2019 Buick Encore reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2019 Buick Encore has 86 complaints with NHTSA after 8 years, or 8 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Encore years here — over the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission and Air bags.

2013 Buick Encore — Photo by Mr.choppers, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (33 of 86), then Fuel and propulsion system (12) and Air bags (11). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, 7 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Encore has 74 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2020 has 19 complaints, 2 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

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 2019 Buick Encore. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2020-10-29 · NHTSA campaign 20V668000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

Recall Air bags 2018-11-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V774000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Spark, Traverse, and Trax vehicles. The Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM) on these vehicle may not have been turned off of "manufacturing mode," preventing the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM module to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18365.

Complaints by component (86 total)

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Air bags

Electrical system

Powertrain

Service brakes

Speed control

Engine and engine cooling

Exterior lighting

Suspension

Forward collision avoidance

Tires

Lane departure

Steering

Hydraulic brakes

Seat belts

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Show 11 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Car erupted into flames while I was driving on expressway fire started in engine bay I have police report"
Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-19
"The contact owns a 2019 Buick Encore. The contact stated that the flex pipe was cracked, causing the contact to become ill from the fumes. The contact stated that there was an abnormal odor occasionally coming from the…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-09-17
"Loss of acceleration due to cracked turbo boost. I guess you need a special 2019 vin # to be included in a recall. Recall for 2017 2018 and a select few 2019 very disappointed with this big repair job that is a known…"
Engine · filed 2026-08-08
"Turbo boost failed. shows recalls for this issue on 2018 and 2019 Buick Encores, but GMC states mine is not covered."
Engine · filed 2026-07-29
"92,000 miles my catalytic convertor went bad, had for 5 years. This resulted in lag when trying to accelerate and pull out in traffic. It cost $3,000 to fix as well as the turbocharger being broke. The blind spot…"
Fuel and propulsion system, Lane departure · filed 2026-07-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2019 Buick Encore SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2019 Buick Encore 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.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Encore	1.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	26	31	28 MPG	$2300
Encore	1.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	25	30	27 MPG	$2400
Encore all-wheel drive	1.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	24	29	26 MPG	$2500
Encore all-wheel drive	1.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	25	30	27 MPG	$2400

Specs and fitment

First generation, 2013–2022

Body styles Crossover

Oil 5W-30 full synthetic (1.4L turbo and 1.4L NA) , 5 qt capacity

Tire size 215/55R18

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 15V-146 covers certain 2015 Buick Encore vehicles: the steering column housing may wear the power-steering circuit board and cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist; dealers inspect and replace the column as needed. Campaign 16V-651 covers certain 2014-2017 Encore vehicles among a large multi-model GM population where SDM software may prevent frontal air bags or pretensioners from deploying; dealers reflash or replace the SDM. Campaign 18V-774 covers certain 2019 Encore vehicles left in SDM manufacturing mode so air bags may not deploy; dealers reprogram the SDM. Campaign 20V-668 covers certain 2019-2020 Encore vehicles (with many other GM models) for missing bolts on a start/stop transmission accumulator endcap that can leak fluid and progress to loss of propulsion or fire risk; dealers inspect and replace the accumulator if bolts are missing. Shared campaign unit counts cover multiple nameplates.

Compare

Previous year 2018 Buick Encore Next year 2020 Buick Encore See every Buick Encore model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Buick Encore reliable?

What are common problems with a 2019 Buick Encore?

Is the 2019 Buick Encore more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 Encore has 74 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2020 has 19 complaints, 2 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2019 Buick Encore been recalled?

The 2019 Buick Encore 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 2019 Buick Encore?

Owners have filed 86 complaints about the 2019 Buick Encore with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Buick Encore get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Buick Encore is 27 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Buick Encore take?

5W-30 full synthetic for the 1.4L turbo and 1.4L naturally aspirated engines on the GK generation (2013-2022).

What tire size does the Buick Encore use?

215/55R18 is the common GK-generation size listed on this site.

What does NHTSA campaign 15V-146 cover on the Encore?

Certain 2015 Encore vehicles: the steering column housing may wear the power-steering circuit board and cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist; dealers inspect and replace the column as needed.