Buying a car from a vending machine sounds like a fun story to tell at parties. For one TikTok creator, it became the kind of story you tell as a warning.
Quella, who posts on TikTok under the handle @accordingtoquella, recently went viral after sharing her experience purchasing a BMW through Carvana’s Oklahoma City location. What was supposed to be an exciting car purchase quickly unraveled into a growing list of mechanical and cosmetic problems that had her questioning whether she made a massive mistake before she even made it home.
The video has struck a nerve with viewers, many of whom chimed in with their own Carvana horror stories, while a few lucky ones shared that their experiences went off without a hitch. The divide in the comment section tells you everything you need to know about the gamble that comes with buying a car online, sight mostly unseen, from a company that prides itself on convenience above all else.
To be fair to Quella, she went into the purchase with eyes open. She knew ahead of time that the vehicle had some cosmetic imperfections, and she was fine with that. What she was not fine with was discovering additional damage that Carvana apparently missed entirely, followed by a dealership-worthy runaround when she tried to get answers.
The Damage That Carvana Somehow Missed
@accordingtoquella I KNEW better!!! #carvana #storytime #carissues #relatable ♬ original sound – Quella
Before she even drove off the lot, Quella noticed something was off with the side mirror. It was visibly cracked, and she could not figure out how the company’s inspection process had failed to catch or disclose it. The 360-degree virtual tour that Carvana advertises as its quality control feature apparently had a blind spot.
Then came the windshield chip. On its own, a small chip is not a dealbreaker for most buyers, but this one had a star-shaped fracture pattern that looked like it was already working its way toward becoming a full crack. Quella flagged the issue directly to a Carvana employee before leaving the lot and even followed up through the company’s app, making sure she had a paper trail.
The response she got when she called the number she was given? Glass damage is not covered once you leave the property. Quella was not having it. She pointed out that she had reported the issue in person and through the app before departure, with timestamps to prove it. It is hard to argue with timestamps.
Then the Car Started Acting Up on the Highway
The cosmetic issues would have been frustrating enough on their own, but the real alarm bells started ringing during Quella’s three-hour drive home from Oklahoma City. She noticed the back end of the BMW swaying in a way that felt deeply wrong, comparing it to the way the trailer of a semi-truck rocks side to side on the highway.
She initially wondered if it was just a matter of adjusting to rear-wheel drive, which can feel different from front-wheel drive vehicles. Her boss quickly shot that theory down. That is not how rear-wheel drive is supposed to feel.
The braking situation added another layer of concern. Every time she hit the brakes, the car shook. She also noticed squeaking when reversing. For a vehicle that had presumably passed some kind of inspection before being listed for sale, this BMW was not exactly inspiring confidence.
What Carvana’s Return Policy Actually Says
Here is where things get interesting for anyone who has been tempted by the Carvana buying experience. The company does offer a 7-Day Money Back Guarantee, which gives buyers a week to kick the tires, get a second opinion from a mechanic, and decide whether they want to keep the car or send it back.
During that window, buyers can also submit up to three undisclosed cosmetic imperfections for review through Carvana’s insurer, SilverRock. If SilverRock determines that the imperfection was not disclosed during the sale and falls outside of Carvana’s stated standards, the buyer will be contacted with next steps on getting it addressed.
The catch is that none of this applies once the seven-day window closes. Any damage that happens after delivery or any issues you did not flag in time are yours to deal with. Reddit users in the r/Carvana community have generally confirmed that the policy works as described when you use it correctly, and they strongly recommend getting any purchased vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic before that window closes.
What We Can Learn From Quella’s Experience
The biggest takeaway from this situation is not that Carvana is always bad or that buying a car online is a terrible idea. The real lesson is that convenience comes with tradeoffs, and those tradeoffs require you to be proactive rather than passive.
If you buy from Carvana or any similar online car retailer, treat that seven-day return window like it is the most important week of your car-buying life. Get the vehicle to a trusted mechanic as soon as possible. Document everything with photos and app messages from the moment you take delivery. If something looks wrong before you even leave the lot, report it immediately and get confirmation in writing or through the app.
Quella did a lot of things right. She knew about existing damage upfront, she reported new issues before she drove away, and she kept records. The system still gave her grief. That tells you something about how important it is to know your rights and stay persistent, because a cracked mirror and a swaying BMW are not the kind of souvenirs anyone wants from a vending machine.