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Buick · NHTSA safety record

2021 Buick Encore GX

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

50

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

4

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2021 Buick Encore GX have filed 50 safety complaints with NHTSA between June 2021 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 15 of them (30%). The typical failure was reported at 44,000 miles, the median across the 14 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints rose 42% year on year: 17 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 12 in the twelve before.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT:STAND

21V440000 · June 10, 2021

The defect
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Buick Encore GX and 2021-2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles. The emergency jack, if not positioned as directed in the vehicle owner's manual, can fracture while in use.
The risk
A fractured jack can cause the vehicle to collapse, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the jack, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owner of the safety risk are expected to be mailed July 26, 2021. A second notice will be mailed once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A212335470.

General Motors, LLC · up to 135,400 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES

20V588000 · September 24, 2020

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CT4, CT5 and XT4, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, and 2020-2021 Buick Encore GX vehicles. Sensor connection contamination in the electronic brake boost system may cause an interruption of communication between the sensor and the brake boost system.
The risk
If communication with the sensor is interrupted, the electronic brake boost assist could be lost. Extra pedal force will be required to slow and stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electronic brake boost module, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202307260.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,677 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 50.

ENGINE 15 30%
POWER TRAIN 10 20%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 14%
SERVICE BRAKES 7 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 12%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 8%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 4 8%
EQUIPMENT 2 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 4%
AIR BAGS 1 2%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 2%
LANE DEPARTURE 1 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 14.

2021 2025 2026
2021 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.

SEAT BELTS

2 injured · crash · towed

The contact rented a 2021 Buick Encore GX. The contact stated while idled at a stop light, another vehicle driving at approximately 45-50 MPH crashed into the rear of their vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained bruises and thigh injuries. The front passenger sustained a chest rash from when the seat belt retracted. There was a 9-year-old occupant seated at the rear however the seat belt failed to retract causing her to jolt forward almost to the front driver’s side seat. There was no medical attention received for any of the injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The

NHTSA complaint 11456559, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

1 injured · crash · towed · 76,000 miles

The contact's girlfriend owned a 2021 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at 20 MPH, an abnormal, snapping sound emitted from the vehicle as the steering wheel independently shifted to the right and crashed into two parked vehicles. The contact stated that the suspension warning light appeared on the instrument panel after the failure and later discovered that the vehicle's suspension had detached. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact's girlfriend was taken to the hospital where she was treated for a laceration on her left forearm which required nine stitches. She also suffered severe bruising to both arms, elbows, and hips. No other

NHTSA complaint 11626175, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · 2,500 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Buick Encore GX. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the brake pedal was lightly depressed and the vehicle unintentionally came to an instant stop; the vehicle then began to shudder. The contact's mom was seated in the front passenger side of the vehicle and sustained a neck injury after the failure occurred. There was no one injured that was not in the vehicle. No medical attention was required. The vehicle was drivable and was driven to a dealer who did not provide a diagnosis but informed the contact that, the failure may have been occurring due to the Vacuum Module in the braking system needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired;

NHTSA complaint 11610192, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving check engine suddenly illuminated following by a "warning reduced engine power" message. Car began driving sluggish and driving over 35mph caused serious trembling. After multiple diagnosis with several engine codes pointing to issues with ECM, and mass air flow sensor, and the wiring affliated . I took the vehicle to the GMC dealership to get vehicle serviced and was told the wiring had broken and melted which caused the check engine to come on and the vehicle to drive the way it did. The cause was the zip tie being tied too tight as stated in GMs own bulletin number 22-NA-008. This should be a bulletin it should be a recall!

NHTSA complaint 11749150. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

81,000 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Buick Encore GX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and several unknown diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V588000 (Service Brakes); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA complaint 11747114. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Due to defective LIN BUS 2 failure to read mass air flow sensor, vehicle suddenly goes into limp mode. This speed control issue is documented in GM Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) #22-NA-008 and PIP5934, 2022.

NHTSA complaint 11742772. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
A 2021 Buick Encore GX with 66,828 miles experienced sudden transmission failure while driving. The vehicle lost forward gear engagement and began slipping, creating an immediate safety risk to the driver and other motorists due to unexpected loss of vehicle propulsion and control. The vehicle was diagnosed by an authorized GM dealership. Diagnostic codes P2714 (Transmission Control Solenoid Valve 4 Stuck Off) and P0700 (Transmission Control Module Request) were confirmed. The transmission fluid was found to have a burnt odor indicating severe internal damage. The check engine light was the first warning symptom, followed by slipping and loss of forward gear. General Motors previously

NHTSA complaint 11735946, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The 1.3L turbo caused metal fragments to get into my engine which in return caused the transmission to fail. My 2021 Buick encore gx has been in the shop since early February 2026 at Garber Buick in Fort Pierce Florida. The first diagnosis was solenoids needed to be replaced, after the solenoids were replaced they told me the engine needed to be replaced, once the engine was put in Garber Buick told me the transmission now needed to be replaced. GM motors have been involved I have case number and a case manager who has informed me that not only do they want me to pay 5,600 dollars after the first quote for the engine was 9,800 but they brought that price down to 5,600 they now since its the

NHTSA complaint 11735353, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Turbocharger is defective. Reduced engine power. Engine Power reduced shows up on my dashboard. I bought the car brand new at Lindsey Buick in Ohio. This car is too young for this problem. Lindsey Buick and GM need to stand up to accountability and transparency when it comes to delivering top quality products. My vehicle almost caused a horrific accident by not accelerating fast enough. I am [XXX] , a widow, and in need of my car being fixed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11733173. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Buick Encore GX

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 29 1 —
2022 30 1 —
2020 66 2 —

Other 2021 Buick models

Enclave 25 Envision 23

Every Buick on this site — 60 vehicles, 172 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

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

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.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst