Not really. But bringing the car to a mechanic or taking some things off to inspect is the only way to make sure. Have reciepts and take your time because used car sales are as-is.
I suppose that if you are buying from a dealer, there might be a used car warranty, but most of the time those sales are as-is as well.
I doubt most people will find the checklist
http://myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/a4/newowner.htm
until after they buy the car but it's still better than ignoring any potential issues. Unless you are a car person, you won't know what to do, hopefully this can give buyers some guidance.