Friend driving 9hr to buy a 2003 TDI wagen in Va

A friend is mine is going to be driving 9 hrs (from Athens Ga, VA) to buy a 2003 GLS TDI wagen, 5spd.

The car has about 250K on it, is suppose to be in really good condition and well maintained, he would be 4th owner.

He's new to TDI's and I'm looking for the list of things to check before buying a used TDI but I can seem to find it. Can anyone post the link.

Thanks

Follow up question: What do you guys think is a reasonable price for the car? Supposedly the body is rust free, well maintained, and the electronics work.

It has the original turbo, original clutch and he was told it was mostly hwy miles. Also now has 17" rims ( I think I would sell these and put 15 or 16's on it instead).

The price all depends. The original clutch and turbocharger might be just fine. It may be just too bad, but I have never seen any for sale ad where the seller inserted something like, 'Oh, by the way, I abuse clutches and you can rightfully assume this car's clutch is shot and the transaxle is junk.'

So, when you are buying a car, no matter what any seller, be they a dealer or private party, says, it is caveat emptor and you need to do your own due diligence.

While the paint may be smooth and shiny, you will not know the true condition of the front fenders unless you remove the fender, fender liner, and check closely on the back side of the fender lip.

You will also need to check the condition of the fasteners underneath the car. If you see rust there, then you can get an idea of what the rest of the chassis is suffering. Having said that, I will say that the factory VW paint is pretty darned good, and between the paint and the very thin layer of zinc underneath, and the car being much south of my residence, the 'rust free' claim may be a reasonable one as it applies to body rust.

Good luck, compare with what other prices are found elsewhere, do all the due diligence you can, and preferrably, if you can find a local guru to check the car for you before you travel, it will be $$ well spent.

Cheers,

PH

Like PH said, find a local guru to check the car out before making a drive like that!