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When buying any used car its always worth going pre armed with a list of common faults you should be aware of beforehand. Every car has "the list" and this is the Mk1/Mk2 Galaxy's from front to back - its obviously not exhaustive but worth checking every item! Its also 100% NOT designed to scare you off buying one, these cars are extremely reliable if looked after, but where most 'enthusiast' forums prefer to gloss over that models common faults we think if you know about them your ownership will be that much sweeter!

Mechanical's:

Inner CV Joint Failure (https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/wip-board/galaxy-inner-cv-jointboot-renewal-mk2/)
Most common on higher mileage cars this can be felt during the test drive as a knocking sensation either through the steering wheel or in the chassis. Replacements are cheap however labour is a couple of hours with the passenger side being more labour intensive due to further dismantling required.

Gearbox Output Shaft Failure (https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/reference-library/galaxy-mk2-gearbox-drive-stub-axel-and-half-shaft-(inner-drive-shaft)/)
Seeming to largely effect cars manufactured between 2002 and 2004 this is a breakdown of the splines between the intermediate (half) shaft and the gearbox's output stub. This breakdown occurs over time and can be felt as "slop" in the driveline when accelerating or lifting off and eventually leading to complete failure results in a loss of drive. Parts are only available from two sources with main dealers charging around Ã,£600 just for parts.

DMF - Dual Mass Flywheel - Mk2
A DMF is a flywheel that's designed to dampen down vibrations from powerful diesels. Perhaps a failure that could be said of all modern diesels since DMF's seem a common fail point in many makes and models - when they fail they are costly to repair. Normally noticeable by a metallic grinding noise at idle, a heavy clutch and/or vibrations during clutch engagement. A replacement should always be done with a new clutch and with labour repair costs are around Ã,£1000 - again a figure common across most manufacturers.

Electrical's:

Parking aid system (https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/wip-board/galaxy-parking-sensor-faults-pdc-systen-(mk2)/)
If the car has front and rear parking sensors then testing the system is a must, a fault condition is identified by either a long continuous tone when the system is engaged (reverse selected or button on dash pressed) and/or a flashing icon within the button. In some cases the system may not respond at all. Common causes include one or more faulty sensor(s), damaged wiring to the sensors or a water logged control unit caused by a split rear wash pipe.

Air Conditioning System - Mk2
Definitely the biggest failure we see on the Mk2 Galaxy's! Be wary of any advert that states "Recent A/C Recharge" or "A/C just needs re-gassing". Although there are a few causes of failure by far the biggest problem is with the the receiver/drier unit. During the Mk2 revamp it moved to be incorporated into the front condenser - at the same time a service requirement for the drier to be renewed every two years was also introduced however in reality few dealers are aware of this and even fewer have ever changed one as a "maintenance" item. The result is corrosion happening around the cap allowing the A/C gas to escape slowly - often so slowly that leak testers don't recognise it, once re-gassed the system will last anywhere from 1 to 6 weeks before the gas leaks out. The only real repair is to replace the condenser and drier - a cost of around Ã,£400.

Auxiliary Heater - Diesel (https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/reference-library/galaxy-mk2-auxiliary-booster-heater-guide/)
Not exactly the biggest worry you'll ever have but the auxiliary heater is responsible for getting the engine and cabin up to temperature quickly on cold days - due to how it was implemented the heater's generally begin to fail after just a few years. The Galaxy should warm up with an ambient temperature of less then 10*c in around 7 minutes, if the heater has failed this can be as long at 30 minutes. Replacement of the internal glow-plug is the common solution with a cost of just Ã,£40ish and a few hours labour. A run on pump / auxiliary water pump is also fitted to the Diesels and this in an integrate part of the auxiliary heating system - these tend to fail at around 70K miles so may also need to be changed at a cost of Ã,£80ish.

Electric Window / Central Locking Abnormalities (https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/ford-galaxy-reference-library/ford-galaxy-repairing-broken-door-wiring/)
Caused by wiring insulation breakdown this can cause all manner of weird and wonderful symptoms with door locks and electric windows and lights. Thorough testing of each doors (including tailgate) electrical systems is a must. Whilst repairs are generally relatively cheap they can be time consuming and in extreme cases a new door wiring loom may be required.

Front Windscreen Wiper Mechanism Seizure (https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/reference-library/galaxy-windscreen-wipers-not-working-slow-judder-strip-and-rebuild/)
Again this is largely a Mk2 fault, the spindles can corrode causing slow juddering wiper's and eventually complete seizure. When caught early the mechanism can be stripped and lubricated for the price of a couple of hours work - but more severe cases require renewal of the mechanism, a cost of Ã,£300ish.


So there you are, the most common Mk1/Mk2 Galaxy faults - as said don't be scared off by these faults, its rare to have all of them and there are 1000's of cars with none of them. Remember most of them can also be tackled be a competent DIY'er - ask in the forum for more specific advice! The FordMPV.com Forum - The free forum for questions and answers relating to the Ford Galaxy, S-Max and C-Max