Buying a used car from a private owner has its advantages and disadvantages. The plus side is that you are likely going to get a much better price than you would from a used car lot or dealer. The other side is that you are buying a car from a someone you do not know and who is not in the business of selling cars. Since private owners are not in the car selling business many of the “Lemon Laws” that car dealers need to abide by do not apply to private sellers. But don’t let this discourage you. I recently bought a great used car here in the Madison, Wisconsin area and I couldn’t be happier with my experience. Now I would like to pass the information I gathered from my research to you. With the right information going into buying a used car from a private owner you can make an amazing deal on a vehicle you will love.

A great way to narrow your search is to use one of the more popular auto search sites like Craigslist.org, Autotrader.com or Cars.com. Each of these provide detailed descriptions and pictures of vehicles in local areas like Madison, Wisconsin.

When calling the seller, have questions ready. You’ll want to confirm the make, model, year, mileage and condition of the car. Be curious and ask lots of questions. Ask why they are selling it. Are they the first owners. Do they have complete service records. The more organized they are in maintaining good records and answering your questions decisively the better chance that the car was well cared for.

If the seller’s answers are to your liking and it’s a car you are interested in buying, find its vehicle identification number (VIN) and run a vehicle history report from CarFax. This Web site offers accident, theft and repair data from multiple sources, including insurance companies and motor-vehicles departments.

But even if your report comes back clean you still need to be careful. There are instances where accidents are not reported to insurance companies, so it's important for you to inspect the vehicle. You should also have a trusted mechanic inspect it for you. If you're in the Madison, Wisconsin area, I would suggest Viney's Part & Service in Cottage Grove.

Continue your sight inspection by checking the pedals and driver's seat for wear. While odometer tampering is not as common checking these areas of the vehicle will give you a good idea of how much the car was driven.

Check the tires, especially the front, for uneven wear. This can be an indication that front end work might be needed. Check shocks by pushing the car down a few times at each wheel. The car should go up, down and stop. Any bouncing is a sign that a shock work might be needed.

With the car turned off, move the steering wheel back and forth. There should be less than an inch of play. Any more than an inch or if you hear any clunking or other noises might be a sign of possible steering issues.

When starting, the engine should turn over quickly and start easily. Once running listen to the engine. A rough running car can mean multiple issues, from poor compression to plugged fuel filter or bad spark plugs. Many of which are easy fixes, so don’t abandon the deal based solely on what you hear here. More investigation from a your mechanic would be advised though.

Be sure to take the car on the freeway and in through the city. Check the gauges for any indication of overheating, low fluids or other service lights that may indicate potential issues.

When driving, braking should be smooth and instantly responsive. The brake pedal should feel firm, while not being too hard. You should not notice any shake, or hear any grinding or other grating noises.

You should feel a solid shift between gears with an automatic transmission. Manual transmissions should easily go into gear, with the clutch catching close to the floor. Make sure to go through the entire gear range, including reverse.

While still in the driver’s seat check all the windows, locks, stereo system, seats and any other electronic accessories. Test the heater and air conditioning to make sure they are operating properly.

After the test drive, turn off the car and check the oil. Wipe some oil from the dipstick and rub it between your fingers. It should be smooth. Any grit in the oil can be a sign of engine problems. Check under the oil cap to make sure it’s clean. White foam here is a sign of coolant leaking into the engine, which can be a costly repair.

Now take a look at the car body. One thing to look for are signs of paint work. Different tints of paint color between the inside of the trunk and the outside. Also look for doors, hoods or trunks that don’t close quite right. These are all signs that the vehicles might have been in an accident. Look closely at the body at a low angle for any unevenness, another sign of body work. Get inside and check the floor for soft spots and the inside of the trunk for holes, which are signs of underbody rust. This is more prevalent in the northern areas like Madison, Wisconsin where I live. But you should always check any car regardless because you never know where that car has been.

Compare the VIN number on the dashboard with VIN sticker inside the door. Sometimes con artists will change the VINS to pass off a salvaged or stolen car.

Another important thing you should check are the owner's service records. If a seller is reluctant to honor this or a request to have your mechanic do an inspection, walk away, right away. This is a red flag telling you that the seller isn’t being honest with you.

If you like the car after all your investigative work, make an offer. If possible, have the cash on hand. Sellers usually want to be done with the hassle of selling the car so the sight of instant cash may give you leverage to make a better deal. Once the deal is agreed on get the signed title free of any and all liens from the seller. Also have the seller fill out a bill of sale, This should say basically that Party A sold the vehicle to Party B. Include both yours and the sellers addresses and phone numbers so if you are stopped by the police on the way home, there is a paper trail showing that you have purchased the vehicle.