Buying 1.4 tdi from 2004 please what to check for

[kokos123]

So i am currently driving an Alfa with 120hp, but i want something that is cheaper to maintain, and i really like the polo 9n, especially gray one with black stripes on fenders, i am looking at black one tomorrow, it is from 2004 and looks like without any damages or dents, it is 1.4 TDI. So what can i check? i am going to take it to mechanic but tell me some problems that you know from experience polo has. It says that the mileage is 180.000km but that is ridiculous, i mean even the leather on the steering wheel is coming off. So what are some things to check, what are some rust spots to check, do you consider it to be overall reliable car? Also i heard that they use oil a little, i guess there is no way to find out if it is burning oil before buying? Any advice is helpful so thank you guys

[kokos123]

To be honest i wanted to buy Polo a long time ago but since reading all the threads about oil burning too much i gave up

[littlepolo]

They do burn some oil, how much depends on maintenance, and a few service items. If it has been serviced and had regular oil changes it should be within spec (I can't recall the figures but something like 500-1000ml over1000mls, at least for petrol engines). Difficult to test when viewing but look at the oil condition (smell of fuel?), and signs of changes in filter, etc. Not sure of the longevity of those engines. Local climate can be a factor too in terms of maintenance and service life.

[alexperkins]

I had a 2006 1.4 TDI and chucked 50k miles on it

Burned hardly any oil and still returned over 50mpg - great little car

You just want to make sure its been looked after, so service history, cambelt, diesel filter etc.