I found a lightly used 2013 Ford at a Chevy dealer. The price is fair per Kelly Blue Book and thousands less than the same car sold as "certified pre-owned" at a ford dealer.

There are some cosmetic issues that won't bother me a bit. For example, it looks like the car had a small child in the back seat without anything covering the cloth seats because there are minor stains around where a kid's seat would be.

I will be taking the car to a trusted mechanic before buying and I did a VIN check. The car is one owner, no outstanding recalls and I'm paying cash.

The car will be sold "as is" in California. My alternative is a Ford dealer and 5000-7000 more as "certified pre-owned."

Am I managing risks well? Obviously, I can't control everything.