25 hr ppler here, with my tuppence worth.
Still in my paranoid stage as well.
So far, I have uncovered very low oil, bald tyre, broken strut, failed lights, frayed magneto lines, fouled plugs, and to top it all off, a wing without bolted attachment points forward and rear of the main spar (PA 28-161)
People, please take all the precautions you can. Some things are trivial, but lose wings are another thing altogether!!
Safe and happy flying.