Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
74
Complaints
10
Crashes
0
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2018 Buick Encore have filed 74
safety complaints with NHTSA
between April 2018 and August 2026.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 29 of them
(39%). The typical failure was reported at 19,667 miles, the median
across the 28 complaints that gave an
odometer reading.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
What owners report
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add
up to more than 74.
ENGINE 29 39%
SERVICE BRAKES 11 15%
AIR BAGS 10 14%
POWER TRAIN 10 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 12%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6 8%
STEERING 6 8%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 5 7%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 4%
SEAT BELTS 2 3%
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2025 at 14.
2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year
In owners' own words
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
4 injured · crash · towed
When crossing through an intersection at approximately 45mph, I was struck by another vehicle, speed unknown, who failed to stop at a stop sign. My vehicle was struck on the front passenger corner. My vehicle continued in a forward motion for several hundred feet. Both driver and front passenger wore seat belts, however the driver struck her head on steering wheel, loosing consciousness for several minutes. Side airbags deployed, however front air bags did not
NHTSA complaint 11682540. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed · 12,000 miles
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN VEICHLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. 2 PEOPLE WHERE INJURED.
NHTSA complaint 11190048. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 8,300 miles
AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON AUTO ACCIDENT. IMPACT AREA WAS FRONT CORNER FENDER ON PASSENGER SIDE. POSSIBLE GAS RELEASED INTO PASSENGER SIDE OF CABIN SMELLED 'ELECTRICAL' AND 'SMOKE' FILLED PASSENGER FOOTBOARD AREA. NO LOSS OF COOLANT FROM CAR TO EXPLAIN SMOKE. AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ON DASHBOARD DISPLAY. CAR WAS TRAVELING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED 30-35MPH, BRAKES APPLIED, THEN CRASHED INTO A TURNING CAR IN FRONT - TURNING FROM PASSENGER TO DRIVER DIRECTION.
NHTSA complaint 11180594. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 6,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BUICK ENCORE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, CRASHED INTO THE CORNER PANEL OF AN UNKNOWN VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER FRONTAL AND FLOOR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEGS AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WAS NO FIRE DUE TO THE CRASH. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO PROVIDED CASE NUMBER 9-5265716704 HOWEVER NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. *BF …
NHTSA complaint 11234143, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Not long after I purchased my car, i noticed it was lacking power during takeoff and when driving uphill which forced my car to hit very high RPMs during normal use. There was also a P0299 code that appeared then disappeared frequently. I discovered a turbo special coverage N232395330 and took it to Williams GMC in Charlotte. After i told them very clearly what happened MULTIPLE times, confirming the underboost and the code, I even brought it in with the code, they told me the code wasnt "active" and that there no problems...even after i told them I didnt feel safe and couldnt pull out at intersections with fear of being rear-ended. I had videos, they refused to look at and told me to come …
NHTSA complaint 11754320, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
General Motors issued a Special Policy N202299080 covering 2014 Buick Encores. My 2018 Encore had the same issues and symptoms as this Policy. My concern is because of this known problem the crankcase can be pressurized causing oil leaks which could cause a fire. General Motors issued a Service Information Bulletin 19-NA-114 in May 2019 about involving 2013 to 2019 Buick Encores. This is a known issue for many models other than my vehicle. I have the old parts from the repair for inspection which includes the Intake Manifold and the Valve Cover for faulty PCV components that cause the engine to produce excess Engine Crankcase pressure possibly causing a fire. My vehicle had a check engine …
NHTSA complaint 11754080, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Strong odor of gasoline, followed by a crack in the high pressure fuel line. Gasoline poured out under pressure from fuel line approximately 1 foot ahead of the right rear tire. Major amount of spillage - literally several gallons within a minute or so, that eventually faded as the system lost pressure. Could have been a significant safety issue and catastrophic loss if there had been an ignition source nearby. Overall repair required dropping the fuel tank and the replacement of GM Part Number 95080144, a plastic fuel pipe. Overall, a safety issue and expensive (~$900) repair.
NHTSA complaint 11751621. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Request for Goodwill Assistance – Turbocharger Failure (Special Coverage XXX) Dear General Motors Customer Assistance, I am writing to request a one-time goodwill repair for my 2018 Buick Encore (VIN: [XXX]). Approximately two months after purchasing this vehicle, the check engine light illuminated and diagnostic testing identified code P0299, indicating turbocharger failure. This issue appears to align with General Motors' Special Coverage Program XXX, issued in February 2024 for certain 2017–2018 Buick Encore vehicles equipped with the 1.4L engine due to known turbocharger failures. Unfortunately, my local GM dealership has informed me that they are unable to perform the repair under the …
NHTSA complaint 11743163, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a repeated dangerous defect in my 2018 Buick Encore. The vehicle intermittently locks up while driving without warning. When this happens: brakes become unresponsive or lock steering becomes difficult or locks gas pedal does not respond dashboard warning lights activate vehicle systems malfunction vehicle may not shut off normally This defect has occurred multiple times and creates a serious crash risk. The vehicle has now undergone three repair attempts at an authorized Buick dealership. During the second repair attempt, dealership staff personally experienced the same malfunction while test driving the vehicle. I paid approximately $2,078 …
NHTSA complaint 11734491, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
85,000 miles
The contact owned a 2018 Buick Encore. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service AWD" warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The warning light remained illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
NHTSA complaint 11726518. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon
law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back.
What each state asks for
, read from the statutes.
Where these numbers come from
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file
, published August 20, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API
, most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file
, published 2026-08-19.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst