Does your current method of transportation leave much to be desired? Do you want to get a different vehicle but you're not able to afford purchasing a completely new car? Shopping for a used car can be a great way to save yourself a lot of time and money. Unfortunately, it can also be somewhat frustrating due to all of the various choices that you can find yourself faced with. But if you keep a few things in mind while you're looking, you'll be able to find what you need more quickly and easily. Some things to remember include:

Avoid person-to-person sales: While your local classifieds may have several ads for used cars that look promising, you shouldn't consider this avenue if you're not completely familiar with vehicles. A person selling via classified ads can, intentionally or unintentionally, misrepresent what he or she is selling. For example, the car might seem like it's running well only for you to get it home and discover that you forgot to check the fluids. You do so and discover that the fluids are showing signs of mistreatment or neglect. If only you had purchased your vehicle from a used car dealership, you could possibly return the vehicle or exchange it for another. Instead, your only recourse might be to attempt to sue the vehicle's seller.

Get a second opinion: Even though lots that sell used cars typically do their best to clean up and fix up the vehicles in question, it's still possible to miss something. With so many vehicles needing to be processed, the mechanic might not notice things like signs of excessive salt corrosion. No matter where you're planning on purchasing your used vehicle from, it's a good idea to get your favorite mechanic to give the vehicle a check before you do so.

Check for accidents: Unless you know what you're doing, you probably don't want a vehicle that's been in a serious accident. While they can be fine, there can be issues with the vehicle even years later. And even if you take your favorite used cars to your preferred mechanic for a checkup, he or she might still miss things like the frame of the vehicle having been welded back together at some point. These welds are going to be less strong than the original metal was, so this is not something that you want as part of your vehicle. Fortunately, there are sites online that let you look up the accident history of any vehicle by its VIN.