No piece of car-buying advice is more often overlooked and ignored more than this:

Have an ASE mechanic inspect a used car before you buy it. Why do buyers plunk down thousands of dollars on a car with little more than an around-the-block test drive and a glance under the hood?

With a little planning, the inspection process can be simple, not to mention very revealing. If the inspection report is clean, you can buy with increased confidence. If it unearths ugly problems, you can back away or negotiate a lower price to reflect the cost of repairs.

Most sellers will let you take the car for an inspection if they are being honest. If the seller hesitates, you might wonder