AI Damage2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG E43 reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG E43 filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and powertrain. The maker issued 141 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 141
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 33% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 17% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 6 Wheels 17% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 2 complaints (33% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 30.
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 14.
- Steering: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Engine: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 30 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Suspension | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Vehicle speed control | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Service brakes | 0 | 0 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passengerâs side headlights intermittently inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not available. The vehicle was not repaired.
The emergency applied braking system was applied while driving the 2018 Mercedes-Benz E43 AMG on a city street, with no other car or obstacle in the way of the car. Fortunately, there was no other vehicle behind us when this happened.
When my son got out of the car, he noticed smoke coming out of the front of the car and notified my husband. He popped the hood and tried to put it out with the fire extinguisher but the smoke got overwhelming and he called 911. Fire department came and put out the fire.
For several years, the vehicle has had issues when shifting from drive to reverse or reverse to drive. I took to the dealer for repair and they claimed it was fixed. Because it is an intermittent issue, it was difficult to pinpoint when and if the issue would happen again.
Later on there's a noise coming from back seat ,I went to dealer and try to find out ,they did a good job found out they need to replace the whole rare end,and also found 2 wheels bent including the new wheel I just replaced,and another crack on one of the rare wheel which I think caused by the rare end issue ,and…
When driving on an open 2 lane county road at approximately 35-40 mph the automatic emergency braking engaged and fully stopped the car for no reason. There was nothing in the road, I did not have cruise control on. The vehicle just stopped and beeped.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 12,234 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 38% most complained about).
On average one model year of the AMG E43 has 6 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 6, about average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors
Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and…
- Complaint Slight creaking noises when steering
Cause Noises may come from one or more sleeves of the horn contact plate. Remedy Remove the horn contact plate and check the sleeves for noise; see attached video. If necessary, apply lubricant to the sleeves.
- Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic /9G‑TRONIC automatic…
Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic /9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission) and 725.1 (NAG3 facelift/9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission facelift) For faster, more effective and…
- Complaint Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE
Although the symptom is similar to a tire or wheel vibration, it is usually readily noticeable that it is distinctly different if it happens at all times or only while braking. Cause Although the cause of the vibration…
- Complaint Red coolant warning in instrument cluster
Fault codes U019F00 or U019F87 current/stored in MRG1 control unit. Cause Various causes Remedy Perform guided test for fault code U019F with XENTRY diagnosis. Verify the following connections are clean and tight…
- Complaint Only vehicles with a variable transfer case are affected
This can be identified through control unit N45 or N15/7 in the quick test. When accelerating with light load, vibrations or jolting sensation may come from the drivetrain. It may be mistaken for a harsh shift. Cause…
- Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic / 9G‑TRONIC automatic…
Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic / 9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission) and 725.1 (NAG3 facelift/9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission facelift) For faster, more effective…
- Complaint Noises/ squealing from the service brake in various driving situations and ambient conditions
Cause Frictional vibrations Remedy The intent of this document is to reduce noise from high performance AMG brakes. AMG brakes are designed for performance under high load and in certain scenarios, can emit noise. Some…
- Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same…
Complaint During part of the steering movement, it feels heavier or more difficult to steer in the same spot every time. OR Rattling, humming, dry sliding/gravel noise from the electric steering system when steering…
- Dear Mercedes-Benz Owner
In our continuing efforts to ensure the proper performance of Mercedes-Benz products and to enhance the satisfaction of our customers, Mercedes-Benz USA is extending the warranty coverage for the Diagnostic Module for…
- Complaint Tailgate opens unintentionally
Cause Accidental or unnoticed activation of the button to open the tailgate on the vehicle key. EXAMPLE: when stored in trouser pocket, handbag etc. Remedy As of the 6th generation, the vehicle key can be recoded so…
- Complaint A popup is seen on the HU with the message "data connection temporarily not available"
Potentially affected functionalities in NTG4.5, NTG5 1.Weather 2.Local Search 3.IP Radio 4.Send2Car 5.Speech Detection Service 6.Navigation 7.iHeartRadio 8.Traffic Cams Cause MB Apps is sundowned for all vehicles with…
NHTSA lists 141 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG E43?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, powertrain, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (17%), brakes on its own (phantom braking) (17%), smoke, burning smell, fire (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG E43?
NHTSA lists 141 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG E43 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.