One of the easiest ways to buy a cheap car, SUV or truck is to attend government car auctions. These are cars that have been repossessed or seized after the original buyer could not afford to pay his car loan in full. There are a couple of things to take into account, though, in order to make a safe purchase:

1- In most government car auctions, you're allowed to inspect the vehicles a couple of days before the actual auction takes place. Take advantage of this and check the car to your satisfaction.

2- Check the car's VIN. Even though these are usually pretty new vehicles with all papers in order, it's always good to do this. Many auctions will provide bidders with this information upon request.

3- Auctions usually offer a 3 month warranty on all vehicles, which is more often than not just fine. However, if you feel you might need an extra guarantee on your purchase, you can ask for an extended warranty for a very small fee.

4- If offline auctions are not your cup of tea, there are now online auctions, which are usually a bit less intimidating for the newcomer. The potential risks might be a bit higher, since you have less chances to inspect the vehicle, but this is usually not a big deal.

5- Try to attend as many car auctions as you can find, both offline and online. If you can find an auction with very few attendees, you might very well strike gold.