Reliable Auto DB

2021 Buick Encore GX reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Buick Encore GX over 6 years — 4 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 5 Encore GX years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Stand and Service brakes.

2020 Buick Encore GX
Photo by Mr.choppers, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

53

Per year

4

Recalls

2

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (15 of 53), then Powertrain (11) and Fuel and propulsion system (7). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Encore GX has 69 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2022 has 32 complaints, 5 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Buick Encore GX. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall equipment, mechanical, jack or lift stand, stand 2021-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V440000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall Service brakes 2020-09-24 · NHTSA campaign 20V588000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (53 total)

Engine
15
Powertrain
11
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Service brakes
7
Electrical system
4
Engine and engine cooling
4
Equipment
2
Forward collision avoidance
2
Lane departure
2
Speed control
2
Air bags
1
Back-over prevention
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Seat belts
1
Seats
1
Steering
1
Suspension
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 10 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

620214202222023112024142025162026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Buick Encore. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the radio display screen was blank. While reversing, the rear-view camera briefly displayed an image before going blank. The…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-18
  • "Vehicle does not recognize it is in Park even when the shifter is placed in that position. As a result, the vehicle cannot be turned off. GM has issued a technical service bulletin for this issue, but has not yet…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-30
  • "The Frontview camera or its software is the issue. It allows the car to drift outside of the lane on both sides of the car before warning and or pulling you back over but then it just pulls you to the other line and…"
    Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure · filed 2026-08-29
  • "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…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-07-08
  • "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…"
    Hydraulic brakes · filed 2026-06-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Buick Encore GX SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Buick Encore GX SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Specs and fitment

Encore GX, 2020–present
Body styles Crossover
Oil 0W-30 (1.2L turbo and 1.3L turbo; check manual for temperature band) , 4.2 qt capacity
Tire size 225/55R18

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V588000 covers certain 2020-2021 Buick Encore GX vehicles (with Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CT4, CT5 and XT4, and Chevrolet Trailblazer) where sensor connection contamination in the electronic brake boost system may interrupt communication and lose brake-boost assist; dealers replace the electronic brake boost module. Recall 21V440000 covers certain 2020-2022 Encore GX vehicles (with 2021-2022 Trailblazer) whose emergency jack can fracture if not positioned as directed in the owner’s manual; dealers replace the jack. Recall 26V539000 covers certain 2024-2026 Encore GX vehicles (with Envista, Trailblazer, and Trax) whose rearview camera screen may display a distorted or blank image; dealers inspect and replace the camera as needed. Recall 23V744000 covers certain 2024 Encore GX vehicles (with Envista and Trax) whose Virtual Cockpit Unit software may blank the instrument panel at startup or while driving; dealers or an OTA update revise VCU software.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Buick Encore GX Next year 2022 Buick Encore GX See every Buick Encore GX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Buick Encore GX reliable?

Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Buick Encore GX over 6 years — 4 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 5 Encore GX years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Stand and Service brakes.

What are common problems with a 2021 Buick Encore GX?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (15 of 53), then Powertrain (11) and Fuel and propulsion system (7). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Buick Encore GX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Encore GX has 69 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2022 has 32 complaints, 5 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Buick Encore GX been recalled?

The 2021 Buick Encore GX has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Buick Encore GX?

Owners have filed 53 complaints about the 2021 Buick Encore GX with NHTSA.

What oil does a Buick Encore GX take?

0W-30 for the 1.2L and 1.3L turbos (check the manual for temperature band); capacity about 4.2 qt.

Is there a brake assist recall on early Encore GX models?

Recall 20V588000 covers certain 2020-2021 Encore GX vehicles (with Corvette, CT4, CT5, XT4, and Trailblazer) for electronic brake-boost sensor contamination.