Selling a car can be a daunting series of lowball offers, sketchy buyers, and dead-end negotiations. But what if you could skip the hassle and sell your vehicle from the comfort of your computer screen?
One woman recently shared her experience with Carvana’s online car selling service, offering insights into whether the convenience is worth it.
TikTok creator Dani’s (@danisheaaaaaa) recent video detailed her experience selling her 2019 Toyota 4Runner through the online platform. Speaking directly to camera from her car, she provided a candid review of the process after previously asking her followers about their Carvana experiences.
The mixed feelings from other users reflect the verdicts of consumer advocates. In October 2024, Consumer Reports wrote that their members “reported the highest level of satisfaction with [instant cash offers] compared with trading in their car to a dealership or selling to a stranger through an online classified ad platform such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.”
Online reviews at Better Business Bureauhowever, are scathing. Overall, Carvana only has an average rating of 1.1 on the site.
The Carvana Experience
Dani used Carvana’s online quote system to see what she could get for her 4Runner with approximately 120,000 miles.
“I went online and did their little quote thing and I had gotten a quote for I think $17,800,” she explains in the video.
Rather than arranging a pickup, she chose to drop the vehicle off at a nearby Carvana location. “We have a Carvana vending machine in my area super close by,” she says. “I could have arranged for a pickup but I think the timing was just going to work better if I dropped it off.”
While Dani had heard from other users that Carvana barely inspected vehicles before handing over checks, her experience proved different.
“Some people on my other video said that they just like didn’t even look at their car and they just like gave them a check and they left so I did have one little hiccup,” she notes. “He looked over my car very, very, very well, so that kind of stressed me out a little bit.”
The inspection revealed a detail she’d forgotten when completing the online quote—a rip in her cloth seat. The inspector showed her on his tablet that they would deduct $400 from her original quote, bringing her final offer down from $17,800.
“Honestly I was fine with [it]. Four hundred dollars is not that much,” Dani admits, though the adjustment meant she couldn’t receive a check that day.
The inspection adjustment created a timing issue for Dani, who needed to purchase her replacement vehicle the same day.
“That meant that they couldn’t give me a check that day so I called customer support and they were like, ‘Yeah, sorry, we can’t do anything but you can do direct deposit and it’ll show up in a few days,’” she explains. With same-day car shopping plans, waiting for a mailed check wasn’t an option.
Fortunately, the direct deposit processed faster than expected.
“I ended up getting my money that night which was crazy fast,” she reports.
Community Response: Mixed but Mostly Positive
Viewers shared their own Carvana selling experiences, with most echoing Dani’s positive assessment.
“I just sold my 2019 Chevy Traverse to Carvana last week and it was so easy! I got exactly what they quoted,” commented Tif, who received $12,800 for her vehicle with 105,000 miles.
Others highlighted Carvana’s competitive pricing. MicMamadesigns shared, “They were sooo easy to work with. Quoted me 3k more than anywhere else, came and picked it up. Paid me. That was it lol.”
Some users expressed surprise at Dani’s payout. “You got 17k for a car with 120k miles?” asked one. Dani responded, “Yessss. Toyota holds lots of value!”
However, not all experiences were seamless. User luvly_rita_814 noted, “I sold mine at Carvana. 2016 Subaru. They offered 10 thousand just by pictures. After the pictures I was offered 7 thousand. I needed it picked up which cost me $300.”
Dani’s final assessment was positive. “It was super easy. I would do it again. I definitely have heard people say, like, don’t buy from Carvana because it is kind of sketchy, but definitely sell to Carvana and I would.”
Engine contacted Dani for comment. We’ll update this if she responds.
