I got an '05 Buick LaCrosse from Carmax back in 2008 with only 11K on it and I'm now up to about 56k. Thing is, I've taken this thing to Carmax 4-5 times for the same exact problem, power steering leaks which lead to all sorts of warning lights on and off randomly. The last time I took it in I refused to pay another dime towards anything remotely power steering related and they did the last one for free. Well guess what the mechanic tells me today is severely leaking...

I've got whatever warranty Carmax offers but what are my other options? Shouldn't I be able to take it somewhere else and still not have to pay after all of this? I just had them print up a history of the repairs theyve done over the years to pick up.

Any advice other than "don't shop at Carmax" is appreciated (learned my lesson already)

5/24/2011 10:49:15 AM

how old are you?

5/24/2011 11:47:13 AM

LOL is this a serious post?

Dude you have put 45,000 miles on the car. It is NOT carmax's fault.

If anything, you should be saying "I HATE BUICK". But even that is wrong. Its not Buick's fault either.

Sounds like you need to take the car to a different mechanic and get them to FIX the problem. Power steering is not that hard of a concept. 2 hoses, a pump, and a rack. There has to be a root cause problem if you have had an issue 5 times.

Not sure what "all sorts of warning lights going off randomly" a PS leak would cause. I could see a "put powersteering fluid in dummy" light, but past that i am confused. Most cars dont even have a PS fluid level sensor.

Sounds like you should go buy a brand new car with a 10year 100,000 mile warranty or buy a BMW with the comprehensive service plan so you can "not have to pay for normal wear and tear" issues

5/24/2011 12:00:49 PM

ok so if im reading your post right it sounds like you're trying to insult me by telling me to do the same exact thing i asked if i should (take it to someone else and demand they reimburse).

also i must really not know anything about cars if the same problem 5 times in 3 years is normal wear and tear.

5/24/2011 12:15:19 PM

Is their warranty information online or something, its hard to give advice without knowing the terms of your warranty. I have no idea what Carmax does, I imagine its better than most used car dealerships, but a lot of used car warranties only cover drive-line components.

5/24/2011 12:29:18 PM

Naw, that ain't normal wear and tear. Sounds like somebody's trying to skirt an issue, or it could be the complete morons they have working there.

Most power steering systems are trouble free and do not leak unless they have ungodly amounts of wear on them.

Did they tell you specifically where the leak has been coming from? Sounds like somebody doesn't want to replace a leaky rack (because a rack is expensive and takes a good amount of time to replace...well, on average, a lot of them take at least 3 hours). Replacing a rack can run upwards of $1000 easy.

5/24/2011 12:33:34 PM

Wasnt trying to insult you. Just get the point across that it is not a "carmax" issue. Perhaps the mechanic there has not correctly fixed the issue in the 5 times you have been, but IMO you should be a loyal customer since they fixed it atleast once for free.

A severe leak is not wear and tear, but the last comment directed to your "not paying for anything". Wherever you go you are going to have to pay someone to fix the problem. If they fix it correctly you should be leak free for a long time.

sounds to me like you have a grudge against carmax as a company for something they did not cause, unless like zx said they know the rack is leaking and they keep skirting the issue. Come to think of it modern GM racks are known to be leaky at the dealer. Buddy who works at hendrick has replaced a few racks on vettes with >50 miles on them

5/24/2011 2:29:17 PM

Quote :

"sounds to me like you have a grudge against carmax as a company for something they did not cause"

Well if it's covered by the warranty he purchased, then that's not the case...which beings up a good point, IS it covered ThatGoodLuck? Cause if it's not I don't get the point of this thread.

If it is covered then you need to file a claim\complaint with carmax corporate.

Quote :

"'05 Buick LaCrosse from Carmax back in 2008 with only 11K on it and I'm now up to about 56k."

Also when did this problem first present itself?
Was it under the factory warranty when you purchased it, or had it expired?

5/24/2011 3:23:05 PM

this Air guy sounds like he works for carmax or something

5/29/2011 3:09:29 AM

Sounds like you need to learn the difference between fixed and patched.

5/29/2011 12:37:07 PM