RICHMOND, Va. — CarMax Inc., the nation's largest retailer of used cars, has taken a minority ownership stake in RepairPal Inc. as part of an expanded commercial relationship with the auto service certification business.
Through this partnership, CarMax said it will provide its customers with access to the RepairPal Certified shop network, which it contends will result in "additional trusted, quality and fair-priced" service and repair locations.
Richmond-based CarMax said it invested $5 million in RepairPal as the lead in a new round of financing for the San Francisco-based firm.
CarMax said its investment follows several months of partnering with RepairPal to offer Los Angeles customers more service options.
CarMax President and CEO Bill Nash said his firm's relationship with RepairPal "gives us the opportunity to further enhance the customer experience" that CarMax has pioneered.
"The RepairPal Certified network, combined with CarMax's own nationwide staff of highly qualified technicians, ensures that our customers have timely options for all their service and repair needs."
RepairPal has built a network of auto repair shops that offer a minimum 12 month/12,000-mile warranty on repairs as well as "reasonable prices" on repairs as shown in RepairPal's Fair Price Estimator.
According to RepairPal CEO Art Shaw, "CarMax's commitment to creating a great customer experience makes them an ideal partner as we continue to build out our network of trustworthy mechanics who deliver fair pricing and service excellence."
CarMax operates more than 180 used-car stores in 39 states nationwide. During the 12 months ending Feb. 28, the company retailed 671,294 used cars and sold 391,686 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions.