Carmax Carmax sold me a vehicle with MAJOR INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE Henderson Nevada

To Whom it may concern,

02/2013- I purchased a 2008  Mazda CX 7. Brought it home and noticed it was making a purring noise when driving. Called the service department and was told the soonest they could get it in would be march 5^th.

03/05/13- I brought the car in for service. Drove with a technician and pointed out the noise. He said it sounded like a CV boot. I asked the representative Jason how long it is going to take to fix and he said it should be done by 6pm. I asked if I could get a loaner for the day and they put me in a loaner and sent me on my way. I received a call at 3pm stating that its not the CV boot and carmax is trying to diagnose the problem and they will keep me informed.

 I received “keep informed” phone calls from Jason every day. He told me that car max is still trying to diagnose the problem and they cant figure out what it is.

 03/08/13- Received a daily “keep informed call from Jason stating that car max could not figure out the problem so they sent the car to Mazda to see if they could diagnose the problem.

 03/09/13- Received a phone call from the service manager Jim. He said its looking like the whole engine in the car needs to be replaced so I would be better off getting a different car because hes seen it in his 9 years of experience where engines are replaced and the mechanisms don’t work well together and the air conditioner goes out. I told him I wouldn’t have a problem getting another car as long as it’s the same car for the same price. He told me he would have my sales guy Rory contact me to see what they can do. Rory calls me and asks me to come in after work and he would go over inventory with me. I go in after work and sit down with Rory. He pulls up inventory and says all other cars like mine are more expensive and my payment would go up. I told him Im not willing to make a higher payment. He said he would partner with higher management to see what they can do for me and he would contact me to let me know.

03/11/13- Received a call from Rory saying there is a car in Kansas that they could have shipped here for me. I asked if it’s the same price and he said its $4000 more but they would work with me. I tell him not to send the car here if they cant give it to me for the same price. He said just let them get the car here and they will work with the price.

03/14/13-03/22/13- Heard nothing about my car.. Only follow up calls from Jason asking how the loaner is doing

03/26/13- I contacted carmax corporate office explaining everything that has happened. I told them the loaner car that they gave me does not fit my needs, and asked if I still had to make a payment on the car and they said yes.. Received a phone call from jim at the Henderson store. He said they will have another loaner car for me that fits my needs if I want to come pick it up. I told him I would be there in the morning. I make a payment on the car of $***.00. I receive a phone call from Jim. He says I can call corporate all I want, the only thing they are going to do is call the store and voice my concerns..

03/27/13- I picked up a second loaner vehicle 2008 Mazda CX 7. The car was just like mine so I was happy.

03/28/13- received a phone call from Rory saying the car from Kansas is in and asked if Id like to take a look at it. I went in after work.. the car was just like mine, same color all the same options except it was a year older and $4000 more expensive. I told Rory im not willing to make a higher payment due to their mistake. A manger by the name of Robert came out and said they are willing to take off $1000 of the price. I told him again Im not willing to make a higher payment. He proceeded to tell me it’s a more reliable vehicle and if the engine in my car is replaced, then the seat mechanism is going to go out. Rory asked me to sit down with him so he can run some numbers. So I sit down with him and he says they payment would be more expensive and he will partner with the management team on Monday because they are all on an easter getaway for the weekend. I ask if I can get my things out of my car and they said sure and take me to where my car is. My car is parked in the front lot accessible to anyone at anytime under a tree!!

3/29/13 - 4/3/13- Heard nothing regarding my car except from Jason doing  follow up calls on the loaner vehicle.

4/4/13- Required by work to go to a National childcare conference in reno. Pre pay $250 each for Friday session and $250.00 each for Saturday session. $210.00 for Hotel in Reno for Thursday night and Friday night. A coworker and I leave las Vegas a 4pm in the CX7. We stop and get gas in tonapah which is about 250 miles from Las Vegas. 50 miles later the check engine light comes on. Then we hear a rattling noise and the car wont accelerate. We pull over, shut off the car and white smoke is pouring out from under the hood. We run from the car. A highway patrol car stops and gives us a number to a tow truck compay, says he will be back to check on us and leaves. Its 7:30 at night, the sun has gone down and we are stuck in the middle of the desert. Its cold, raining and pitch black outside! I call car max and speak to Tim. I explain everything that is happening and he asks if I have a credit card to charge a tow truck on. I tell him no. he asks for the number to the tow truck company and says he has to ask his boss if they are able to pay for the truck. He calls back and says they will pay for a tow truck and there is one in route for us and he will have someone from car max call me in the morning and let me know whats going on.. We turn the flashers on so at least we will have some kind of light. 8:30p the battery dies in the car and now we are sitting in complete darkness. The tow truck gets there ar 9:30pm, loads up the car and takes us to the best western in tonapah where car max has paid for a room for the night for us. We get to the room and ask if there is anything to eat or drink and the man in the lobby says he has boiled eggs and oats. No bottles water and nothing is open this late. So we go back up to the room and go to sleep. –( Please see picture attached.. This is not anywhere I would want any of my loved ones to stay ever!!! )

4/5/13- 8:12am I receive a phone call from Jim and he says the car is at a shop in tonapah and they are trying to find the car. 9:02am receive a call from Jim saying they found the car and they are trying to figure out the problem and if they can fix it. He will keep me updated. 10:07am Received a call from jim. He says the car has a blown head gasket and they cant fix it in tonapah and they will see if they can get a rental car to me or a taxi or something.  9:00am- call the hotel in reno and ask them if they are able to refund our hotel for thurday night since we broke down and didn’t make it. They say they cant refund our hotel and they cancelled our reservations because we were a no show and they are all sold out for the weekend because theres 3 conferences and all hotels are probably going to be sold out. 10:57am- Jim calls and says the nearest rental car place is 82 miles from tonapah and they only have 2 employees and are not willing to bring us a car. So car max is going to send a tow truck with another loaner car. He says his google maps is telling him there is a coffee shop a half a mile up the road if we want to grab something to eat. But we don’t have a car and Im not walking a half a mile up the road in a strange deserted town!!. 11:29am- Jim calls and says the loaner car is on the way. 1:30pm- the hotel lobby calls and says we have to leave our room because they gave it to someone else and they are all booked up for the night. So we take all of our things and sit on a couch in the lobby. 3:14p- Jim calls and says the tow truck is 70 miles away. 4:55pm- we are still waiting in the lobby. I call Jim to see if he can tell me how far the tow truck is. He calls back at 4:57pm and says there was confusion with the tow truck driver and he is 90 miles away. 7:00pm the tow truck driver gets there with the loaner car which is a Honda fit. He says sorry it took him so long, they sent him to the wrong dealership to pick up the loaner. 7:30pm we start our journey back to Las Vegas because our hotel in reno cancelled our reservations and we didn’t want to get out there with nowhere to stay. I call Jim and let him know the loaner got to us and ask him if id be able to switch it out with a different car because my children and all their belongings will not fit in this car. He says that will be no problem. I also ask him if I will be able to get all my belongings out of the broken car and he says it should be back on the lot so that should be a problem either.

4/6/13- I go to car max to get my things out of the broken loaner and to switch the Honda Fit for something larger because I have children and they will not fit in a Honda fit. The gentleman at the counter his name was Branton, says they have a limited amount of loaners but he will see what he can do. I ask him about the broken car and he says there are so many CX7’s out there I will have to wait until Monday to get my things.  They put me in a Haundai Tuscan. I drive away, get on the freeway and notice its shaking. I pull over and look around the car and there is a rip in the back drivers side tire. I go to the store on Sahara and explain everything, show them the tire and they put me in a Nissan altima. I drive home and notice the brakes are squeaking and grinding. (please see attached picture of the tire)

4/8/13- I go to car max this morning to get my things out of the broken loaner car. Jim and I walk around the lot and cant find it. He says he will call me when he finds it. I tell him about the loaner I have now and that the brakes are squeaking and grinding and the check engine light comes on and he says they have a limited amount of loaners and sends me on my way. 7:50am- I receive a call from Jim saying he found the car and would like to know if I want to come get my things out of it. I tell him I’m on my way to work to find out if I still have a job because I missed the required national conference I was supposed to be at. He asks me what was in the car and I tell him, my garage door opener, a pink case with a strap for my iphone, CDs in the center compartment, my Aux jack, a bag of soaps and body products from Lush,  receipts and insurance paperwork in my glove compartment. He says none of that is in there except for the receipts in the glove compartment.  So someone took all my things!!

Total amount of money lost because of all this..

1 day of pay from work for me and my coworker.. 

$1000.00 total for conference we didn’t make it to

$210.00 for hotel in reno

$***.00 I paid on the car that has been sitting in the front lot at Carmax in Henderson for almost 2 months

$***.00 a month in insurance for a car I cant drive

$50.00 in Gas I put in the CX7 right before it broke down.

4/8/13- Called carmax corporate office and spoke to Vicki Waters. I explain everything that has happened and she asks me to send her an email of the expenses lost because of this. I send her an email at 12pm. Received an email back from Vicki at 1:37pm saying she reached out to a senior manager at the store and is waiting for a response. Received a kept in form call from Jason at 2:08pm. He said he is so sorry that all this has happened and he hopes it all gets resolved soon.

4/9/13- 11:00 received daily “keep inform” call from Jason. He said he is trying to keep his eye out for a different loaner car but right now they only have a chevy aveo and that’s smaller then the car I have now.   

4/10/13- 12:40pm received a phone call from Mike at the Henderson store. He said car max is not responsible for any expenses that I have encored because of their car breaking down. I asked him about the items left in the car that someone had taken and he said I would need to contact the tow truck company because no one from car max would of taken my things. He said hes reading my ticket and the engine is in for my car and a mechanic named Davis is working on it.

4/26/13- Make another payment on the car I have not been able to drive

May 2, 2013- Pick up another loaner car from carmax.

May 7, 2013- CarMax calls and says the new engine is in the car and they replaced the oil pump and the timing chain. they said they test drove it today and its leaking oil so theyre taking the engine out to figure out where the leaks are coming from.

May 9, 2013- CarMax calls and says they took my car to Mazda because they couldn't figure out the problem.

May 14, 2013- CarMax calls and says there is an electrical problem with the car.

May 18, 2013- My car is sitting in the front lot at CarMax

May 23, 2013- CarMax calls and says they are pulling the transmission out because there are leaks and they cant figure out where they are coming from.

May 24, 2013- CarMax calls and says they need to replace some seals and a bushing in the transmission and the car should be done.

May 26, 2013 - Make third payment on the car I still have not been able to drive

June 5, 2013- CarMax calls and says my car is finished.

June 12, 2013- I pick my car up at 7pm at night

June 13, 2013- I drove 10 miles to work. The check engine light came on and the oil light came on. The car was making a high pitch squealing noise, clunking from under the car, it wasn't shifting or going over 40mph. I called CarMax and told them Im bringing it in. I brought the car in and the service manager asked to go on a test drive with me. He turns the car on and sees the check engine light and oil light. he gets out of the car and opens the hood. He checks the dip stick.. He closes the hood and we go for a drive. He gets to the stop sign and when he accelerated he heard the clunking. He says "sounds like we lost something" then he said "Im not going to take it any further and He drives it back to the service bay. He asks me to sit down in his office with the service manager and he says someone will call me by the end of the day to let me know what they are going to do. I ask if they are going to give me a loaner car and he says "no your car should be safe to drive to and from work". So I ask who to call when the car breaks down and he said to call the service desk. I pull off the lot in my broken car. I get 5 miles down the road and turn around. I go back to the CarMax and tell them I have 2 small children and its hot outside.. I don't feel safe driving this car. They ask me to have a seat in the waiting area. The service manager comes up to me and says they are going to put me in a loaner. He says the car looks like it could have some transmission problems and some engine problems and someone will call me to keep me updated.

6/14/13- I call Carmax to find out if there is any updates on my car. Jim, the service manager says the car is at Amco and gives me the phone number. He said he has no news on the car.

6/17/13- Carmax calls at 5:45pm and says my car is at Amco for the transmission but Amco wont touch it until the engine problem is fixed.

6/18/13- Received NO follow up call

Im displeased with the service I have received from CarMax in Henderson NV. I feel like they are treating me the way they are because I am a female. Im beyond angry that they sold me a vehicle that had so many issues when they pride themselves on their "125 point inspections" and their "Used car guarantees". I have made 3 payments and I am continuing to make monthly payments and insurance payment on a car I drove for 3 weeks which I feel is completely unfair. I feel like Carmax should be paying the payment since they sold me a vehicle with major internal engine failure. Please let me know if there is anything else needed. Thank you for taking time to hear my concerns and I hope someone can help me resolve this soon or I will be seeking legal advice.