I purchased a new galaxy in 2001. Its now done 87000miles. Problems I've had are from first day broke down, leaking thermostat casing - replaced. Air con not working , replaced matrix, aircon broke replace relay, replaced relay again within 12 months. An thats it!
For a car as complex as the Galaxy and the way we use it I would recommend it to anyone - BUT remember these cars cost £20K + for a reason - its not a Fiesta and parts can be pricey. A full exhaust system £500 - but I haven't had to replace it yet so 8 years aint bad. It will cost soon I know and I've budgeted £600 for all the bits but I believe it is wear and tear.
Re Galaxy front end vibration - Often occurs with incompatable pads and discs. Don't bother with Ford, just buy decent after market parts, half the price and no problems.

Having owned this Galaxy for 5 years and reading other reviews, I can only assume everyone that it is those who have trouble are writing the reviews, whilst the others are still driving!

I can honestly say only two things have gone wrong in the 5 years I have owned this car. The front antiroll bar link failed (£29 from ford) and the drivers door speaker became intermittent (faulty wiring in the door - easy fix though). Other than that this car has been ultra reliable and as we top the 140K miles it still drives like it only has the 37K we bought it with.

The only niggle is the MPG, 24>28 is the common for us - but you can get this up by adapting the driving style. Galaxy's are built to cruise and the weight behind them means you can take your foot of the pedal and just roll without it slowing down anywhere near as much as a conventional car.

Lots of people complain about the Galaxy but I think it's a great car.

We've had one for 3 years and have 4 children. There is loads of room and we don't have any problems with space. When we go on holiday we add a roof box and have plenty of capacity.

As long as you remember it's a big MPV and not a sporty saloon/estate you'll be fine. We had an estate before but it was too cramped and the Galaxy gives us all the space we need.

It's not a fashion statement but we don't care. The equipment levels are very good and we've had no problems with the car. We get it serviced by an independent Ford specialist and the cost is appropriate to the size of car.

The 2.3 litre engine is failt thirsty and averages 25mpg but can average 30/31 mpg on very long runs e.g. in France. I would say for the size of car that this is ok.

Looking back I wish we'd bought a diesel but couldn't afford the extra.

All in all highly recommended.

What a load of moaners below. This is my second Ford Galaxy. This one has done 265,000 miles! Petrol engine. Same clutch same exhaust!
Has had 2 coil packs and 1 extra set of discs all around.
It was hammered as hard as it could be, up hill, down dale and around the bend. Has never let me down. Was only serviced every 20k miles by mistake. (sales guy!)
My third will be delivered in July 06.
Goes like a rocket, I guess after 260k miles I've loosened the engine up a little.

There is a lot of whingeing from the other reviewers. Maybe the petrol Ford Galaxy People Carriers are a bad choice?

But try this for size: 182,000 miles (yes, one hundred and eighty two thousand) from my 2001 Y-reg diesel - and still on the original clutch and gearbox, returning 41.26 overall mpg from new (including very high motorway speeds and frequent 7-passenger + luggage loads) and, apart from regular servicing including cambelts only track rod ends and brake discs replaced.

I'll update when the quarter million clicks over, but until then, STOP KNOCKING A SUPERB VEHICLE!

I have a Ford Galaxy 2.3 Ghia, "R" reg, and the brake lights on the car symbol on the dash dont always go out, when I press the brake pedal. and the actual brake lights don't work when this happens, but this is intermittant and when they do go out the brake lights work again, is anyone else having this problem? and I have read that if Galaxy owners experience flooding problems, Ford will repair free of charge, does this still apply to me if I am the third owner and the car way out of waranty, I am grateful for anyones help. Ian

I am glad my Ford Galaxy 2000 X 19 tdi has been under warranty!

Just returned my second Ford Galaxy after 6 months of driving. Why? Well, it was a leased car which went with the job, and I've now left that employer.

A review of my first Galaxy is also on this site, showing very poor reliability. So how did the second one compare?

This one was a 2.3 Ghia Auto in the new styling. The last one was a 2.3 Ghia X Auto. The X level trim is not currently available, so I bought heated front seats, sunroof, as extras.

This time, there were no reliability problems. After all, I'd only had it 6 months and done 10,000 miles so there really shouldn't be. Its first service was just due as I returned it.

Most of my comments are on the differences between the the earlier and new models. Should be fairly accurate - essentially identical models, engine, gearbox, trim level.

Likes: The new style exterior. Overall improved looks.

Dislikes: A number -

So, what are my overall impressions? Well, it's pretty good overall. Very easy and car like to drive, good performance but thirsty on fuel. But still an expensive car to buy and run.

And my next car? As of this week, a Kia Sedona 2.9 CRDi SE auto. Now, that's a huge van for the money. Whether it's reliable I'm just about to find out...

I have owned a 2.8 1996 Galaxy Ghia for the past eighteen months. What with having three kids and towing a caravan the car is ideal for our famaily.
The air conditioning has packed up. I've been quoted £1000 to replace the broken evaporator (which involves removing the dash (not too sure whether to have it fixed or not). Has anyone had this fault mended?
I also had problems with the electrics (windows, roof and alarm) going off on there own accord. After consulting an expert?????? i was told this was a common fault and was a big job to put right.
After careful examination, i found the water drain away gullys, under the bonnet at the bottom of the windscreen were full of debris, causing the water to build up to an extent that it was leaking into the car on the passenger side. The water was then running under the carpet until it came to the stowage box under the front passenger seat. The water was then coming into contact with the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) which resulted in the electrical faults. So much for the big job.
If you have this same fault please phone me on 07786210910 and i will tell you how to put it right.

My Ford Galaxy MPV is an older model - 1997 2.3 petrol Manual. I have three kids and the space is fantastic. We use it to day trip on Motorways and down country lanes. It does guzzle the juice when pushed at Motorways speeds.
I also have the airbag warning light recurring problem and also a few annoying squeaks from the underbody and rear door.
Altogether, I still like it and would certainly consider buying another - but certainly second hand - the retail price is out of reach.

I have sentiments about the Ford Galaxy that are reflected pretty much in several of the comments written in other articles here, and I own a late 2001 Zetec, petrol manual model. The seats can be a bit awkward, but manageable. On the whole, I am content with this vehicle, about which I knew little before I purchased it.

In view of the attitude of both Ford warranty staff & its obvious policy and that of their dealers I will never buy another Ford.

I've had my 2.0 litre Ford Galaxy Aspen (with air con) for over 4 years. In that time it's done 43000 miles, including 3 times the length of France - twice to Spain over the Pyrenees, and once to Corsica. It's never broken down. The worst repair was to replace the electric windows control unit. It's located in a well under the front passenger seat, which filled with water in heavy rain. That cost £180.
With the back seats out, I've taken my daughter's bed to her flat, taken an 8x6 foot shed (broken up) to the tip. It's comfortable - longest drive in a day over 700 miles. Vision is better than a car, and I intend to replace it with another Galaxy. I think I'd go for the 2.3 litre version as going up hills fully loaded can be sluggish.
Maybe I've been lucky, as I know the reliability statistics aren't great, but I'm not going back to an ordinary car, whatever Jeremy Clarkson says.

I've only had my Ford Galaxy MPV two weeks and am delighted with it. I imported it through a UK company and saved a massive £5500! The car is roomy, nippy and v.economical. It came with extras already included. I chose to buy from Ford a one piece carpet which goes on top of the rear carpets. It only cost £20 and will save the usual wear and tear caused by three childeren. I've no complaints at all

The Ford Galaxy MPV has a great driving position, is an extremely versatile car and is good looking. Can anybody help me please? I have a 95/N 2.0 GLXi Galaxy with 76 K miles. Self maintained from 50 K. Previous FSH. Compared to other Galaxys, my engine is very noisy at the top end (ever since I let Reg Vardy Ford service it at 52 K). I change the oil every 10 K and have recently started adding Wynns hydraulic valve product. I also have a really horrible flat spot at just over 2000 r.p.m.. I've fitted a new idle valve because it used to cut out on idle all the time. The plugs and air filter are O.K.. The air intake is clean. Any suggestions ?

I've been maintaining my own vehicles as much as possible for many many years. I too am amazed at the lack of a manual for the Ford/VW/Seat Galaxy MPV. I e-mailed Haynes to find see if there was one in the pipe line or to find out why they were not producing one, but surprise surprise, they couldn't even bother replying. I once owed a Citroen XM 3.0L and in the end it was cheaper for me to pay £250 for the complete set of factory manuals, than to pay for repeated trips to Citroen. Incidentally when I sold the car it had depreciated massively, but I sold the manuals for cost price and could have done so many times over!