One of the easiest things you can do is run a VIN number. Every street legal vehicle has a VIN number. CARFAX is the standard but there are other services out there like EpicVIN that will provide a lot of the same information.

Here are some basic things that you can do yourself even if you're completely unfamiliar with cars:

It should start and run with a cold engine. Be wary if you show up to check out a car and it's already running. Be wary if the owner started it for you on a warm engine. Many times that can mean that they had to start it and let it run until the engine is warm, to let it work out any starting issues or quirks that it may have.

After you start the car, let it run a little bit. Look under the vehicle to see if it's dripping any fluids. Leaks could be minor and easily fixed or they could be a sign of something severe. Either way, nothing should leak. If you're running the AC and you see water dripping under the car, that's not a leak, that is perfectly normal as part of how the AC system.

Does the AC run cold? Does the heater blow hot? Answering no to either of those could be signs of larger mechanical problems.

Open the hood. Look at the underside of the hood and the walls of the engine bay for any fluids or stains where fluids were. This could be a sign of something leaking, spraying, or having leaked or sprayed recently. Nothing under the hood should do that.

While you're looking under the hood and the engine is running, do you hear any unusual sounds or any sounds that are not rhythmic? Do you hear ticking or knocking? Are there any funny smells (burning, hot electrical, foul smells, etc) that don't seem quite right to you? An engine that is running well does none of those things.

If you live somewhere where you get snow regularly or they salt the roads look underneath the vehicle for excessive rust, places where the body or frame have rusted out completely, or places where the body or frame are about to rust out completely and they're just one good snow storm away from it. Surface rust looks completely different than chunks missing out of the car.

Take it for a test drive and drive it the way you would plan on driving that car if you owned it. If you experience hard shifts, obvious lack of power when you accelerate, lurching, unusual sounds, pulling to the left or the right, all of these could be signs of underlying problems. When you're stopping, do the brakes squeal or grind? That means you're going to need brake work soon and that can get expensive.

Finally, check the tread on the tires. If the tread looks like it's wearing in an uneven pattern that could be in alignment problem. If the tires look like they're worn out and going bald, you're probably going to need to replace tires soon. Are you ready for that expense?

Pay for a pre-purchase inspection, from a reputable mechanic or shop, on any car you're seriously considering buying. You will be amazed what a trained eye will uncover that you may have overlooked. If you noticed any of the things that I listed previously make sure you tell the mechanic before he starts the inspection so he can target things that you've noticed.

This is a really basic guide of things to look for. You'll set yourself up for success if you keep your eyes open for all of these things. Good luck on your car purchase! I hope you find a car you love!!