What breaks most · 2013 to 2022 model years
Buick Encore problems by year
Owners have filed 598 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Buick Encore across model years 2013 to 2022. One year stands out: 2015 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2020, 2013 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2020, 2013, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 5982013 to 2022, all trims
- Worst year
- 2015124 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 528 fires · 75 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 35kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 22Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 4 | 6 | Engine (21) | |
| 60 | 3 | 4 | Engine (25) | |
| 124 | 6 | 4 | Electrical system (30) | |
| 79 | 6 | 2 | Engine (40) | |
| 89 | 12 | 2 | Engine (35) | |
| 74 | 10 | 0 | Engine (29) | |
| 84 | 9 | 2 | Engine (32) | |
| 19 | 1 | 2 | Engine (7) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (4) |
What fails on the 2015 Buick Encore
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 24% |
30 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2015 Buick Encore |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 23% |
29 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2015 Buick Encore |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 22% |
27 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2015 Buick Encore |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 16% |
20 | 2 | Shop brakes parts for the 2015 Buick Encore |
| Air bags | 13% |
16 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
15 | 1 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 9% |
11 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 6% |
7 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2015 Buick Encore |
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.
-
My car started surging when I was sitting at a traffic light and as I was crossing abridge The check engine light came on - 2 codes - transmission module 0700 and module 0073
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 Buick Encore years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2015 carries the most filings on the Buick Encore. The 2015 alone has 124 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Buick Encore problem?
On the 2015 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 30 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Buick Encore problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Buick Encore complaints that include mileage is about 35,000 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.