your home. You simply input every combination of what you want into the Finance Dials and Carvana will show you exactly what your interest rate, down payment options, monthly payment, and loan terms will be for the criteria you specified.

For example, you could input that you want a payment under $400 on a 48-month term with no money down and the no haggling tool will do the rest.

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The Bad

Limited Free Delivery Locations
Restocking Fees
No Joint Financing
Lack of Transparency

Limited Free Delivery Locations

Carvana only offers free vehicle delivery to consumers within a 100-mile radius of the following cities:

Atlanta
Austin
Birmingham
Charlotte
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Columbus
Dallas
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Memphis
Miami
Nashville
Orlando
Pittsburgh
Raleigh
Richmond
San Antonio
Tampa

Consumers who live outside of the free delivery area must contact Carvana to find out what the cost will be to deliver to their area.

Restocking Fees

Carvana doesn't charge any restocking fees if you live within 100 miles of one of its service areas. However, if you live outside of this radius or have exceeded 400 miles during the seven-day period, you will be charged additional fees.

No Joint Financing

Carvana finances single-buyer loans. If you want to get a joint loan with a co-signer, you will have to fund through a different car loan company.

Lack of Transparency

Carvana doesn't do the best job when it comes to being transparent on its website. For example, the company has not disclosed interest rates, terms, loan amounts, or mileage limits.

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The Bottom Line

Carvana offers two-minute pre-qualification, certified vehicles, and a worry-free guarantee. However, the company only offers free delivery to consumers who live in certain areas and is not entirely transparent on its corporate website.

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User Reviews

Star Rating

2.0

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270 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

19%

4 grade

3 grade

2 grade

1 grade

67%

Sentiment Criteria

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Elvia Heredia Stanton, CA

I contacted Carvana wanting to sell my car. Gave information after two contacts and then message said they would contact me. 7 days later no contact. I went online using the chat line. Guy was very condescending telling me to be more specific as this would move things along. I wanted him to check my information to advise me where I stood. He offered no such thing and kept saying for me to be more specific. If he needed to move things better why did he (Sebastian) not ask the questions needed. I advised him the commercials state they treat people like family. Really??? I cut off communication. I don't know to what location I was sent to apply to sell my car or to what location I was dealing with when on Chat line, but NO I would not recommend Carvana.

3 years ago

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Nilena Perez Winter Park, FL

Initially I wanted to provide a review of 1 star however I'll provide 2 stars since the process was ok. However, the car was delivered DIRTY!!!!!! I read prior reviews and did find some reviews which mentioned to be sure to have the car detailed at time of purchase due to them having the same issue. Called to advise of my dissatisfaction and was informed I had to wait until after the 7 day return process to expire then, I would have to wait another 10 to 15 business days to be reimbursed for the detailing of the vehicle. Simply disgusting! If I did not like the car as much as I do I would return it! Carvona get it together!!!

4 years ago

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Zeke Moya McAllen, TX

The future of car buying is not Carvana. Carvana's verification process for down payment funds (my bank does not connect through plaid) and loan (since my loan is through a third party) is tedious and time consuming. The only reason I wanted to use Carvana was to avoid spending half a day or more dealing with high pressure sales people. Instead, over the span of a week I spent half a day or more in my office and on the phone dealing with Carvana's verification process. Be prepared for long wait times with Carvana's "advocates" and dropped calls. Carvana's process does not make life easier, it merely aggravates the car buying process. Do not recommend. Stick to your local dealer. Even assuming I can close my current deal I will not use Carvana again.

4 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Cleio McDonald-Kerr Fort Lauderdale, FL

selling my car- the online process was smooth and easy. On the day of the appointment the guy refused to show his face so I could match it to his ID. He was wearing a face and neck cover that left only his forehead and eyes visible. If I'm signing over my car plus handing you a check then at least allow me to verify who you are. There were no COVID risks: I wore a KN95 mask, we were outside and I was at least 10 ft away at all times. I even offered to step back as far as 30 feet so he could pull the cover down for for 5 seconds. His claim of feeling uncomfortable because of COVID risk was a cover for being offended that I refused to hand him the check after he asked for it first without showing me any of the paperwork. I showed him the check but asked to review and sign the paperwork before handing off keys and check. When I realized that I had seen his ID but could only see his eyes and asked to see his entire face it got worse. I was polite the whole time even after he refused. He called a supervisor, and after a brief discussion he came back to offer me a picture he claimed to have taken of himself. I didn't see him do it and how does matching picture to picture verify the person wearing almost full face covering in front of me? I wished him a great day and sent him on his way. I rescheduled then later cancelled the 2nd appointment. Sold my car to another company that same day and got a pricing that was $350 higher so I was able to deposit the cashiers check I had drafted up for Carvana , back into my account. COVID is real. As health professional I know this , without doubt. I always wear a mask and would never knowingly put someone at risk of exposure. But common sense is something that should be applied to all situations. No ID, no deal.

4 years ago

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Tom Patty Wright Atlanta, GA

Upfront and delivery was were just fine. However their post sale customer service is horrible. Purchased our car in March of 2020, here it’s the end of October 2020 and I still don’t have my permanent registration. Was told numerous times “in a few weeks “ , “next week “... etc... on there occasions there was some additional paperwork that needed to be completed, but they didn’t contact me to get it accomplished, I only found out because I inquired about the status of the permanent registration. If you call you are on hold for at least 20 minutes to speak to an advocate, then they put you on hold for another 20 minutes while they check the status. Tried using the chat feature now I can’t get past the computer generated responses. I’m not going to be able to recommend their services to any of my friends or associates.

4 years ago

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CRoyce7 Phoenix, AZ

Carvana had good vehicles, decent prices, and the buying experience was super easy. However, my purchase was a car that was only 3 years old and only had about 20k miles. The car was cleared by whatever inspection process they do and delivered as is. Within a month of having the car, I needed to purchase a new battery because the one included died while driving, and the electrical system was on the fritz due to lack of computer system updates. I was able to get the update & battery covered by their claims dept luckily and was pleased with that process. Shortly after though, I needed to get an oil change as well (not a big matter, but fresh oil would be common sense prior to sale I imagined). During the oil change the technician let me know my brake pads were only at 2mm which is almost completely gone, and the rear rotors were so rusted they were actually deteriorating. How could falling apart brakes not be noticed in inspection!? Carvana rep told me they won’t cover any brake work because it falls under “wear and tear” and is buyer’s responsibility. Such a HUGE safety matter I may not have known about without the oil change! Very disappointed customer safety is NOT a priority for them it seems.

4 years ago

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David Towe Dallas, TX

I attempted to purchase a 2019 Nissan Armada PLATINUM three weeks ago. The first delivery date was missed because the car wouldn't start and they needed time fix the problem. The second delivery date was missed because they transported to another city 471 miles away. Finally the car made it to my home and it look great. Just two big problems. 1st it was an SL not a Platinum (about a $7,000 difference) and 2nd the car wouldn't start. I have been searching their site and find 40% of the Nissan Armadas are incorrectly identified as a Platinum when they are SLs or SVs. The only reason I gave a two star is the people I worked with at Carvana were very very helpful.

4 years ago

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Kris N Milwaukee, WI

The positive first. Young lady who delivered car was excellent!! She was the reason I got them to pay for some damage. She submitted pictures and filed claim. Now, the not so good. Car had a lot of undisclosed body damage. I got lucky and caught one spot right away when car got unloaded. I got them to pay to fix it, but I spent an additional $2500 to get car in good condition. I thought they went over the cars well due to "hot spot" photos. Seemed they were picky. Not the case, I think they draw your attention away from actual hot spots. Process was sketchy at times. Unprofessional to say the least. They don't return calls, or texts. I am lucky that as a professional mechanic and was able to make car the way it should have been when sold. As advice, i wouldn't buy from carvana again. I should have returned car, but couldn't get through to underwriter on 7th day. Buy from a place that you can actually go to, deal in person, and have a place to take car back.

4 years ago

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Heather Anderson Spanish Fork, UT

Their process was pretty easy. My issues are that there could be better communication about delivery. They sent us an email telling us our car was on the way and that the times/date were just an estimate, but it didn't contain any estimated dates or times, which would have been appreciated. The other issue I have, which could very well be a deal breaker for us, is they don't post on their website about whether or not the vehicles have cigarette smoke damage. We got our car yesterday, and it was horrible! I decided to drive it for the day, just to see if it was even worth trying to get it cleaned out. It made me ill. The Third Hand Smoke residue made me have a headache and nausea just like if I'd been around someone who was smoking. I do like the car, so we are going to try having it detailed today, but if that doesn't work, it's definitely going back. That puts us out the $400 delivery fee, and $100 for detailing, which could have been prevented if they'd been honest about it online.

5 years ago

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Trinity Tallahassee, FL

A close friend of mine referred me to Carvana. She was able to purchase her car and have it delivered within a week. She has a very reliable and up-to-date, low mileage car, and I trust her judgement, so I was sold on using Carvana to purchase my next vehicle. The one big difference between my experience and hers is the fact that I am located out-of market (which was surprising because I reside in the capital of my state). So, on October 21st, I began looking at vehicles. I was able to get pre-approved for a very low down payment, and I loved the fact that I could see specific loan details for the exact vehicle that I was interested in. I found a beautiful black Jeep Renegade with under 10k miles. I started the purchase process, but I did not complete it. I returned on Oct 22, and the vehicle was already being purchased by another. After licking my wounds, I began looking at other Renegades and found a 2018 with only 7k miles. I immediately began the purchase process and submitted the necessary paperwork and income documentation. By the 23rd, my approval was complete. I spent the next 24 hrs trying to get ahold of the delivery staff so that I could pay my down payment and discuss delivery options. I paid my down payment the evening of Oct 24th, and was told that now my vehicle had to undergo a final pre-delivery inspection. This is when things started to move very slowly. After two calls with various advocates, I had no idea if the inspection had even started much less if it was completed. On Oct 30th, I received both an email and text saying that my vehicle passed the inspection, and that now a third party carrier would need to be completed. It is now Nov 7th, and a carrier has yet to be assigned. Tomorrow will make two weeks since I paid the down payment, and I am still carless. The advocates are all very pleasant, but no one has been able to provide me with any concrete information. Purchasing the vehicle was very easy and I really enjoyed the process. On the other hand, waiting on delivery has been nothing short of frustrating. At this rate, my first payment will be submitted before I actually have the vehicle in hand. If you're located in local market, delivery is your best option. If you are not located close to a Carvana location or willing to drive to a vending machine, I would not recommend Carvana unless you do not need the purchased vehicle until a month later.

5 years ago

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Matthew Rockmart, GA

My first impression with Carvana was awesome. the purchase and delivery of the vehicle was super easy and they were very efficient in that aspect. But, I purchased my car back in March and it now the end of July and I still do not have my tag. I have called multiple times and always get the same answer that they are working on it and that they should send it out soon. At this point I would rather go haggle and pay dealership fees from now on because at least I know I won't be driving around with an expired tag for 3 months. I actually just called yesterday July 22nd and they said that they will have to get with the registration team and that they would give me a call back. Well, I never got a call back so I'm guessing they still haven't sent my title work to the DMV. This is my 3rd time buying a car and it's also the worst experience I've had with any dealership aside from the purchase and delivery.

5 years ago

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Robert Cravener New Kensington, PA

On day 7 my car threw a check engine light, now I have to miss a day of work to have it checked out. The thing is, this code is and has been stored in the computer for awhile. I am a certified mechanic, so when I retrieves the code I could tell it was in there for awhile. Carvana should have fixed this issue before selling this car, they probably either cleared the code or disconnected the battery so the code would not show until enough miles approximately 250 miles for it to come back on. Now I have a co-pays to fix what they should have fixed in the first place. SHAMEFUL!!!!

4 years ago

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Cindy Jackson Pittsburg, TX

Not thrilled with the Carvana experience. Was happy at first but then ended up having to get the new car inspected and then take off of work to find a fedex drop because they sent us a fedex mail form but said we had 48 hours to send it back. Also, the trade payoff was not made in a timely manner and an additional payment was auto drafted for the trade. All total I spent over four hours in prep, mail, phone calls, etc. to take care of things that shouldn’t have been problems. I took hours off of work to handle it.

4 years ago

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Sam Tisdale Vancouver, WA

Great concept but those in the PNW can't trade in vehicles unless they drive to las vegas or Las Angeles the closest Carvana location to Portland Oregon. Their website doesn't flag that you're out of their "local" area so I thought they'd drop off my new and take my trade, however, that's not possible for those in the PNW. After they apologized a lot they admitted some errors on their website and lack of flags for out-of-market or area customers on their website and were willing to pay the vehicle delivery fee for free. I will use them in the future only if they get a location in the PNW.

4 years ago

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Toby Marvin Columbus, OH

The actual buying of the car was great. They fall short on the delivery and promises they make. Had deliveed missing a key and dash llights on. Jen who delived said they have a req written up for the key and dash lights will go out. Since then ive been tryinmg to get ahold of anyone and no reply to any number i call or email . I have yet to hear about my 2nd key or how to address the dash lights. and of course they say call onmonday but my day ran out on sunday. Buyer beware

4 years ago

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Victoria Schmidt Taos, NM

Process was easy and simple. However the car broke down before first payment was made. They definitely don’t sell long lasting vehicles. Now I’m stuck with a car that doesn’t run. And when they tell me I can try to fix it they said if it’s covered. So 50 50 it’s coming out of your pocket. Even under warranty. If they don’t approve it. You’re liable for it.

5 years ago

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Joan Storrs, CT

Everything was fine until my car was delivered and the Carvana rep didn't want to wait for me to take off my custom plate. He said he would "overnight" my plate. This did not happen. I called and wrote repeatedly and today I got an email that my custom plate has been canceled and do I want another plate. No, I want my custom plate back, as I said from the beginning. I can't get a response other than a robo response, I can't get a callback, and now I really steamed. Do I really have to buy my own plate again from the Dept of Motor Vehicles??

5 years ago

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JB Seattle, WA

Customer service was great. Delivery took longer than first expected. Only real problem I had was that the car had a very rough feeling to the paint. It seems that pollen had been dried onto the paint. After attempting many different products I ended up having to clay bar the entire car to get the paint smooth again. This process is not difficult but did take me around 3 hours of work to complete. This is something that if it was a dealer I could have just taken it back to let them do it . Never should have been shipped in the condition it was in.

6 years ago