Hehe ... I just bought an '01 1.8T 5-speed for $200 myself, and it had the same problem, but I knew it before I bought it.
It could be the battery, yes, but if that's good, then it is probably the comfort control module. As I've learned, these vehicles often have drains that clog and then leak onto the floor of the driver's side, front. That's what happened in my car, anyhow ... and over time, the water seeped through the carpet, then the two inches of nap underneath the carpet, and finally all over the wires and the module underneath.
In the Passat, the comfort control module that's kind of underneath the driver's seat controls all of the things you've listed above - dome lights, power locks, etc... And the car won't start, because the power locks don't work so the car doesn't recognize that it's been unlocked manually ...
Weird, I know, but ... the dealer quoted a price of anywhere from $300 to $500 for module alone, depending on which module your car requires. Plus, he said, if the wiring harness is shot to several inches up (mine was), then it could run $2000+. My brother and I found the CCM on car-part.com for $38, and the guy was willing to throw in the harness as well. We spliced that in, and everything was instantly fixed.
As a side note, I still have to locate the source of the leak. Be warned that if the CCM is your problem, then you should maybe wrap the wires and CCM in some tight plastic to protect it in the future in case this is your same issue.
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