Used Mercedes-AMG C63 2015-2021 reliability
Category: Performance car
With its thunderous V8 and precise handling, the C63 sits beautifully between the brutish muscle car and delicate sports car
What should I look for in a used Mercedes C63 saloon?
When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.
Being a performance car, make sure the C63 you're looking at has been looked after and not driven to death. Take it on a test drive if you can and assess whether everything is mechanically sound. Carry out the other, usual checks as well, like making sure the wheels and bodywork are in good condition, too.
What are the most common problems with a used Mercedes C63 saloon?
These recalls are attributed to the C-Class in general...
Seatbelts: The switches used in the seatbelt buckles of some examples made between 1 June 2018 and 31 October 2018 could be faulty. Check with a Mercedes dealer to find out if this applies to your car because they'll need to fit new buckles if it does.
Incorrect engine undertray: The wrong engine undertray was fitted to some C-Class' built between 1 March 2018 and 31 March 2018, but this can easily be rectified by a Mercedes dealer who will check and replace it if necessary.
Front seat frame: The welds on the seat frames of the front AMG performance seats fitted to cars manufactured from 8 June 2017 and 2 June 2018 could fail during a collision. Find out from a Mercedes dealer if your car is affected because they will need to inspect the seats and repair them if found to be faulty.
Emissions software update: A number of C200d models fitted with the Renault-sourced 1.6-litre diesel engine and were made from 1 August 2014 to 31 May 2018 will need to have a software update performed by a Mercedes dealer to improve exhaust emissions, and have a supplementary booklet added alongside the owner's manual.
Engine stall: A software issue could lead to the start/stop function being disabled and cause the engine to stall. This issue can be rectified with an update that can be performed by a Mercedes dealer.
Tie rod: A small number of vehicles built between 6 February 2019 and 12 February 2019 might have incorrectly fitted tie rods on the front suspension. If your car is affected, it will need to be checked over by a dealer, who'll rectify the issue for you.
Click here for more information. Contact your local Mercedes dealer if you believe your vehicle is involved in a recall.
Is a used Mercedes C63 saloon reliable?
We can only base C63 reliability on general C-Class reliability, because only the C-Class as a whole appeared in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. Based on that, we don't consider the C63 a particularly reliable car: the C-Class ranked 13th out of 18 cars in the executive car class. Its reliability score of 86.1% is subpar and puts the model below the rival BMW 3 Series but above the Alfa Romeo Guilia.
As a car brand, Mercedes came 22nd out of 31 manufacturers, putting it above rivals like Audi and Land Rover but below BMW and Volvo.
Used Mercedes C-Class reliability: the owners' view
As part of our 2024 Reliability Survey, owners of the Mercedes C-Class told us that their cars were mostly proving reliable, with a good portion of owners highlighting that their cars remained dependable even after several years of use.
Of the readers who did experience faults, some mentioned that the car’s exhaust gas sensors could be prone to failure. And putting those sensors right could prove costly, especially on cars which had covered less than 50,000 miles.
Experience of Mercedes’ dealer network was varied, with some readers noting expensive servicing costs when using the brand’s own dealers. The cost of updating sat-nav maps, as well as consumable parts, was also noted.
