What breaks most · 2020 to 2026 model years
Buick Encore GX problems by year
Owners have filed 226 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Buick Encore GX across model years 2020 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2020 for brakes complaints, 2021 for engine complaints and 2022 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2023 and 2024.
- Years to check closely: 2020, 2021, 2022
- Fewest complaints: 2023, 2024
- Complaints on file
- 2262020 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 202067 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 81 fires · 10 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 22kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 6Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 5 | 2 | Brakes (19) | |
| 52 | 2 | 2 | Engine (15) | |
| 32 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (13) | |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 31 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (20) | |
| 15 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | Engine (3) |
What fails on the 2020 Buick Encore GX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 28% |
19 | 3 | Shop brakes parts for the 2020 Buick Encore GX |
| Unknown or other | 27% |
18 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 25% |
17 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 22% |
15 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2020 Buick Encore GX |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 18% |
12 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2020 Buick Encore GX |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
5 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2020 Buick Encore GX |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 6% |
4 | 1 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 4% |
3 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
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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I was traveling to school when my breaks didn’t work I tried them twice and I crashed into another vehicle. And the month or march I took it into to Buick for break issues and they said everything was fine.
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Vehicle overheating randomly due to faulty Coolant Control Valve. Vehicle goes into reduced power mode and also instructs you to pull over and idle engine. Part is on National backorder for weeks. The issue could cause Vehicle to become inoperable and cause a crash.
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The vehicle has less than 60,000 miles. Sometimes, when it is shifted into park, the info center states that it is not in park. I have to jiggle the shift or shift it into other gears and go back to park. The shift is definitely in park when this happens.
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 GX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2020, 2021, 2022 carry the most filings on the Buick Encore GX. The 2020 alone has 67 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Buick Encore GX problem?
On the 2020 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 19 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Buick Encore GX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Buick Encore GX complaints that include mileage is about 22,000 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.