The Lemon IndexBuick Encore reliability.
Is it reliable? Mostly. A bit under half as many complaints as the average car.
One of the most reliable · 2013–2020
What owners say on YouTube
Engines & versions
Fewest complaints
2020.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 7 Buick Encore years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/buick-encore/" title="Buick Encore reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="399" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/buick-encore/">Lemon Index</a> (Buick Encore reliability by year)</p>YouTube rank: we read 199 YouTube videos about the Buick Encore, 2013 to 2020, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2017. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Buick Encore.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Buick Encore reliable?
Mostly. It draws a bit under half as many complaints as the average car, but YouTube owners complain about it more than about most cars its age. Fewest complaints: 2020.
Is the Buick Encore a good car?
Yes, it is one of the most reliable models we track, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2013-2020: Lemon Index 37; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2020 drew the fewest complaints and 2013 the most.
What are the best Buick Encore years to buy?
By owner complaints per car sold: 2020, 2019, 2018. 2020 drew the fewest.
What Buick Encore years should you stay away from?
No Buick Encore year stands out as bad. Even the years with the most complaints per car sold beat the average car: 2013 (better than average, Lemon Index 78), 2015 (better than average, Lemon Index 68), 2016 (one of the most reliable, Lemon Index 35).
How many recalls does the Buick Encore have?
22 safety recalls across the 9 model years we track. Most: 2013 (6), 2014 (4), 2015 (4). Each year's page lists them, and every Buick Encore recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Buick Encore problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name engine, electrical and brakes most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 78 | about three-quarters as many complaints as the average car | 31 | engine (26%) | 6 | ★★★★★ | 25–28 |
| 2014 | 33 | about a third as many complaints as the average car | 18 | electrical (33%) | 4 | ★★★★★ | 25–28 |
| 2015 | 68 | about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car | 45 | brakes (22%) | 4 | ★★★★★ | 26–28 |
| 2016 | 35 | about a third as many complaints as the average car | 28 | engine (39%) | 2 | ★★★★★ | 26–30 |
| 2017 | 32 | about a third as many complaints as the average car | 30 | engine (27%) | 2 | ★★★★★ | 27–30 |
| 2018 | 27 | about a quarter as many complaints as the average car | 25 | transmission & drivetrain (20%) | 0 | ★★★★★ | 27–30 |
| 2019 | 27 | about a quarter as many complaints as the average car | 28 | engine (29%) | 2 | ★★★★★ | 26–28 |
| 2020 | 16 | about a fifth as many complaints as the average car | 9 | electrical (33%) | 2 | ★★★★★ | 26–31 |
| 2022 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 8 | transmission & drivetrain (25%) | 0 | ★★★★★ | 26–30 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: en.wikipedia.org. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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