2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG E53 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG E53, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine240.0%
- Electrical120.0%
- Powertrain (other)120.0%
- Tires & wheels120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Engine Electrical harness is completely corroded after only 50,000 miles requiring a 4k+ repair. Oil leaking from the camshaft sensor pushed it way all throughout harness. There are no warnings as it will only be noticeable after doing routine maintenance OUTSIDE of the manufactures warranty. While driving you may lose complete power or slight power loss due to engine misfiring and low system voltage. Warranty company has denied my claim saying that it looks as if the car was in an accident with water damage but the car is pristine and accident free. This is happening to all Mercedes with magnetic camshaft solenoids after doing routine spark plugs. Any movement of the wires will cause damage to the corrosion and then electrical problems. This happened before with previous generations and they recalled the engine to put extensions between the sensors and harness. Unfortunately they did not do a recall for this generation even though the same problem is apparent!
While driving on the highway the engine shut down and I needed to pull over and restart the car. The engine would restart but then stalled several more times while driving. No check engine lights were on before the vehicle stalled and upon restarting the car no check engine lights turned on. I have it at the dealership currently but they can't look at it until December because of their backlog of repairs.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Engine Electrical harness is completely corroded after only 50,000 miles requiring a 4k+ repair. Oil leaking from the camshaft sensor pushed it way all throughout harness. There are no warnings as it will only be noticeable after doing routine maintenance OUTSIDE of the manufactures warranty. While driving you may lose complete power or slight power loss due to engine misfiring and low system voltage. Warranty company has denied my claim saying that it looks as if the car was in an accident with water damage but the car is pristine and accident free. This is happening to all Mercedes with magnetic camshaft solenoids after doing routine spark plugs. Any movement of the wires will cause damage to the corrosion and then electrical problems. This happened before with previous generations and they recalled the engine to put extensions between the sensors and harness. Unfortunately they did not do a recall for this generation even though the same problem is apparent!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Engine Electrical harness is completely corroded after only 50,000 miles requiring a 4k+ repair. Oil leaking from the camshaft sensor pushed it way all throughout harness. There are no warnings as it will only be noticeable after doing routine maintenance OUTSIDE of the manufactures warranty. While driving you may lose complete power or slight power loss due to engine misfiring and low system voltage. Warranty company has denied my claim saying that it looks as if the car was in an accident with water damage but the car is pristine and accident free. This is happening to all Mercedes with magnetic camshaft solenoids after doing routine spark plugs. Any movement of the wires will cause damage to the corrosion and then electrical problems. This happened before with previous generations and they recalled the engine to put extensions between the sensors and harness. Unfortunately they did not do a recall for this generation even though the same problem is apparent!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
The driver front tire was found to have failed at the time of an oil change at approximately 15,000 miles. The tire was torn at the junction of the sidewall and tread in several areas. This tire is no longer available. No incident occurred. The passenger front tire was found to have the same defect when I performed a seasonal tire change but the conditions were worse at approximately 17,000 miles. No incident occurred. The tire will be taken to the dealer for inspection. Photos of this tire attached. 245/35 R20 95Y
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .