Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV

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Thu 10 Jan 2013 08:39
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - leafydrive

I'm looking for a diesel 2005 ford galaxy or vw sharan aroind the £2,500 mark. The ones I've seen advertised have high mileages around 150,000. I'll be converting it into a camper & heading off into europe so reliability is important.

ANything I should be aware of, if the engine's knackered how much is a rebuild? Would I be better off picking up an older (say 2001) Galaxy for a £1000 and then using the money saved to get it up to standard?

Thanks

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Thu 10 Jan 2013 10:09
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - oldtoffee

They have the VAG 1.9 PD engine which if looked after has a sound reputation for longevity so 150,000 miles shouldn't by itself worry you. Avoid any automatics. Important that the oil has been changed regularly and the correct PD oil used so service history would be good. Otherwise just as with any used car purchase, condition (and history) is everything. A recon engine will set you back about £1500 fitted.

3 years ago, I drove a 2004 one back from Bordeaux to the UK in one trip and found it very comfy and a refined motorway cruiser at 80-85mph and averaged 40 mpg (just) on the computer which I thought was excellent.

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Thu 10 Jan 2013 10:14
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - RT

Don't forget the Seat Alhambra version to increase your options.

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Thu 10 Jan 2013 14:12
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - leafydrive

Thanks oldtoffee, sounds reassuring.RT I ruled out the Alhambra because there were quite a few owner reviews that older models developed expensive & repeat repair problems.

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Thu 10 Jan 2013 17:05
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - elekie&a/c doctor

Durable mechanicals,but check for electrical gremlins.Make sure windows and locking work ok.A Galaxy/Sharan of this age is unlikely to have working a/con system.hth

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Thu 10 Jan 2013 17:26
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - RT

RT I ruled out the Alhambra because there were quite a few owner reviews that older models developed expensive & repeat repair problems.

Strange - the Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra were all built in the same plant using all the same components and assemblies (except the Galaxy used a 2.0/2.3 Ford engine but used VAG diesels).

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Thu 10 Jan 2013 20:58
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - dieseldogg

Aquestion I can actually sensibly answer.

The 1.9TDI block (and head and head gasket) is good for 250,000 miles without attention except routine servicng.

Bought one new in 1998, toured quite a few European countries and towed a tlr to build a house.

Origional clutch gearbox and exhaust.

Jammed in gear a few times, disconcerting in England but a fill of fresh oil cured that (finally) after 3rd re-occurance. Doh!

Origional injection pump and untouched injectors

Quite a few starter motors.

One alternator at about 200,000 along with the still perfectly sound water pump.

Origional radiator and holding engine/water temps abs perfectly.

Air Con failed at about 3 years

Drivers window failed at about 200,000

Both rear brake calpers failed at virtually the same milage, about 200,000

Drivers seat collapsed, prob about 150/175,000.

Endless light bulbs.

Finally stripped the threads in the sump plug at 200,000 plus

Brakes never were good, but ABS never gave trouble.

Handbrake cable froze up reasonably regularly. But Handbrake not good at any time.

An absolutly sound design

Steering rack at about 225,000

Very economical for any vehcle especially such a large one.

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 04:20
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - leafydrive

dieseldog, that sounds reassuring, although the seat collapsing is a bit hilarious. I think the MPV's are a bit of bargain secondhand considering how much they cost new. As long I find a good well serviced exampe!

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 11:31
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - dieseldogg

Something to watch out for.

It may be engine batch/production run specific, but was common to both Ford and VW varients.

I noticed a gradual loss of coolant, I kept the resovoir topped up but could not find a leak.

Finally when driving to collect the MIL I was fortunate to see the water temp rise.

I nursed her there and back and topped her up, without doing any harm.

It was a "Y" shaped rubber hose that ran down very snug to the front of the block, it became saturated in oil and failed.

Very very hard to see, since the leak was next the block it was invisible and dribbled down, at first I assumed the water pump, but when I removed it it was 100%, on furthur nvestigation I then found the leaky hose.

Interestingly this part was avaiiable Ex stock from the VW dealer.

"We sell a lot of those Sir"

Has probably cost others a head gasket I would magine.

But I was fortunate in this instance.

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 14:25
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - Alanovich

Avoid any automatics.

Why? I've got a 2003 (03) Galaxy TDi 115 auto with 103k on the clock. The gearbox is fine. I had the gearbox oil and filter changed about a year ago. Biggest expenditure I've had on the car is an electric window regulator and motor, front ARB drop links and an alternator. It's got a full sericve history and consumes no engine oil between changes (I do them every 10k). The owner before me had the aircon rebuilt at huge expense (got the receipt for about 800 quid), so that's working fine. Also, the heated windscreen was renewed when I bought the car from a Ford dealer, so that works well too.

I'm thinking of a selling it shortly, but am a bit reluctant to do so as it's so reliable and cheap to run, and the major expense items have been done at least once. Not due a cambelt for another 18 months either. I just fancy something a bit more "wafty", and in a normal estate car shape. If the OP is interested in enquiring about it, he can ask for my email address through the site mods.

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 15:11
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - oldtoffee

>>Avoid any automatics.

>>Why?
I'm pleased yours has been problem free. But they are prone to failure long before the engine itself. As with many other manufacturers! I've run 3 Passat PDs, 115, 130 and 100 and used 3 very competent different independents to look after the cars and all have confirmed its best to avoid the auto boxes especially the tiptronics. There's quite a bit of "evidence" in VAG forums of auto box problems. So that's why.
Just to contradict myself, the 100PD we have now is an 04 saloon, torque converter auto - we picked it up at a very low price 4 years ago. Its only done 70k miles but for the last year and 6k miles the box has begun to misbehave. We've had the oil drained and refilled with new. Its been scanned for faults none showing but it slurs changes more and doesn't change up and down quite as quickly as it used to, hanging on to a gear for a bit too long, a bit noisier and clunks when engaging reverse. The car is generally so good and cheap to fuel and run that I made a casual enquiry about having the box "remanufactured" if it ever failed - £2,500.

Edited by oldtoffee on 11/01/2013 at 15:12

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 15:21
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - Alanovich

Ah, so general advice to avoid automatics for reasons of potential failure, rather than specific advice to avoid automatic Galaxies.

Our other car's a 2002 Golf TDi auto, 91k and no gearbox problems so far either.

Discouting the more recent DSGs, and the catastrophic and calamitous Multitronics, what modernish VAG group autos have non-tiptronic TC autoboxes? I ask as your comment from the 3 independents suggests adice to avoid autos, especially the tiptronics, so I'm wondering what other kind of autoboxes are fitted to VAG cars of that sort of vintage?

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 16:35
Ford Galaxy - An 8 year old high mileage MPV - oldtoffee

>>>Ah, so general advice to avoid automatics for reasons of potential failure, rather than specific advice to avoid automatic Galaxies.

No, I could and should have have made that clearer. Their advice was to avoid any of the auto boxes on VAG engines (Passats, Sharans, Alhambras, Galaxies, Golfs etc) especialy tiptronic. Their advice was to seek out certain specific engine codes and the 5 speed manual for best reliability and longevity potential. Quite a bit of advice here confirming it from people such as 659FBE who know a spooky amount about it all!

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