Buick Encore reliability by year
1 recalls and 582 owner complaints across 10 model years. Best year to buy: 2019. Year to avoid: 2017.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 10 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Encore aggregated across 10 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Buick Encore?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2019 Buick Encore scores 8.0/10 — the strongest in the 2013–2022 range. 78 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Buick Encore year should I avoid?
The 2017 Buick Encore scores 7.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 87 owner complaints with NHTSA, 0 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2017 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Buick Encore should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2017 (avoid — the engine — engine: 29 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 44,000–88,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2020, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Buick Encore are tracked?
10 model years (2013 through 2022) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 1 recalls and 582 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Buick Encore?
engine is the most-reported category — 149 complaints across 8 model years. Average shop repair runs about $3,100.