Sold to Carvana / 28 month long-term review

[Raymundo76]

TLDR; special ordered Maverick hybrid, had numerous issues, finally had enough, sold to Carvana, MTC is awesome.


I special ordered my hybrid in 2022 with what I believe was the ideal package (XLT, luxury, co-pilot, sliding rear window, DIBL, keypad, heated seats/steering, etc). Was fortunate to get the price lock from 2022 and was one of the first to receive a 2023, taking delivery late December of 2022.

The only non-warranty maintenance was air, cabin, oil filters and oil. I never had the dreaded "battery drain" that have plagued so many hybrid owners. However, I did experience multiple issues including: creaking dash/windshield (unresolved), engine surging while cold (unresolved), wipers that stutter when parking (unresolved), freezing infotainment (eventually resolved), defective exhaust heat exchanger (15k miles), both axles (28k miles), and numerous recalls/service bulletins scattered throughout (24C01, 23C41, 24S27, 24S59, 23E07, 23E09). The final straw was when I got the truck back from the axle replacement and it sounded like there were rocks in the transmission. The dealership replaced the entire unit (~$8k warranty) and when I got the truck back, the issue remained. I believe that the damper/flywheel were somehow damaged during the CV replacement (or could be coincidental) and those needed to be replaced but I'm not a technician.

The truck never left me stranded and delivered on it's MPG rating. Over the course of my ownership, I averaged a hand-calculated 39.98 mpg, with a personal best of 840.4 miles to a single tank (56MPG, 15.001 gallons). However, with the rough ride and constant issues, it was time to part ways.

I have no idea how people are comfortable paying ~$40k for this truck. It's one thing when it's in the low to mid 20's, but it's another when you get to the mid to high 30's. It's still a $20k truck...no matter what "features" they try to throw at it.

I paid ~$26k plus TTL. After 28 months and 30k miles, Carmax offered $25k and Carvana offered $26,200.

I have really enjoyed my time with MTC and the members in general. I think being part of this community is what made owning the Maverick such a fun experience, despite the issues. The modification of the truck is what really made it fun. For me, it was upgrading the audio, for others it's using FORSCAN and adding smart cruise control, etc. Overall the community is one of the reasons I kept the truck as long as I did.

If anyone is in the Chicagoland area and is interested in a slew of Maverick goodies (tonneau, custom audio setup, floormats, OBDLINK, etc) let me know and we can work out a package deal.

I'll still be checking in occasionally and wish everyone the best!

On my 24 Lariat ($32,500) the only repair I had in common with your 23 was the Hybrid Battery Heat Exchanger. Got a new lead acid battery at 12500 miles under warranty. Now ~15000 mi and MPG 40+. Sorry to see you go; but understand; good luck

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[710-oil-614]

It's still a $20k truck...no matter what "features" they try to throw at it.

This is true of every single vehicle made, and it is a worn out argument for the Maverick.

The current generation F-150 had a base MSRP of $32k. Spending any more than $32k on an F-150 is absurd no matter what features they try to throw at it....it is still a $32k truck.

Good deal on selling to Carvana. Take care.

 

[scottjl]

As Curly Bill said in Tombstone "Well, bye". Seriously though glad you got a good price. This forum convinced me to NOT get a hybrid. And I will never order a vehicle. I ordered 1 and only 1 in my life back in 1978 so I would get exactly what I wanted. But because of supply issues for some options GM substituted options I didn't want for one I did. Since then if I can;t test drive it first I don;t want it.

funny. i've never bought anything off the lot. i don't settle for anything other than exactly what i want. as for test driving, of course you try driving it before you walk away with the keys. no dealership can force you to take a vehicle. once it comes in, drive it, if you're not happy with it, walk away. dealerships will have no problem selling them to other people, and they'll be able to sell it for a higher price than they negotiated with you.

 

[scottjl]

Wait, you had Maverick for 28 months, put normal miles on it, then sold it for more than you paid for it? Most of us hope we get similar returns.

you can. if you're willing to get rid of it now and not in 5 years.

 

[scottjl]

I worked with a guy who ordered a "bride" from a catalog, before internet or cell phones existed, and he din't get what he ordered

like i said, test drive it before you take it home.

 

[Phimosis]

funny. i've never bought anything off the lot. i don't settle for anything other than exactly what i want. as for test driving, of course you try driving it before you walk away with the keys. no dealership can force you to take a vehicle. once it comes in, drive it, if you're not happy with it, walk away. dealerships will have no problem selling them to other people, and they'll be able to sell it for a higher price than they negotiated with you.

That worked out fine with the Maverick, because it is a good car. But let’s say you put a $1,000 preorder on a Fisker Ocean. The car looks fantastic in photos and in media shorts, but when it arrived, the reviewers panned it, saying things like “worst car I’ve ever driven”. So you order one, you wait 1-2 years, it arrives, you go in for a test drive and you think, “I don’t want to lose my $1,000 deposit. I saw a few problems on my 10 minute test drive, but I think I can live with them, I’ll go ahead and take the car”
That happened to thousands of people, until the word got around about how bad the car is, then sales just cratered.
For me personally, I’d rather take a car out of dealer stock so I can drive it and buy it a discounted price, or if I don’t like it, walk away with no financial penalty. Preordering a car is almost always at a higher price than getting one that is sitting on the lot.

 

[scottjl]

But let’s say you put a $1,000 preorder on a Fisker Ocean.

I have never put a deposit down on a vehicle. If a dealership required it, I simply found another dealership.

Quite a few states actually protect you here with requiring depots to be refundable, fortunately mine is, which is probably why most in the area don't even bother to take one. And in the end, while it hurts, I'd rather lose $1k walking away from a POC than $50k driving away with one.

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