Are mk4 gti 20vt any good?

hi there looking for something more practical to use and a mk4 20vt popped up, just out of curiosity are they any good, common faults? anything that helps, thanks, lewis

I've had mine for 5 years now, and the only thing that has really gone wrong with it was a coilpack!  It's been fettled quite a bit and puts out 240ish bhp, which although not much, is still good fun!

They do have a few common faults though-easy enough to remedy and don't cause that much grief:

-CCM module inside the drivers side door fails due to poor soldering. Causes electrical issues and makes the car try and lock itself with the keys in the ignition, puddle lights wont work and hazard lights wont flash to tell you the car is locked-annoying.

-Rear wash wipe.  If it only dribbles water on the rear screen, then check to see if the inside C pillar or tailgate handle is getting wet.  The hose normally pops off and then rusts the tailgate from the inside out.

-Front arches.  Check these are not bubbling with rust.  There is a piece of foam that sits between the inner and outer arch which holds water-not good.  Also check where the arch joins the sill.  Mud builds up behind the plastic arch and causes the sill to rot.

-Door locks for front door handles.  Won't go into details, but they have a serious security flaw.  Get a de-lock kit from VW.

-Dump valve.  Rubbish design and fail very easily-replace with Bailey or Forge re-circulating valve.

-Crankcase oil breather pipes.  Crack very easily and get bunged up with an unbelievable amount of crap.

-Coolant sensor.  Located in the expansion tank. Furs up when old and causes the MFA to keep flashing "STOP". Makes you think there is something seriously wrong with the engine!

-Clutch Pedal. Notorious after 120k.  Weak weld causes the pedal to go with a bang, usually stalling in the process!  Sounds bad, but an easy if somewhat fiddly job to fix.

If serviced properly they are usually reliable.  As it's a turbo car, regular oil changes are a must.  Make sure the oil pick-up gauze is cleaned after every second/third oil change, bit messy but very necessary. Check for blue smoke on start up etc

Can't think of anything else at the moment, as im supposed to be working

ahh great post, that really helped , nice one, cheers for that, definitely looking into getting one next,

Second best to the Mk1 but you new that anyway,still a good car though

I have had one for the last 5 years and its been a good car, a few things have gone like the clutch pedal snapping (which is common) I have also had issues with brake lines but i put that down to wear and tear. Mine has done 90k and when i got it it had done 40ish so all good as far as im concerned. I have a 150bhp model with 19's on it and its certainly not quick but its ok.