Homework can pay off when buying a car

In March, Krystal Lester was desperate. The single mother from North Carolina needed transportation to get back and forth to work or she might lose her job.

So she went shopping for a used car. To save time, she skipped an important step: having the car checked by a mechanic before buying.

"I was rushing to get into something," Lester said. "I did it out of desperation and need. I know now that I should have taken a licensed mechanic with me to look at the car."

Since the purchase, she has replaced the starter, the timing belt and made other minor repairs on the 2001 Ford Escort, she said. The day-care professional said she has had to use her rent money to cover the repair expenses, which she estimates have totaled more than $1,500.

Lester isn't the only consumer who recently bought a used car without doing her homework first.

As the economy weakens, there will likely be more consumers shopping for used cars.

If you are among them, here are a few things you should do before driving off the lot:

• Ask to see a report on the car's history. This will detail whether the car has been stolen, flooded, totaled, in accidents or been involved in any recalls.

If the dealer doesn't provide the report, you should get the car's vehicle-identification number and check it yourself on a Web site such as www.carfax.com or www.autocheck.com.

• Check out the dealership with the Better Business Bureau and the attorney general's office to see if any complaints have been filed against it.

• Take the car on a test drive and have a licensed mechanic thoroughly inspect the vehicle.