Mercedes-AMG E63 Buying Guide: Common Problems and What to Check Before You Buy

The E63 is the executive express: supersaloon (and estate) pace with the space and refinement to use it every day. It’s a big, powerful, complex AMG that gets driven hard and modified. None of that is automatically a problem. Undisclosed or poorly documented, it can be an expensive one.

The single most important thing to understand before buying any E63: a car’s history is not the same as its condition, and neither is fully visible in the car advert. A folder of receipts tells you what was paid for, not what was skipped. There’s also an engine wrinkle on the older cars worth getting straight, so knowing exactly which car you’re looking at matters. This guide walks through the modern generations, what tends to go wrong, and what a car advert won’t tell you.

At a glance: which E63 is which

The W212 changed engines mid-life (the early car is the last naturally aspirated 6.2 (M156), the 2011 facelift moved to the 5.5 twin-turbo (M157)) so confirm which one you’re looking at. The W213 uses the same 4.0 M177 family as the C63, with 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive and a drift mode, and most UK buyers chose the E63 S. There is no W214 E63: the line ends with the 2023 W213. Saloon and Estate were both offered.

Common problems by generation

W212 early (2009–2011): the M156 6.2 V8

• Head bolts: the defining M156 concern. The factory cylinder-head bolts can corrode and snap, letting coolant into the combustion chambers: at worst, a terminal engine failure. Mercedes revised the bolts; check for documented evidence the updated head bolts have been fitted. This is the single most important check on an early car.

W212 facelift (2011–2016): the M157 5.5 twin-turbo

• Camshaft sensor oil leak. The camshaft sensors can leak oil internally through their electrical plugs, and that oil can wick down the wiring loom toward the engine ECU: a serious electrical fault if left. Check for any oil contamination around the sensor connectors and loom.
• Timing chain. Stretched timing chains are worth listening for, especially as a rattle on cold start.

W213 (2017–2023): the M177 4.0 twin-turbo

• Shares the C63’s M177, so the same checks apply: ignition coil packs, the high-pressure fuel pump, and the turbo coolant seals are all worth raising.
• Dynamic engine mounts. The E63’s extra mass and torque are hard on the electronically controlled engine mounts, which can shear or leak internally: the symptom is heavy cabin vibration and a dashboard warning. Check for both on the test drive.

All generations

A big AMG V8 rewards disciplined servicing. Carbon-ceramic brakes were optional on the facelift M157 S and the W213 S (gold calipers): if fitted, price replacement in. AMG V8s are heavily modified, so establish what’s been done first, and confirm the infotainment, cameras and driver-assist features work.

Beyond the mechanicals: history and provenance red flags

Two cars with identical engines can be worth thousands apart on history alone. Before you focus on mechanical condition, the paper trail has to stand up:

• Service history gaps: especially around major-service intervals. Missing stamps aren’t automatically disqualifying, but they change the price.
• Mileage that doesn’t add up: MOT records should tell a consistent story year-on-year. A jump or a stall is worth understanding before you view.
• Outstanding finance: a car can’t be sold cleanly with money owed against it. This is a five-minute check that prevents a very bad day.
• Accident or write-off markers: a recorded repair isn’t always a deal-breaker, but you need to know it’s there and price accordingly.
• Specification that doesn’t match the car advert: claimed options that aren’t actually fitted are common, and on an AMG the spec drives the value.

None of these require you to be in the same room as the car. All of them are checkable in advance.

What a car advert and a test drive won’t tell you

It helps to think of an E63 purchase as three layers of truth:

1. What the seller says: the car advert, the description, the conversation. Useful, but unverified.
2. What the records say: MOT and mileage consistency, finance, stolen and write-off markers. This is data verification, and it can be done before you travel.
3. What only a physical inspection reveals: compression and leak-down results, suspension and bushing wear, transmission and driveline health, the things you can only find with the car on a ramp.

Most buyers do layer 1, skip straight to a test drive, and only reach layer 3 (a proper PPI) on the one car they’ve already half-committed to: sometimes after a long drive to see it. Doing layer 2 first is what stops you wasting a Saturday on a car whose history was never going to check out.

To be clear about the limits: data verification confirms a car is what it claims to be on paper. It does not replace a physical, mechanical pre-purchase inspection. The two do different jobs, and a careful E63 buyer does both: in that order.

How Chequered Past helps

Chequered Past is the layer-2 step. You give us the registration; we check the official records on that car: the factory spec, MOT and mileage consistency, outstanding finance, stolen and write-off markers, keepers and the value, and we’re explicit about anything we couldn’t confirm.

What it does: tells you, before you travel, whether a car is what it says it is. What it doesn’t do: replace a physical inspection of mechanical condition. We’ll always tell you where that line is.

Run a history check on an E63 you’re considering →

Frequently asked questions

Which E63 should I buy? It depends partly on the engine: the early W212 is the last naturally aspirated 6.2 (and its head-bolt history is the key check), the facelift W212 the 5.5 twin-turbo, and the W213 the modern 4.0 twin-turbo with 4MATIC+. Whichever you choose, the individual car’s history matters more than the generation, and confirm the advert’s engine claim matches the car.

Are used E63s reliable? Maintained properly, these AMG V8s are strong, but they’re big, complex, fast cars, so condition and maintenance history matter a great deal. The real risk is less the model and more how this car has been serviced, modified and driven.

Do I need the car’s registration? Yes. The free check and the £10 vehicle history check both run on the registration.

Can you check a modified or tracked E63? Yes. We surface the signals; you decide what they mean for you. The goal is an informed decision, not a pass/fail.

Other Mercedes-AMG guides: Mercedes-AMG buying guide hub

Chequered Past is an independent analysis service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Mercedes-AMG GmbH, or any vehicle manufacturer. Data is drawn from licensed DVLA and DVSA records via our data provider.