What breaks most · 2003 to 2006 model years
Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 problems by year
Owners have filed 347 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 across model years 2003 to 2006. Two years stand out: 2005 for fuel system complaints and 2004 for fuel system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2004
- Complaints on file
- 3472003 to 2006, all trims
- Worst year
- 2005132 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 10 fires · 0 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 75kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 13Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (40) | |
| 111 | 1 | 3 | Fuel system (62) | |
| 132 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (75) | |
| 34 | 0 | 4 | Fuel system (19) |
What fails on the 2005 Mercedes-Benz AMG E55
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 57% |
75 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 47% |
62 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 2% |
3 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 2% |
2 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 1% |
1 | 0 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 1% |
1 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 1% |
1 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 1% |
1 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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After filling vehicle gas tank, extremely strong fuel odor noticed in cabin and outside of vehicle. Smell existed both at standstill and at street speeds (40mph) with windows down or up.
-
When the vehicle is has a full tank of gas, there are heavy fumes of gasoline in the interior of the car. It appears to be the fuel pumps that are underneath the rear seats, leaking fuel on top, next to the the wiring. It is a hazard for fumes and possibly a fire
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2004 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz AMG E55. The 2005 alone has 132 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 75 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 complaints that include mileage is about 75,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.