Ask your friends, check out the newspapers and search for the perfect used vehicle from a private party.
Decide what you need the car for - daily commuting, recreation, weekends and evenings, carrying cargo, carrying two or more people, city driving or suburban and rural driving.
Decide your price range. Be realistic.
Decide whether or not you will finance the car. Consider your financing budget.
Consider your preferred level of fuel efficiency - very old and many newer cars and trucks get surprisingly poor mileage.
Decide your annual repair budget.
Add up your total budget. Adjust as necessary or desired.
Go to a newsstand or bookstore.
Get copies of free, local classified ad circulars and local daily and weekly newspapers.
Look under "Automobiles for Sale" in the classified sections.
Circle the vehicles that interest you and fit your price range.
Call the numbers listed.
Introduce yourself on the phone.
Ask if the car is still available.
Ask for the year and model.
Ask whether it is manual or automatic.
Ask why it is being sold. If the seller doesn't give you a good reason, be wary. The car could need expensive repairs.
Ask about current or prior mechanical problems with the car, including consequences of past accidents.
Ask about the number and identities of previous owners.
Ask if the car is still under manufacturer's warranty, whether that warranty is transferable and if the owner has any service records to show that the car has been maintained properly in the past.
Arrange to see the car.
Get directions, check the date and be on time.
See the Related eHow on "How to Buy a Used Car" for subsequent steps.
