Look in the logs and maintenace records - just as we are supposed to do before every flight
Well, yes, the maintenance logs are the source of the information hours in service, and work accomplished information. Extra points to the pilot if he/she knows what the maintenance requirements for the engine are to begin with, particularly out of phase items. That information is nearly never in the logs, as it is not required to be there.
It's sort of like driving down a road, watching your speed carefully, but having no speed limit signs along the way to tell you what you're supposed to be limiting yourself to!
I'm delighted to think that a pilot would take the interest to delve into the the maintenance records for the aircraft they are about to fly. Once you have those records in your hands, a thorough job of that will be at least an hour or so. I certainly have done this when I have bought aircraft, or test flown them for suspected maintenance defects. I can't say I have ever done it when I just took one for a flight.
Informed, knowledgeable pilots are great. Yet a huge amount of our flying safety depends totally on trusting someone else, that they have done what they should. We trust that the most recent recorded maintenance was accomplished correctly and completely, we trust the the parts and materials were correct for the application, and in suitable condition, and we trust that the pilot before us they detected (or caused).
If every pilot who snapped closed the throttle to begin a descent, made a defect entry in the maintenance logs saying: "throttle closed too quickly, please inspect for possible cracked cylinders", I would be stunned....
Research as much as you like, but still choose aircraft whose "people" you have faith in.....