The Lemon Index
Mercedes-AMG's 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 in the C63, GT, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, S63, E63, GLC63, Aston Martin Vantage, G63, Aston Martin DBX, GLE63, GLS63 and SL63 / SL55, model years 2015–2026. YouTube likes the 2021 best.
Liked, but check the recalls: YouTube owner tone 55/100, #26 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); 4 engine-related recalls on record, 5 known issues listed below.
Everyday cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class Mercedes-AMG E6320182019202020212023
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class Mercedes-AMG C632015201620172018
- Mercedes-Benz GLK/GLC Mercedes-AMG GLC632018201920202021
- Mercedes-Benz M/GLE Mercedes-AMG GLE63202120222023
Model years from EPA version lists. Only years we have a car page for.
Reliability by year
Why the car pages show more: the C63 page counts 21 complaints and 22 recall campaigns for 2015–2022, everything NHTSA files as "Amg C63", other engines included; the G63 page counts 14 complaints and 4 recall campaigns for 2019–2025, everything NHTSA files as "G63", other engines included. This page counts only the 69 complaints and 9 recalls we can tie to the Mercedes-AMG M177 / M178 by model name or the owner's own words.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2021 (59) and least about the 2017 (49); 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | C63 | 3 | not enough videos yet | 0 |
| 2016 | GT, C63 | 17 | 52 (39 videos) | 3 |
| 2017 | GT, C63 | 6 | 49 (37 videos) | 5 |
| 2018 | GT, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, S63, C63, E63, GLC63 | 8 | 54 (41 videos) | 1 |
| 2019 | Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, GT, S63, GLC63, C63, E63, G63 | 5 | 57 (75 videos) | 0 |
| 2020 | Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, GT, G63, S63, GLC63, C63, E63 | 1 | 56 (73 videos) | 0 |
| 2021 | Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, Aston Martin DBX, GT, GLE63, GLS63, C63, S63, E63, GLC63, G63 | 7 | 59 (90 videos) | 0 |
| 2022 | Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DBX, SL63 / SL55, GLE63, GLS63, G63 | 3 | 57 (53 videos) | 0 |
| 2023 | Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, Aston Martin DBX, GT, GLE63, GLS63, E63, SL63 / SL55, C63, G63 | 7 | 58 (55 videos) | 0 |
| 2024 | Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, GT, Aston Martin DBX, GLE63, GLS63, SL63 / SL55, G63 | 5 | 56 (75 videos) | 0 |
| 2025 | Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, Aston Martin DBX, GT, GLE63, GLS63, SL63 / SL55, G63 | 6 | 54 (75 videos) | 2 |
| 2026 | SL63 / SL55, GLE63, GLS63, G63 | 1 | not enough videos yet | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 9
4 of them are about the engine, fuel, cooling or powertrain. They come first.
24V712000 Engine And Engine Cooling · Aston Martin Vantage 2025
The engine oil cooler hose may split during vehicle operation, resulting in a loss of oil and oil pressure.
21V478000 Power Train · Mercedes-AMG GT 2017
The bonding between the carbon-fiber driveshaft and the flange may be insufficient, which could result in driveshaft separation.
19V457000 Power Train · Mercedes-AMG GT 2017
The bonding between the carbon-fiber driveshaft and the engine/transmission flange may be insufficient, causing the driveshaft to separate while in motion.
16V308000 Power Train · Mercedes-AMG GT 2016
In affected vehicles, the adhesive bond between the carbon-fiber driveshaft and the rear flange may fail, and as a result, there may be a loss of torque to the rear whee.
25V001000 Back Over Prevention · Aston Martin Vantage 2025
The rearview camera image may be obstructed by the infotainment home screen menu when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
Show all 9
21V058000 Electrical System · Mercedes-AMG GT 2017
Please refer to the Part 573 report for specific vehicle mod.
19V787000 Communication · Mercedes-AMG GT 2016–17
For a full list of the affected models.
17V177000 Electrical System · Mercedes-AMG GT 2016
17V818000 Air Bags · Mercedes-AMG GT 2017–18
The passenger occupant classification system (OCS) might not function properly, possibly causing the passenger frontal air bag to be inco.
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Mercedes-AMG told dealers about
Mercedes-AMG sent dealers 191 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Model Year 2019-2022 167 (GLE/GLS) - Instrument Cluster Message for Suspension "Do Not Drive Over 50MPH" with…
- CEL light on with no drivability concerns
- Oil leaks found on M176 or M177 engines diagnosed to be from the cylinder head cover area Cause Unknown…
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.
Known issues on record
- Cam adjuster wear (Parts seller). Old or poor oil can leave varnish that slows the cam adjusters, causing a rough cold idle, startup rattle and P0011/P0021 codes. Fix: Change the oil on time with an approved 5W-40 full synthetic.
- Spark plugs and coils (Parts seller). Boost wears spark plugs fast. Misfires and hesitation under boost are the signs. Fix: Replace plugs on schedule, and coils as a set if one fails. 1 owner complaint to NHTSA mention it (W205 C63).
- Turbo oil line seepage (Parts seller). Heat cycling can make the turbo oil feed line fittings seep, often after 50,000 miles. Fix: Check the lines at each service and replace any that seep.
- Water pump and thermostat (Parts seller). The water pump and electric thermostat can fail, usually after 70,000 miles, causing coolant loss and overheating. Fix: Replace the pump and thermostat together.
- Turbo oil feed line leak (recall) (Recall). NHTSA recall 20V048000 covers some 2019 G63s: the oil feed line to the turbocharger may leak, which raises fire risk. Fix: Dealers replace the oil feed line for free.
Sources: Euro Premium Parts: Mercedes-Benz M177 engine guide, common problems (Aug 2026), NHTSA recall 20V048000: turbocharger oil feed line may leak (2019 G63 and other AMG 4.0 V8s). The same list as on the C63 page, the G63 page.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Mercedes-AMG C63 AMG C63, AMG C63 Convertible, AMG C63 Coupe, AMG C63 S, AMG C63 S Convertible, AMG C63 S Coupe · Mercedes-Benz C-Class, every year | 2015–23 |
| Mercedes-AMG GT AMG GT, AMG GT 55 4matic Plus (coupe), AMG GT 63 4matic Plus, AMG GT 63 4matic Plus (coupe), AMG GT 63 PRO 4matic Plus (coupe), AMG GT 63 S 4matic Plus ... | 2016–25 |
| Aston Martin DB11 / DB12 DB11 V8, DB12 V8 | 2018–25 |
| Mercedes-AMG S63 AMG S63 4matic, AMG S63 4matic Convertible, AMG S63 4matic Coupe, AMG S63 4matic Plus, AMG S63 4matic Plus Convertible, AMG S63 4matic Plus Coupe | 2018–21 |
| Mercedes-AMG E63 AMG E63 S 4matic, AMG E63 S 4matic (wagon), AMG E63 S 4matic Plus, AMG E63 S 4matic Plus (SW), AMG E63 S 4matic Plus (wagon) · Mercedes-Benz E-Class, every year | 2018–23 |
| Mercedes-AMG GLC63 AMG GLC63 4matic, AMG GLC63 4matic Coupe, AMG GLC63 4matic Plus, AMG GLC63 4matic Plus Coupe, AMG GLC63 S 4matic Coupe, AMG GLC63 S 4matic Plus Coupe · Mercedes-Benz GLK/GLC, every year | 2018–21 |
| Aston Martin Vantage Vantage, Vantage Manual, Vantage V8 | 2019–25 |
| Mercedes-AMG G63 AMG G 63 4x4 Squared, AMG G63, AMG G63 4x4 Squared | 2019–26 |
| Aston Martin DBX DBX 707, DBX V8 | 2021–25 |
| Mercedes-AMG GLE63 AMG GLE63 S 4matic Plus, AMG GLE63 S 4matic Plus Coupe · Mercedes-Benz M/GLE, every year | 2021–26 |
| Mercedes-AMG GLS63 AMG GLS63 4matic Plus | 2021–26 |
| Mercedes-AMG SL63 / SL55 AMG SL55 4matic Plus, AMG SL63 4matic Plus | 2022–26 |
Engine codes: M178 (AMG GT 2-door), M177 (AMG GT 4-door and 2024+ coupe, every Aston Martin here). Hand-assembled at AMG in Affalterbach, one engine per builder. Power: 456–720 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Mercedes-AMG M178 engine · Mercedes-AMG GT · Aston Martin Vantage (2018) · Aston Martin DBX.
Quick answers
What cars have the Mercedes-AMG M177 / M178 engine?
In the US: the Mercedes-AMG C63, Mercedes-AMG GT, Aston Martin DB11 V8 / DB12 V8, Mercedes-AMG S63, Mercedes-AMG E63, Mercedes-AMG GLC63, Aston Martin Vantage, Mercedes-AMG G63, Aston Martin DBX, Mercedes-AMG GLE63, Mercedes-AMG GLS63, Mercedes-AMG SL63 / SL55, model years 2015–2026. See the version table for each one.
Is the Mercedes-AMG M177 / M178 reliable?
Mostly, if the recalls were done. YouTube owner tone 55/100, #26 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); 4 engine-related recalls on record, 5 known issues listed below. Owners filed 69 complaints we can tie to it, about any part of the car. Its cars had 9 recalls (4 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Mercedes-AMG M177 / M178 make?
456–720 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.