Ford Galaxy review - Reliability and Safety

The Galaxy received the full five stars when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2015. There were good scores in the individual categories: 87% for both adult and child occupants, 79% for pedestrian impacts and 71% for safety assistance.

As well as the usual host of air bags, tyre pressure monitors and Isofix mounting points on all three second row seats, the Galaxy has an intelligent speed limiter that can scan traffic signs and ensure you never break the speed limit. There’s also adaptive cruise control and an active lane keep assist function available as optional extras.

The auto-braking function can now detect pedestrians as well as other cars, while adaptive LED headlights adjust themselves automatically to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. From our experience running a Ford S-MAX with this set-up, they're one of the best and most effective adaptive headlight systems we've tried.

In terms of reliability, much of the electronic and mechanical technology has been proved in the Mondeo, Focus and S-MAX already, and no significant problems have been reported. The higher-quality interior materials also feel built to last – even the cheaper plastics lower down on the dash have a reassuringly robust feel.

The current Galaxy sells in too few numbers to appear in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but Ford itself has consistently finished in the lower half of the manufacturer table over the years. That isn’t great when you consider so many Fords are sold in the UK and it has the largest franchise network of any manufacturer in the UK. Build quality and reliability have seen some of the poorer individual results in the past, but the Galaxy may improve matters. 

Warranty

Ford’s warranty is a standard three-year/60,000-mile package. While that’s the same as mainstream manufacturers such as Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Peugeot, it isn’t difficult to find a manufacturer selling a seven-seat MPV with a better warranty. Kia and Toyota are two of the best examples, as they both have seven-seater MPVs in their stables and offer cover spanning seven years/100,000 miles and five years/100,000 miles respectively.

Servicing

Ford recommends a main service every 12,500 miles for petrol-engined versions of the Galaxy and every 18,000 miles for diesel models. The firm offers a monthly payment service plan known as Service Assure, although the exact cost of this is based on individual circumstances.