Passat 1.8t watch outs ???

[jasonkay]

Looking to buy a B5 1.8t very soon, what should I look out for ? Not got a lot to spend so should I go for an older (1998) lowmileage or is it safe to go 2000 with about 100k miles. I do intend some performance tuning/chipping in the future. I am a qualified mechanic so can handle most repairs/upgrades.

[Sam]

Water intrusion - a quick search of this forum will point out the places.

Regular servicing with regular oil changes - not such a big deal compared to the US Passats but still a watch-out item.

Suspension components are notoriously bad - control arms etc.

A blue backlit dash will shift quicker than a green one when it comes to resale.

[Lex Luthor]

I try to buy my cars newer with higher mileage.
Its not usually miles that kills a car, its age, and neglect of course
My two passats have 135K and 105K and are going fine.
If you can stretch to a B5.5, (the one with the circles in the tail lights) that would be best.