The Lemon Index
Mercedes-AMG's 6.2 L naturally aspirated V8 in the GT, model years 2011–2015. YouTube likes the 2012 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 54/100, #42 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 3 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2011–2015, about any part of the car. Supercars sell in small numbers, so we show YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes instead.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2012 (55) and least about the 2011 (53); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | GT | 0 | 53 (156 videos) | 0 |
| 2012 | GT | 3 | 55 (164 videos) | 0 |
| 2013 | GT | 0 | 54 (152 videos) | 0 |
| 2014 | GT | 0 | 54 (153 videos) | 0 |
| 2015 | GT | 0 | 53 (149 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine
No NHTSA recalls we can tie to this engine's cars.
Engine problems Mercedes-AMG told dealers about
Mercedes-AMG sent dealers 1 repair note about the engine on these cars, including:
- Engine indicator lamp lights up, oil pressure warning in instrument cluster The following fault is stored in…
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Mercedes-AMG GT SLS AMG, SLS AMG Black Series Coupe, SLS AMG Coupe, SLS AMG GT Coupe, SLS AMG GT Roadster, SLS AMG Roadster | 2011–15 |
Engine code: M159 (dry-sump M156). Power: 563–622 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Mercedes-Benz M156 / M159 engine.
Quick answers
What cars have the Mercedes-AMG M159 engine?
In the US: the Mercedes-AMG GT, model years 2011–2015. See the version table for each one.
Is the Mercedes-AMG M159 reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 54/100, #42 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Mercedes-AMG M159 make?
563–622 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.