My brother is about to go out to view a car for sale that he has seen on gumtree. He is looking at the Sharan/Galaxy/Alhambra range, and this one is a Galaxy. Tomorrow morning, he is set to view a Sharan.

They both have ~130k mileage, but the Galaxy is 2009 and the Sharan is 2007. Also, the Galaxy is a private sale, while the Sharan is a small, local dealership.

I am partial to the Galaxy, as it has clearly been used for a lot of ‘adventure’ travel (the current owner lives in Somerset, and carries a kayak to local rivers, etc.), even if it has a few ‘dings’ in the bodywork (I figure they were earned by a car that’s been used for good things!).

In the meantime, both vehicles have had the clutch and flywheels done, as well as their timing belts in the last 10k.

Anyway, between private and dealership, and the few details I have told you here, what should my brother be looking out for?

Unless the dealership are offering a decent warrantee, I’d just go on the apparent condition of the other important stuff like gearbox, smoke levels, etc.

Assume both diesels? I’m guessing the Sharan is pre-DPF but a 2009 Galaxy might have one. If one is DPFless I’d automatically put that top of the list.

Also heavy cars like that may have been hard on their brakes and suspension. Check for advisories on the last MOT if no receipts for the work. On the test drive listen for any clunks or rattles.

Thanks for that. Why is DPF-less better?

It’s a relatively expensive component likely to cause a problem on a high mileage derv.

Buying from a dealer offers some consumer protection. Check the money advice website.

However, “reasonable condition” for a car of this mileage could be something that dealers will fall back on if there are issues.

Paying with a credit card also offers some protection.

Id be checking the galaxy for rust in the edges of the boot and floors if its regularly had wet kyaking equipment chucked inside.

Download the app ‘vehicle smart’. All you have to do is enter the reg and make and you get the MOT history including fails and advisories, this will show you what has went wrong and also you can see if the fix has been done properly/bodged when you go and see the motors. Will at least give you something to work with when considering

You don’t need the app, just bung it in here:
https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Big heavy old cars with high miles. Check wheel bearings, suspension bushings, suspension rubbers, clutch, exhaust condition, tyres (premium tyres are a sign that someone gave a monkeys) the electrics especially windows and sunroof on the Sharan. Basically the least of your worries are the engine and gearbox its everything else that’ll start adding up and on these cars the quality wasn’t great.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volkswagen/sharan-1995/?section=good
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ford/galaxy-1995/?section=good

Check the jacking points. There is a “fold” in the metal running the length of the sill front to back on the underside. The jack has a recess in it that fits into the groove so that it can be jacked up without damaging the fold/seam. However if a careless tyre fitter or garage use a jack directly over the ridge, it folds flat and is a common area for corrosion in this age vehicle, more so than readily visible panelwork. Someone in the trade once told me that and it sticks in my mind. Common rust spot on old Galaxies (and the VW/Seat clones) apparently.

This app gives you loads of car info too (including MOT & TAX):

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/digital-garage/id1038222093?mt=8