Methods for enhanced error correction code for error detection and correction in multi-level cell-based memory devices are provided. The methods include receiving, at an error correction code (ECC) decoder hardware device, data encoded with ECC information from a multi-level cell-based memory device; calculating an error value and an error location for an error in the data using Reed-Solomon (RS) error correction code (ECC); determining an error type of the error, wherein the error type comprises one of no error, a single symbol error in the data, or multiple symbol errors in the data, and wherein determining the error type is based on a +1/−1 error constraint; and responsive to the error type comprising multiple symbol errors, repeating a read of the data from the multi-level cell-based memory device.