daniel_h23_2000

Kadeshpa, I found it on NY craigslist.com. The car of course does have some problems. The clear coat is almost gone, one dent, hanging headliner and power steering noise.

ImportSport, I kinda stumbled upon this deal by accident too.
The ad for this car was mixed into honda civic section(He probably did this on purpose). I never even thought of looking for sentra se-r before.

mikegarrison

Most independent mechanic shops have a standard "pre-purchase inspection" that they will offer. It's usually pretty cheap (under $100). It won't catch everything, but you really can catch a lot just by getting a car up on a lift and getting a good look at it.

The key is to find a mechanic that is competent and trustworthy. One or the other is usually a lot easier to find than both, unfortunately. It also helps a lot if the make and model of the car is something that the mechanic is familiar with.