As said in title - the first problem is I'm in Canada (but I spend time in the US), but the second problem is - I've never dealt with this company and have no idea how it works, the pros and caveats, but it seems similar to buying from a dealer. I hear all kinds of pooping on the company in general but... for real, is this a terrible idea, if a 'perfect car' comes along on it?

 

I wouldn't trust any car from Carvana. They do basically zero inspections on incoming cars, I've seen some horrors roll off their trucks.

That said, they have their 7 day warranty, so you can always roll the dice. Just make sure Day 1 is a very thorough inspection.

 

They have countless lawsuits as well for selling stolen cars and cars that the new buyer cannot get a title for rendering the car useless. Google them and you will see. I would not trust them.

 

All I can say is my buddy and I found the perfect F-Type for him on Carvana. (There is a thread somewhere here posted not long ago about his purchase). Naturally we were unsure of the experience—although one of our dear friends, an automobile professional with 30-years experience, had purchased 4 cars from Carvana so we had a pretty good idea of what to expect.

At least in our case we are not talking about a “luxury” experience in picking it up—wish it came in one of those vending machines—but I will say the car was 1) in better condition than it was listed in and 2) my friend is over-the-moon with his Carvana purchase. And that was several months ago.

Maybe we just got lucky?

Good luck!

 

I bought my 2014 V8S from Carvana with 40,000 miles. No issues, though Carvana was a bit cute with the pictures and didn't show a few significant chips on the door. I pointed them out on delivery and they paid to fix them. Put 20,000 miles on it before selling it. Replaced the coolant pipes as there was a slow leak. So, nothing unusually wrong with the one I got.

Carvana is convenient and had the color I wanted and V8. I wouldn't do it if I hadn't test driven a similar model prior though-too stressful to drive it to see if you like the experience while also making sure every button works and there aren't any weird noises.

 

I've purchased 3 cars and sold one with Carvana, no issues at all. All have been in good shape as described on their site. YMMV.

 

Absolutely trust Carvana, I bought my F-type, sight unseen from Carvana. They Delivered when promised, I inspected car and drove it before they left and signed for vehicle. One of the best buying experiences I've had and I bought many cars over the years. Still have car today and really had no issues

 

I trust no one. Not to say anything is inherently wrong with Carvana, but I don't leave my financial risk up to someone else. It is not binary either. Buying a Mazda 3 from Carvana, less risky. If the motor was say, overheated or oil not changed, it is probably a 3-5k job to fix it up at an indy shop. Buy an F-Type that was overheated and it could be a 20k+ job. F-Types are also much less tolerant of abuse, as with many high performance European cars. Higher risk purchases like this mean I insist on having my own thorough PPI done by a shop I trust - if that is not something I can do with Carvana then I don't use Carvana.

 

I sold my 2018 F-Type to Carvana so I know they had at least one low mileage, near perfect, unabused Jaguar to sell. I decided I would keep track of it on their site and it lasted less than a week before it was sold.

 

Like buying anything used, find out as much as possible about the car beforehand. Buying from Carvana is like buying from any used car dealer.. you may get one that's as described, then maybe not. I have bought OLD British used cars, but only 74 or earlier. I had never bought a modern used car before I got my 2017 in 2020. I did know the dealer and visited the car and drove it before making an offer. I had them put it up on the lift so I could check the underside. There are reported issues with rusting on structural components. The car also had 18 months of Factory warranty, plus that dealer offered 4 months, that factory warranty was a huge factor. The Carfax passed my sniff test. Five years and 20,000 miles later the car is still great. I did have the SC oil changed ( didn't believe the oil could stay in there for 100,000 miles and had the coolant pipes replaced. Despite ALL my diligence, I did not learn about the clutch failure issue until after I bought it. Turned out the selling dealer had replaced it with the correct 4th G clutch. They were up front about replacing it, I just wasn't aware the clutches failed in earlier manual transmission cars. Have an inspection done ASAP, codes checked, all the things members have advised here.

 

As one who got burned by Carvana, I would NEVER deal with them again. Had to pay a non-refundable shipping fee ($1,200) and car had several scatches, seat was stained, cost me about $700 to fix and Carvana said so sorry and don't let the door hit you on the way out. In the end it was cheaper to fix than lose the shipping money. Also, they did not transfer my old tag but created a new one (which I never got) and had to pay another $125 to transfer my old tag and waste a couple hours at the DMV.

 

I've sent a 911 back on Carvana and almost sent my F-Type back...but decided to keep it and it received high marks mechanically from the local dealer.

My issues included a large chip to the windshield that was repaired but clearly happened after they took pics for the site. I received a call the day of delivery to inform me of the chip. I already had a bad taste in my mouth after the 911 debacle with them so I was not in a good mood after the windshield chip call.

The car then arrived and was filthy (despite the guy telling me he himself detailed it before delivery). The wheels looked damaged/etched but it was actually just a hearty haze of brake dust caked on all 4 wheels. The rear bumper had undisclosed damage from either backing into someone's license plate or being rear ended by it. There was also wear on the driver's seat bolster that was rather noticeable but undisclosed.

I gave the driver my honest thoughts on the car and Carvana, which he documented. Accepted delivery and filed claims with Silver Rock for the damages. They only approved repair of the rear bumper.

Still have the car. Love the car. Put some elbow grease into properly detailing it and will probably do the cooling pupes over the winter. It had new pilot sports when I received it and it drives very well. Had 40k when I bought it earlier this year. And its grey which is what I was looking for.

Would I trust Carvana? Not in the slightest. Would I take a shot on a car from them? Yes

The return policy is fine and if you escalate your complaint you can get shipping refunded (they did on the 911 and said they'd give me a credit on the shipping if I turned the Jag back in for something else).

Every so often they completely screw up their pricing on a 911 and you can get a good/great deal...otherwise I find most cars are priced at a premium...good luck!

 

"Absolutely trust Carvana" is a pretty strong statement. Glad you've had good luck with them, but many, many others have not.

 

Whenever you buy a used car, research is key. Whether you’re shopping through Carvana, CarMax, or a local dealer, it often depends on your location.

One smart move is to buy a paint meter on Amazon to check if the car has been repainted or damaged — paint meters don’t lie, while reports like CarFax or others aren’t always accurate. (You can always return the meter after you use it.)

Also, inspect underneath the car and take it for a test drive. These steps are essential to making sure you get a clean, reliable vehicle.


Trust is not a word I use when buying a car. Research & warranty is key, as this solves any future issues you encounter after the purchase.


I picked up mine this month and she is clean with Factory Warranty plus CPO. Added new wheels that came with Michelin PS4 tires. The original Pireli tires still have a lot of life left about 75%. I don’t want to store them but will sell them very cheap for someone who needs a great set of tires OEM 20 inch. Good luck with your search

 

I LOVE the silver on this car. How does one use a paint meter? Does it matter that the car is mostly aluminum?

 

Very simple. Your goal is to look at consistency in the measurement. If it says example 3.9 in an area the on the same panel then you get a reading of 11.9. Then that means the 11/9 was probably and more than likely painted. ChatGPT can walk you through it, it won’t work on plastic or bumpers.

 

Mine does all metal surfaces buy the most expensive as it has a 30 day return policy just make sure it covers all metals.

How to Understand a Paint Meter (Simple Explanation)

A paint meter measures the thickness of the paint on metal panels. What you’re looking for is consistency across the same panel.

✅ Example:

• If most of a door panel reads around 3.9 mils, that’s likely factory paint.
  
• But if another spot on that same panel suddenly reads 11.9 mils, that’s a strong sign that area has been repainted or repaired.
  

📍 Factory paint is usually very consistent — typically in the 3 to 6 mil range depending on the manufacturer.

🚫 Important: A paint meter only works on metal surfaces. It won’t give reliable readings on:

• Plastic bumpers
  
• Carbon fiber
  
• Aluminum (unless you have a specific meter that supports it)
  

In summary:

You don’t need to know exact numbers — just check for big differences. A large jump (like 3.9 → 11.9) usually means bodywork or repainting was done.

 

All great suggestions. Use the 7 day warranty to your advantage - get a professional inspection from a Jag specialist and insist on pictures/video, drive it every day and listen carefully, and black UV light the engine bay in complete darkness to reveal coolant leaks. If you have an endoscope look around under the SC for leaks. The engine under tray must come off - it's a lot of screws but needs to be done to look for oil leaks.



These cars are bargains for what they are - powerful, beautiful, fun to drive, and rarely seen on the road...

 

Keep an eye on the options listed. When I was negotiating with Carvana to buy an XK, they quietly removed "cooled seats" from the list of options on the car. I just happened to notice before pulling the trigger, which was fortunate because that was a must-have option for me. Obviously, I could have refused the car, but it would have been a big time waster.

They also wouldn't let me come to their facility to look at it before setting up the purchase process.