What are the best tips you guys recommend for buying a car at a used car dealership?

 

bunch of stuff.

As far as I can possibly describe to you my friend... I would say:
1) Compare the distance of the wheels to the fenders and quarter panels. Example, 2 front wheels should have exact distance from the fender, on all angles. Rear wheels, the same way, same distance at all angles.
Reason: Wheels that are set slightly back from one side or another, can indicate the presence of some impact damage, sometimes frame damage, sometimes suspension and/or steering damage. One way to have a better point of view from this particular problem. Take a test drive, reach 40 mph and hit the brakes. Do it a couple of times, using different speeds. If the car pulls to any side, too much to the left or too much to the right, you should carefully try to measure the wheels positioning.
2) Check for OEM stickers, on doors, frame door, trunk lid, hood, rear bumper and etc. All original parts will have a little sticker with a bar code and a serial number.
3) Open the doors, hood and trunk lid. Touch the edges between the outside of the car within the inside (door jambs, inner part of the fenders and etc). If you feel a rougher area, that means the paint is no longer the factory one on that particular area. Marks of over spray, paint roughness indicate non factory paint. That could be resulf from a simple cosmetic paint job or a repair. Lightly hit with your knuckels the areas of quarter panels, doors and roof and see if there's a difference of sound when "knocking". If yes, that means that area was repaired with bondo or body filler.
If in doubt, always write down the vehicles identification number (VIN) and check on the internet its history, example: carfax (for a certain charge, of course).
See if you could obtain the vehicle's history from the place you are buying as well.

 

I also would like to add something, but most dealers have a person to hide this one....
Oil spots over the engine. Hard shifting, gears grinding. Clicking noise when turning, car hesitating, won't start at firts key turn. All are things you should look for, as the previous owner could have been a negligent mother....lol
And always... always... look for ACCORDS.

 

Here's a test to check for engine condition: If you test drive it (and if you don't I'll come over there and take your *****)

1-Get up to about 50mph (yes this involves a decent stretch of highway, I managed to do this with all the cars I test drove)
2-<U>Coast</U> down to about 30mph,
3-Hammer on the gas
4-<U>Watch</U> for blue smoke out the back.
- if smoke does appear, ring jobs, etc are probably required.
-Translation: RUN.

Rust. Do not buy a car that turns out to have rust on it. I've been there...it sucks.

As Gian mentioned, make sure to run a carfax or similar check on the vehicle history. Rolled back odometers are far too common, as are cars that have been written off, and then rebuilt...cheaply and shat-ily.

Make sure you do a lien check, accident check, and stolen check.

I have a boat load of used car checks and techniques (as i bought my CB7 six weeks ago) and I'll try and find them and give you the highlights.

I'm out

 

i doubt you can do all that if you getting a car from a used private dealer and private party.

I am lucky the i met some cool seller that let me do compression and leakdown test.

bring it to the dealer and have they check it for you, for 125 buck, they check sh-t load of stuff.

compression, leakdown, frame, alignment, suspension, SRS, abs, mel, etc