Hello 👏 - needing a ULEZ compliant vehicle with big load space and to tow a caravan, the Galaxy/Sharan looks ideal. 
 

Need to buy used on a tight budget and after some research I think I need some advice on engines & gearboxes.

Would prefer a petrol engine but slightly concerned about the cam belt replacement cost on the Ecoboost engine & that they need regular oil changes with the CORRRECT expensive oil, or they are liable to fail. Is this really a big concern?

Would prefer a manual gearbox for towing and for reliability - but reading caravanners reviews a lot of towers really like the Powershift/DSG gearbox but do note again that they need regular oil changes with the correct expensive oil - is the auto reliable and good for towing?

Can I buy a 100k plus miles Galaxy and be confident of another 100k plus miles?

Any other advice on buying a used Galaxy Galaxy would be great  

Many thanks. 

What sort of age range are you looking at?

For petrols, only the 1.0 EcoBoost uses wetbelts, I really hope they didn't put that in the Galaxy at any point!  1.6 EcoBoost is dry belt, 2.0 EcoBoost is chain.

The 2.0 EcoBlue diesel uses wetbelts.

Thanks Tom - that’s very useful. 
I think we are looking at 2010 to 2014 on our budget. 
 

BTW - are Galaxys OK for big mileages?  Is a properly serviced vehicle with over 100k good for another 100k?

No problem.

2010 to 2014 is a few years before the EcoBlue diesel came out.  The older 1.6, 2.0 & 2.2 TDCI diesels all used a dry cambelt.  However, I don't think they'll be ULEZ compliant so you will have to go for a petrol model at that age range.

The 2.0 EcoBoost is ULEZ compliant and uses chains for both cams and oil pump, so that should be the most reliable.  It is the engine that was used in the Mk3 Focus ST, so that should be able to cope with some abuse!

The 1.6 EcoBoost is also ULEZ compliant.  That uses a dry cambelt.  Though you may find the power to be lacking if you intend to tow with it.

The 1.6 only comes with a manual gearbox.  The 2.0 only comes with a Powershift gearbox.

 

I think 200k is pushing it for any 'modern' car nowadays, but there's no particular reason that a Galaxy won't last just as long as a Focus or Mondeo.  I would expect some sort of Powershift issues before 200k if going for the 2.0 EcoBoost, though the engine should be good for that mileage.

Great info Tom - thank you 👍

My limited experience would lead me away from buying a powershift with 100k miles on the clock unless it's had regular gearbox oil/filter services (every 37500 miles). If it has, and they are all properly documented, then it should be OK. Remember that a FSH does NOT mean the gearbox oil has been changed when it should have been. 

I would expect the 1.6 manual to be noticeably more economical and cheaper to buy in the first place, but I have no idea whether it will have enough power to make towing comfortable. ...but how often will you be towing a caravan? 

Thanks Alan - I had picked up that the Powershift  needs to have had all its oil changes if it is going to be reliable long term. 

Caravan does about 4 trips a year, it’s quite small so a 1.6 would probably be fine. 

Hello Tom

Following your very useful information on engines and gearboxes - I have found a 2011 1.6T petrol/manual that is of interest. 
 

The Galaxy group on Facebook has a lot of warnings about rust problems.
 

Can you tell me where I should be looking for these rust problems - are they easy to see if you know where to look?

kind regards,

Peter Clark. 

Hi Peter,

I must admit we don't get many Galaxys on here, and I can't remember seeing any posts about rust issues recently so I'm not sure where the common rust areas are on these.  Are any specific areas mentioned on the Facebook groups?

Body rust on Fords is usually around both ends of the lower sills and on the front wings as well.  You can usually tell rust under the paintwork by small bubbles forming in the paint itself.  That's what an MOT tester will poke at if visible.

The Mondeos can suffer from subframe rust, which may be another issue on the Galaxy, though that won't be easy to see unless up on a ramp.

Apart from that, things like the exhaust and coil springs rust on pretty much all cars.  I would expect a bit of that by 10 years old.

As well as looking carefully at the car, I would always recommend checking the MOT history as that should highlight any signs of corrosion that are difficult to see with the car on the ground.

Thanks again.