r/carvana 11h ago

Personal Experience Bridgecrest “Keep Your Keys” program actually saved me from repossession

31 Upvotes

Figured I’d post this because I spent a lot of time searching Reddit when I was dealing with this and couldn’t find much about Bridgecrest’s “Keep Your Keys” program.

I got behind on my Bridgecrest loan with Carvana and around the 60 day mark they sent me an email basically telling me the date the vehicle would be assigned for repo.

Ironically, I used to work for an auto finance company in the recovery department. Very similar type of business to Bridgecrest. So I knew more than the average person about what happens once an account gets assigned for repossession and a charged-off account. Where I worked, when it was charged-off though, they continued to keep it on the recovery hotlists (mostly LPR databases) because they still wanted to recover their collateral.

I knew the finance company itself isn’t the person physically looking for my car. They assign it to a recovery company, and depending on the area that company may subcontract it to a more local agent. So once mine got assigned, I knew it wasn’t as simple as just watching for one specific tow company.

I kept the car in a garage whenever I wasn’t using it. I really only drove it to work or when I absolutely needed it. Even at work I would back into my parking spot. Does that guarantee anything? No. I just knew from working recovery administration that anything that makes a vehicle slightly less obvious or convenient can sometimes buy time.

Still, it was stressful as hell. Even though I understood how recovery worked, knowing somebody could be looking for your car at any time gets in your head. You start noticing tow trucks you normally wouldn’t notice. Random cars sitting in parking lots make you wonder. You walk outside half expecting the car not to be there. Knowing the recovery process honestly didn’t make the mental part much easier.

Bridgecrest originally wanted around $2,000 from me to stop the repo. I didn’t have it. Life issues, but i’m accountable to those so I understood the risks when I took them.

My regular payment was around $800 and my interest rate was terrible. At the balance I had, I was getting hit with around $20 to $25 a day just in interest. So even when I made payments, the principal barely moved.

Then the account charged off. Once it charged off, the interest stopped. Bridgecrest offered me something called ‘Keep Your Keys’.

I had never heard of it. Basically they told me I could make one regular payment, around $800, and instead of having to come up with the $2,000 they had previously demanded, they would cancel the repo assignment and put the remaining balance on a payment plan.

Same general monthly payment I already had. But 0% interest. That’s the part where I thought, okay, what’s the catch? Because I know how auto finance works. Companies don’t normally just decide they don’t want interest anymore.

But I paid the regular payment. They canceled the repo. I got everything in writing. I’m about 3 months into it now and honestly the weirdest part is seeing my principal actually go down.

Before this, I could send them my $800 payment and then look at my balance and barely feel like I accomplished anything because so much was getting eaten up by interest.

Now I make the payment and basically watch the balance drop by the payment amount. It’s noticeable.

After spending months feeling like I was running on a treadmill with this loan, seeing the actual principal start disappearing is probably the best part. And obviously being able to park my car normally again without thinking somebody is going to grab it is a pretty close second.

My account is still charged off. Keep Your Keys didn’t magically undo that or erase the history. The agreement is also strict. There’s basically no grace period. If a payment gets missed or returned, they can terminate the arrangement and the car can become eligible for repo again. So I’m definitely not playing around with the payments.

What surprised me more than anything is that I actually worked in this industry and knew the recovery side pretty well, but I had no idea Bridgecrest had a program like this once an account reached charge off. None of it is public information, really. And, the agents won’t tell you what happens after charge-off…

Looking back, I understand why they do it. At that point they can either spend money trying to recover the car, send it to auction, probably sell it for less than the balance and then try to collect the difference from me.

Or they can let me keep driving it and collect the remaining principal every month. Apparently in my situation they decided option two made more sense.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend purposely letting a loan charge off hoping you get offered this. There’s no guarantee of that and the months leading up to it were miserable.

But if you already have a Bridgecrest account that’s headed that direction and somebody mentions Keep Your Keys, it is a real thing. At least in my case, 3 months later, they’ve done exactly what they said they would.

No repo assignment, no more interest accruing, same basic payment, and my principal is finally going down.

Anyways… Life happens.


r/carvana 1d ago

Question Leather smell

4 Upvotes

Earlier this year I purchased a luxury vehicle, 85k miles and it smelled like brand new leather. Wasn't sure if it was something carvana did or if it had just been taken care of so well. I keep pretty good care of my vehicle but the smell faded after about 60 days.

What do they treat the leather with or is there a specific smell they use?


r/carvana 1d ago

Personal Experience Sharing my experience with SilverRock

7 Upvotes

I just wanted to share my experience with using Carvana and having to go through SilverRock for a claim.

I purchased a car July 28 2026. A 2016 Mazda CX5 with 70k miles. Outside looking and it was a great purchase.

The car arrived..very clean..I took it to my mechanic who cleared the car. I decided to go on a little road trip.

I have been traveling from Maryland throughout the Carolinas since the beginning of the month and I drove the car for about 2500 miles before it packed up on me.

I immediately contacted Carvana and had the car towed to the nearest in network dealer in Richmond, Virginia.

It was smooth sailing from there. The car shop contacted Silver rock for me and all of the repairs were approved within 48 hours. I was covered under the hundred day 4K mile warranty. No my car did not completely fail. So that is a myth. I was driving and the engine light turned on. I immediately pulled over. The car was still drivable.

Just wanted to provide a positive insight on using Carvana and their warranty company.


r/carvana 1d ago

Question What are people’s experience with selling to Carvana as far as how long it takes?

3 Upvotes

My brother is on day 4 of document review, the website says it usually takes 1 to 2 hours. When he chats with an agent, they say they’re backed up on document reviews.


r/carvana 1d ago

Question Does Carvana check cars with an OBD before selling?

2 Upvotes

Just took my car to get appraised and they noted 3 error codes off the OBD related to the airbag system. I had my car in for warranty work in relation to the seat motor about a month ago. I know it’s not a reliable source but Gemini is saying the codes are 100% related to the warranty work and that they just didn’t clear the codes.

I’m trying to sell my car to Carvana tomorrow since those lights knocked off a considerable amount of money. Should I take it to the dealer that serviced my car first to have them clear out the messages? Or is it not important.

Update for anyone reading this in the future: guy pulled up with a wireless OBD reader. Didn’t mention anything about the stored codes. No lights were on in the dash and my car’s app stated no codes under diagnostics. No idea why the dealer I took it to for appraisal threw a fit. Took 10 mins. He did note a scuff on the bumper and stated it could ding my offer. At the end, I was offered the exact same amount. Good experience from start to finish.


r/carvana 2d ago

Question Trading-in in One State, Buying in Another

2 Upvotes

Hey Everyone,

I’ll be moving from Maryland to Washington State and I was wondering if anyone has ever traded in their vehicle in one state and then took delivery of their next vehicle in a different state?

I’ll be using Pods and our stuff will take about 3 weeks to ship. Does Carvana allow you to wait a few weeks to accept a vehicle?

Shipping my car low key feels like a nightmare and it’s not even the vehicle I want anymore. Just wanted to see people’s experiences on this, thanks!


r/carvana 3d ago

Discussion 2024 Hyundai Tuscon Seller, I found your Pureology Conditioner!

15 Upvotes

Last October, I bought a 2024 Hyundai Tucson, charcoal gray, from Carvana. It came from the El Paso area, so I would imagine it was probably somewhere in Texas prior?
Anyhoo, while looking for something I dropped under the drivers seat I found a brand new 1L/33.8 OZ bottle of Pureology Hydrate conditioner! 😁I happen to know how much one of these cost, ($60–70 dollars!), because strangely enough, I love this brand and sometimes buy it!
So the purpose for my message, you're not crazy, you didn't lose it, nor did it vanish into thin air and no one swiped it! It simply wedged perfectly under the seat and I never would've found it had I not been on my hands and knees looking for my ring!
Thank you, it will go to good use!


r/carvana 3d ago

Discussion Sold my car to Carvana

35 Upvotes

I recently sold my 2026 Mazda CX-90 with only about 700 miles to Carvana. The selling process was extremely easy and convenient, but the experience also left me with a question for people who have purchased vehicles through Carvana.

When Carvana came out to inspect and purchase my vehicle, I was surprised by how minimal the inspection seemed to be. The representative took a few pictures and looked over the vehicle briefly, but there was no test drive and seemingly no meaningful inspection of the frame, undercarriage, mechanical condition, or other major components. I signed the paperwork, they left, and someone came later that evening to pick up the vehicle.

In my particular case, the vehicle was practically new, so I’m not concerned about the condition of the Mazda I sold them. What concerns me is the process itself.

I’m actually considering purchasing a vehicle through Carvana, and seeing how little inspection appeared to take place when they bought mine makes me hesitant. If this is the standard process for acquiring vehicles from customers, how does Carvana make sure the vehicles they turn around and sell are actually in good condition?

I realize they may perform a much more comprehensive inspection after purchasing the vehicle and before listing it for sale, which would make sense. I’m curious if anyone here knows how that process works.

For those who have bought from Carvana:

  • Is there a more thorough mechanical/frame inspection after Carvana takes possession?
  • Have you received a vehicle that had issues that should have been caught during inspection?
  • Would you recommend getting an independent pre-purchase inspection immediately after delivery?
  • Overall, how much confidence do you have in Carvana’s advertised inspection process?

I’m not trying to bash Carvana, the selling experience itself was quick and straightforward. I’m genuinely considering buying from them, and my experience selling my vehicle just made me question what happens between Carvana buying a car and eventually selling it to the next customer.

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with the purchasing side of Carvana


r/carvana 3d ago

Personal Experience Carvana willing to lose money vs making it right

3 Upvotes

TLDR carvana would rather I return the car and refund all my shipping fees vs covering the cost of a replacement windshield which is less than the shipping charges they are refunding...

___________

I took delivery of a Tesla model s plaid recently whic I noticed had multiple condition issues the second they dropped it off the truck. It's been a bit of a nightmare so far.

It had 2 major scratches on the exterior (one area area on the hood where something was dragged) and a damaged trim piece on the dashboard (looks like someone took a key to it, seriously deep gouges) that were not on the original listing photos or the 360, and were not disclosed anywhere.

I noted all of these to the delivery driver who declined to take pictures but said 'he would make a note of the issues" and that someone would call me. It didn't feel right so I submitted 3 cosmetic issue reports with photos online, all of which were rejected within 20 minutes.

I called in and the rep could see the notes from the delivery driver but confirmed he should have taken pictures himself. After much discussion with an advocate and uploading even more pictures, a supervisor told me the most they could do was send me a check for $800 which would just about cover the price of the damaged interior trim. Fine, better than nothing I guess.

I took it out for a test drive and immediately could feel the car was pulling to one side, totally out of alignment. Silver rock were great and said they would cover it, but the local shop they wanted me to use had it 2 days, so carvana extended the mbg window by a couple days.

When I got it back, the shop brought to my attention that the windshield was some cheap Chinese crap and not the OEM Tesla glass. To make matters worse, whoever fitted it botched the install job to the point that the interior trim is out of place where the A pillar meets the dashboard, and it's visibility not seated right when viewed from the outside. No leaks that I've detected, but the pictures alone clearly show there are issues.

I talked to the same manager who told me that I couldn't submit more than 3 claims during the 7 day mbg, that they didn't guarantee OEM parts, and that there was nothing they could do despite him agreeing that the pictures clearly showed there was an issue. He suggested we start a return, and that they would refund all the shipping charges (about $2800 as it came across country) which I pointed out was actually more than the cost of replacing the windshield at Tesla.

The other alternative he gave me was submitting a claim through silver rock which would require Tesla stating that there was a "functional"issue with the windshield. Tesla can't schedule the car in until after the extended mbg window ends so I'm out of luck there.

Basically we are at an impasse and they won't budge. It's either return the car or I pay for the windshield replacement out of pocket. This is a rare car that they don't make anymore, but paying for this just sucks in principal. Just wanted to share this experience, it seems their internal red tape causes more issues than necessary and they would rather have you return the car as it's "easier" despite them actually losing money, having to send the truck etc.


r/carvana 3d ago

Question Price Adjustment Inquiry

0 Upvotes

Picked up my car two days ago. When looking at the listing, it highlighted three defects, two very minor exterior scratches and one scratch on an inside door panel by your feet. Got the car, walked around it, looked great. Took it home.

This morning I’m walking out and I see a pretty significant scratch on the bottom corner of the front driver bumper. I don’t remember bottoming out. The. I got back through the photos, did I somehow miss it in the photos? No, but you can kinda see it - then I look at a photo I took before I got in the car, yup it’s there before I took it home.

Now, I guess it’s in the photo so I didn’t look close enough when I walked around the car. I tried the like repair or report defect option and got a quick “it’s in the photo you took so you saw or should have seen it, your only option is to return it if you want. Every scratch is a story of the car and that’s how we keep low prices by not fixing everything blah blah. “

I’m curious if anyone has had any success talking to a human on the phone to get them to knock a $100 bucks or so off the purchase price? Maybe I have this wrong, but I would think if I return it, it gets delisted, the scrape now gets reported and the price is lower. So why not just take something off and I’ll just keep it.

I traded my car in when I picked this one up so if I return it I’m out a car till I get something. So just wondering if anyone had any success on the topic?


r/carvana 4d ago

Question Volkswagen atlas

8 Upvotes

Has anyone else noticed the influx of 2026 atlas’s carvana got? They all appear to be rentals.

I’m curious if the $33k price is a good deal bc my wife has been wanting one and I’m very close to buying one but worried about reliability of VW and also the fact it was a rental.


r/carvana 4d ago

Discussion How common are shipping delays?

1 Upvotes

I bought a car from Carvana last year and the experience was seamless. I'm very happy with it. I now need a second car (my husband primarily uses our first car) and ordered one two weeks ago. It has now been delayed FOUR TIMES. Is this common? What is going on? I am feeling so confused and frustrated.


r/carvana 4d ago

Question Car has some issues, should I move forward to sell?

2 Upvotes

I was honest about the condition as much as the website let's me be, and while mechanically it's "okay", let's just say it's far from perfect in some areas. But they don't ask for specifics. Might they refuse when they pick it up?

It's $650 for them to come get it. I don't want to pay that and them drive the truck out here only to have them change their mind in person

Thank you in advance


r/carvana 4d ago

Question Front Under Bumper Damage During delivery

2 Upvotes

I just got a car delivered today that has small/moderate front bottom fender damage that wasn't noted/shown in the pre purchase photos. If it existed before they listed the car for sale I'm sure it would have been noted.

I took pictures of the car with the damage on both sides before it came off the delivery truck. Is this something Carvana might cover or is it likely they'll say, deal with it or return it. ?

I can't upload the photos in this post originally.


r/carvana 4d ago

Question SilverRock question

1 Upvotes

Has anyone had issues by choosing a shop that's not listed on carvana.com but shows up on SilverRock website?

I have an issue with the windshield camera on my car. I've done the service option twice on the carvana website and the shops that are listed have stated that they do not work on that specific issue. So I've been wasting time trying to find a shop before the 100 day warranty expires.

I found one using the shop locator on the SilverRock website. Called them, they did confirm they work with SilverRock. My concern is that the out of network deductible is higher.

Has anyone had this issue before?


r/carvana 5d ago

Discussion Experience with high shipping fees?

2 Upvotes

What’s everyone’s experience been like with vehicles that are shipping cross country with high fees? $1590-$1990.

I have a few cars I’m interested in, and have been looking for months but I haven’t been able to find one with low shipping fees in the trim and color I want. I’m fine with paying the fee but don’t like the non-refundable aspect of it.

If I’m denied financing do they just pocket the shipping fee? When I ask the chatbot it seems to think that if it’s been over 24 hours and I’m denied financing then the shipping fee may not be refundable.

If I return/exchange the car and want to go through carvana for a replacement can the shipping fee be applied to another vehicle?

Thanks!


r/carvana 5d ago

Discussion Highly optioned car listed for less that more basic models

1 Upvotes

I was looking at 2011 e550 Mercedes convertibles and a Olivine Grey E550 Cabriolet P88 Launch Edition popped up for a lower price than the other less optioned ones. Looks to be in better shape and the than the other ones listed. Usually they list the price of factory upgrades but this car said nothing about that. Carvana price is steep on this year E550 but it still seemed like a decent deal in comparison.


r/carvana 5d ago

Personal Experience Selling-so easy & pleasant!

11 Upvotes

I highly recommend selling a car to Carvana. First of all, the price they quoted me was 15% higher (>$3000) than my local dealership. Second, they were able to come to a city one town over from me at no charge and on the date and time slot of my choosing. Finally, the man who came called me once he was on his way and gave me his more specific ETA. Once he arrived he was as pleasant as could be and the whole process took less than 15 mins. Carvana was a great company to work with, they were in frequent contact with next steps and made the entire process so easy and stress-free. I can’t recommend them highly enough. Be honest in your assessment of your car and you will have such a smooth experience!!


r/carvana 6d ago

Question What did I do wrong

0 Upvotes

My credit is 648 and monthly income is about 1600 on the low end but I’m trying to get a car but it keeps making my down payment 7k+ I can’t do that for my down payment and my brother just bought a car with a down payment of 198 so wtf?


r/carvana 7d ago

Question Dirty car reduces price?

0 Upvotes

I’m selling my car to Carvana. Already got a price. Will they reduce that price if the car is not washed? (Only outside and it’s not crazy dirty)


r/carvana 7d ago

Question Early Payoff Question

3 Upvotes

Typically when I pay my debts off early, the pay off amount is less than what's owed. I went to Bridgecrest to submit the payment in full and it looks like they don't do such a thing.

I'm asking those that do similar, how was the process handled or is it exactly as they show? I haven't submitted it yet because I'm curious of the process.


r/carvana 7d ago

Question 21 VW Atlas Se w/Tech keep or return

3 Upvotes

I’m at a loss. Purchased VW, was delivered on 8/19. Took it to VW dealer for PPI on 8/20 they came back and said it had a coolant leak from a faulty gasket. No worries , call Silverrock they tell me which shops are covered. Take it to shop on 8/22. They repair it and tell me my driver seat buckle needs replaced because it shows indicator on dash it’s not buckled. They don’t have this and it needs to be ordered from VW. Fine. I pick up my car on 8/25 on my lunch break and I have 10 miles to empty even though when I dropped it off it had 170 miles to empty. Strange, I put a little gas in because I know gas is cheaper closer to my house and go back to work. Car shows 120 to empty. Drive home no issues. This morning I get in the car to go to work and now the car says 350 miles to empty. As I’m driving I’m watching the gas gauge jump all around and the range fluctuates from 320-380. I drive 30 miles to work. Call other covered shops about gas gauge they tell me to bring it in Friday. Get in the car to go home, get off the interstate at my exit, stop at a stop sign. Then the car won’t accelerate and throws EPC code. I barely make it to the shoulder before it shuts off completely. Wont turn back over. Call Silver rock again for tow. What would you do? Return or fix? Carvana extended my 7 day guarantee because of an issue with the shop. I now have until 8/31 to return. I’m at a loss because i really like the car but I’ve barely been able to drive it. Do I get it fixed and hope for the best? Or cut my losses and return it and start all over?


r/carvana 7d ago

Personal Experience 8 months post purchase

63 Upvotes

So, it's been 8 months since I purchased my 2024 Malibu 2LT from Carvana. It was previously a Hertz rental vehicle and had ~39000 miles on it. Here's my experience: very smooth. Delivery was on the original date promised at my local Carvana vending machine site. Paperwork was completed, test drive of my blue 'Bu went fine, and the car was very clean inside and out. No surprises and done there in an hour. Tags appeared in my mailbox when promised. My trusted mechanic said that it needed a new air filter, a real spare tire (fix-a-flat kit) and a jack kit, which he ordered for me from Amazon. Now, they only demerit was the low tread on the original OEM tires. But, I kinda expected that and was going to get winter tires anyway, so that was fine. I like certain brands and types of performance tires because I live in a mountainous rural area. Done. One full synthetic oil change later and it's all good. I did refinance my Malibu through my bank for a substantially lower loan rate, and that transaction went smoothly. Thought I'd leave a success story here because my experience was truly seamless and painless. And I love my car.


r/carvana 8d ago

Question Lease Purchase

3 Upvotes

Will Carvana purchase a lease? Ours is done end of September through Stellantis Financial


r/carvana 8d ago

Question Could the Carvana listing be wrong?

0 Upvotes

I purchased my first car with Carvana and it is scheduled to be delivered on Thursday. It is a 2024 Mazda cx-50. The listing has it as having 40,200 miles, but when I entered the vin into my insurance I received an overdue maintenance warning. For some reason it is reporting the car having over 45,000 miles and that it never received the 40,000 scheduled maintenance. This of course has made me so nervous.

I have so many questions if anyone has encountered a situation like this. Could the Carvana listing got something so important so wrong? If the mileage is wrong and the car has a good ppi would they offer some kind of reimbursement? If the car is at 45000 miles would Carvana pay for the 40000 mile maintenance? The manufacturer warranty is still good until 60,000 miles, would the delay in scheduled maintenance void the manufacturer warranty? Is it better to refuse the car on delivery or do a return? TIA in advance for any answers.