2005 Ford Galaxy TDI Zetec 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Reliable and practical

Faults:

Inner drive shaft develops play as splines wear out. There is a Polish company which manufactures an improved design version, which I currently have on my Galaxy.

A/C condenser usually breaks and requires replacement at some point in its life.

Booster heater glow plug required replacement.

Run on water pump required replacement.

N75 turbo solenoid needed replacement.

Battery fuse box and alternator cable needed replacement.

General Comments:

I've done a lot of miles on this car, and to be honest for the amount it's been driven, not a lot has gone wrong. It's never broken down, and luckily I can do pretty much all car related work myself, so I saved massively on labour costs. Parts can be had very cheap from euro car parts or TPS, as this particular car is built by Volkswagen.

It is a large car, and as a result, it's a bit barge like to drive; but I love it, it's never let me down, tyres wear well, I've had over 700 miles on a full tank a few times, and its 115 HP engine is sufficient to say the least.

It's very practical, as the rear five seats can either fold down (not down to the floor pan unfortunately) or come out completely, turning the car into a van.

Front and rear parking sensors are great, and I do sometimes take them for granted.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th June, 2014

2005 Ford Galaxy Ghia 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Smells of diesel and fumes

Faults:

The Galaxy 1.9 TDi 2005 alternator and wiring burnt out.

The auxiliary heater has problems, with the smell of diesel from about 35000 miles. It is now a bigger problem at 60000 miles, with excessive smoke at start up in cold weather.

Independent garage stated that the only fix if I still want the facility of the heater is a new replacement one. Very expensive to replace, and there is only a limited warranty on the job.

General Comments:

If the car did not gas you with noxious fumes in cold weather, then it would be a very good car.

Seriously worried about my young 20 month old suffering from effects of fumes.

From reading lots of reviews, it appears to be a common issue with this vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th January, 2010

14th Sep 2010, 05:10

I bought Galaxy Ghia 1.9 in 2007.

At first it was fine, when I travel a long distance, it is showing engine error, I have reported it to Ford. I received two recall letters in a year.

The car smells of oil inside and burning electrics. In March 2010, I heard a nasty noise which scared me, I tried to book it in as it was still under guarantee, but Ford were very busy. The noise was due to a broken gear and clutch. I spent 1400 pounds, a month later, the battery does not charge. I have to spend another 300 to 400 for the new alternator.

The car was new when I bought it, a lot of electrical stuff has gone wrong, I am not happy. It is still showing the engine error. What can I do? The guarantee has lapsed and the problem still exists.

I wish I had bought a second hand car, so my expectation would have been less than what I have now for the price of £28,000. There is a a lot of stress, causing me headaches and frustration.

28th Nov 2025, 03:41

It's worth clarifying that the engine in this generation of the Galaxy wasn't a Ford engine, but a Volkswagen one. I haven't owned a car with the VW-sourced TDI engine, but many say it's good and reliable.

Anyway, I don't know why the Galaxy of those years didn't have the 2.0 TDCi engine (made by PSA/Ford) that the Mondeo used, which was more than adequate for the type of vehicle the Galaxy was.