2018 Buick Encore Problems & Owner Complaints

Engine 29

“Not long after I purchased my car, i noticed it was lacking power during takeoff and when driving uphill which forced my car to hit very high RPMs during normal use. There was also a P0299 code that appeared then disappeared frequently. I discovered a turbo special coverage N232395330 and took it to Williams GMC in Charlotte. After i told them very clearly what happened MULTIPLE times, confirming the underboost and the code, I even brought it in with the code, they told me the code wasnt "active" and that there no problems...even after i told them I didnt feel safe and couldnt pull out at inte…”
NHTSA complaint #11754320, 2026

“General Motors issued a Special Policy N202299080 covering 2014 Buick Encores. My 2018 Encore had the same issues and symptoms as this Policy. My concern is because of this known problem the crankcase can be pressurized causing oil leaks which could cause a fire. General Motors issued a Service Information Bulletin 19-NA-114 in May 2019 about involving 2013 to 2019 Buick Encores. This is a known issue for many models other than my vehicle. I have the old parts from the repair for inspection which includes the Intake Manifold and the Valve Cover for faulty PCV components that cause the engine t…”
NHTSA complaint #11754080, 2026

“Request for Goodwill Assistance – Turbocharger Failure (Special Coverage XXX) Dear General Motors Customer Assistance, I am writing to request a one-time goodwill repair for my 2018 Buick Encore (VIN: [XXX]). Approximately two months after purchasing this vehicle, the check engine light illuminated and diagnostic testing identified code P0299, indicating turbocharger failure. This issue appears to align with General Motors' Special Coverage Program XXX, issued in February 2024 for certain 2017–2018 Buick Encore vehicles equipped with the 1.4L engine due to known turbocharger failures. Unfo…”
NHTSA complaint #11743163, 2026

Service Brakes 11 4 crash 1 injury

“While on the highway car suddenly had a brake and steering failure which resulted in injuries to myself. Zeigler and Buick are doing nothing to remedy situation and want to put myself and my family at risk”
NHTSA complaint #11527313, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, she depressed the brake pedal but it failed to stop the vehicle, causing her to rear-end a truck. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries nor sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a collision center and had the front bumpe…”
NHTSA complaint #11471693, 2022 · crash

“THIS TOOK PLACE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE PARKING LOT OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION GOING FORWARD. IT WAS DECELERATING HEAD-IN INTO A PARKING SPOT. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 5 MPH. MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKING WAS ENGAGED. I THEN HEARD THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE. THERE WAS A HIGH WHINING SOUND. I LOST BRAKING AS MY RIGHT FOOT DEPRESSED THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT AN INCREASED SPEED. IT JUMPED THE SIDEWALK CURB, CROSSED THE CONCR…”
NHTSA complaint #11308591, 2019 · crash

Air Bags 10 6 crash 8 injury

“When crossing through an intersection at approximately 45mph, I was struck by another vehicle, speed unknown, who failed to stop at a stop sign. My vehicle was struck on the front passenger corner. My vehicle continued in a forward motion for several hundred feet. Both driver and front passenger wore seat belts, however the driver struck her head on steering wheel, loosing consciousness for several minutes. Side airbags deployed, however front air bags did not”
NHTSA complaint #11682540, 2025 · crash · 4 injury(ies)

“AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN VEICHLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. 2 PEOPLE WHERE INJURED.”
NHTSA complaint #11190048, 2019 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BUICK ENCORE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, CRASHED INTO THE CORNER PANEL OF AN UNKNOWN VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER FRONTAL AND FLOOR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEGS AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WAS NO FIRE DUE TO THE CRASH. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO PROVIDED CASE N…”
NHTSA complaint #11234143, 2019 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Power Train 10 1 crash

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BUICK ENCORE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED, IT INADVERTENTLY ROLLED AWAY AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER (NYE BUICK GMC, 1421 GENESEE ST, ONEIDA, NY 13421, (315) 363-2200) WHERE IT WAS AWAITING TO BE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,200.”
NHTSA complaint #11115310, 2018 · crash

“The contact owned a 2018 Buick Encore. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service AWD" warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The warning light remained illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11726518, 2026

“The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Encore. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned while in first gear, and the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from being stationary. Additionally, the message "Stabilizer" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yetbeen determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 147,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11668594, 2025

Unknown Or Other 10 1 crash

“THIS TOOK PLACE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE PARKING LOT OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION GOING FORWARD. IT WAS DECELERATING HEAD-IN INTO A PARKING SPOT. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 5 MPH. MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKING WAS ENGAGED. I THEN HEARD THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE. THERE WAS A HIGH WHINING SOUND. I LOST BRAKING AS MY RIGHT FOOT DEPRESSED THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT AN INCREASED SPEED. IT JUMPED THE SIDEWALK CURB, CROSSED THE CONCR…”
NHTSA complaint #11308591, 2019 · crash

“After filling up fuel vehicle starts and stalls out. This occurs while driving at stop signs. And also while driving loss of power. There is something wrong in the engine, timing belt, fuel, etc.”
NHTSA complaint #11708285, 2025

“All Wheel Drive System & All Wheel Drive Off Warnings 4 Different Times One Time lost the ability to Steer Once to Dealership can not duplicate & the lights are off so can't get codes they said. There is a recall for same issue on same vehicle for same year but says my VIN isn't included. Jan. 16 May 3 May 6 May 21 all of this year. Had warranty on car when started said only bumper to bumper would cover it. Car only had 48,839 miles when first happened. Still only has 51,852 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11590110, 2024

Electrical System 9

“I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a repeated dangerous defect in my 2018 Buick Encore. The vehicle intermittently locks up while driving without warning. When this happens: brakes become unresponsive or lock steering becomes difficult or locks gas pedal does not respond dashboard warning lights activate vehicle systems malfunction vehicle may not shut off normally This defect has occurred multiple times and creates a serious crash risk. The vehicle has now undergone three repair attempts at an authorized Buick dealership. During the second repair attempt, dealership staff pe…”
NHTSA complaint #11734491, 2025

“Was driving and lost complete power but came right back on itself. Car also makes a loud noise periodically when reversing and pressing the brake. Was told this was engine timing chain. Cooling fan periodically stays on draining the battery after car is turned off. None of these issues have been correct but told there is no recall to fix these issues.”
NHTSA complaint #11712726, 2025

“The car experienced issues with the fan turning off when car was turned off. It caused the battery to die. The car was serviced at the dealership and the tech found that the fuse block overheated and melted, causing poor electrical connections. They replaced the damaged parts and repaired the wiring. This still did not explain the fan not turning off and after the fuse block repair, the cooling fan was still sticking on. After pushing the dealership to further look into the issue the mechanic determined the issue was inside the fan assembly (it was assembled in the wrong direction), so they r…”
NHTSA complaint #11682271, 2025

Fuel/Propulsion System 6

“Not long after I purchased my car, i noticed it was lacking power during takeoff and when driving uphill which forced my car to hit very high RPMs during normal use. There was also a P0299 code that appeared then disappeared frequently. I discovered a turbo special coverage N232395330 and took it to Williams GMC in Charlotte. After i told them very clearly what happened MULTIPLE times, confirming the underboost and the code, I even brought it in with the code, they told me the code wasnt "active" and that there no problems...even after i told them I didnt feel safe and couldnt pull out at inte…”
NHTSA complaint #11754320, 2026

“Strong odor of gasoline, followed by a crack in the high pressure fuel line. Gasoline poured out under pressure from fuel line approximately 1 foot ahead of the right rear tire. Major amount of spillage - literally several gallons within a minute or so, that eventually faded as the system lost pressure. Could have been a significant safety issue and catastrophic loss if there had been an ignition source nearby. Overall repair required dropping the fuel tank and the replacement of GM Part Number 95080144, a plastic fuel pipe. Overall, a safety issue and expensive (~$900) repair.”
NHTSA complaint #11751621, 2026

“Stalling and shuts off. Low power when accelerating. Car has been so slow to take off that when merging into on coming traffic I have to move to shoulder & then try again to prevent an accident. Coughs, putt & squeaking sounds.Car shakes while in park or not in motion. Check engine light on.”
NHTSA complaint #11615286, 2024

Steering 6 1 crash 1 injury

“While on the highway car suddenly had a brake and steering failure which resulted in injuries to myself. Zeigler and Buick are doing nothing to remedy situation and want to put myself and my family at risk”
NHTSA complaint #11527313, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a repeated dangerous defect in my 2018 Buick Encore. The vehicle intermittently locks up while driving without warning. When this happens: brakes become unresponsive or lock steering becomes difficult or locks gas pedal does not respond dashboard warning lights activate vehicle systems malfunction vehicle may not shut off normally This defect has occurred multiple times and creates a serious crash risk. The vehicle has now undergone three repair attempts at an authorized Buick dealership. During the second repair attempt, dealership staff pe…”
NHTSA complaint #11734491, 2025

“While driving, my car began to glitch out. The screens started turning on and off, the doors began locking and unlocking, and I lost my ability to steer, brake, and accelerate. It caused me to run a red light and I almost got into a severe accident. This issue has occurred several times, and during more recent occasions the car has turned off completely while driving. There were no warning lights or messages indicating that something was wrong with the car, but sometimes when I turn the car back on, it says “calibrating.” If Buick has sold cars that are capable of losing complete control, this…”
NHTSA complaint #11661607, 2025

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 5

“The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Encore. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned while in first gear, and the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from being stationary. Additionally, the message "Stabilizer" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yetbeen determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 147,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11668594, 2025

“The contact owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The Stabili-trak warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure however, where the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the brake sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred approximately 6 months later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown code was cleared. The contact stated that a month after the code was clea…”
NHTSA complaint #11699795, 2022

“SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 04/2018 I HAD MANY PROBLEMS PROBLEMS AS THE ENGINE SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT WHEN I WAS DRIVING, THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AT THE DEALERSHIP , NOW THE BACK WHEEL DRIVER MODULE IS BAD,IT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED ,AND FINALLY I ALMOST COULD NOT DRIVE IN THE HIGHWAY ON 04/25/2020, I WAS VERY AFRAID THAT I WAS GOING TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE POWER STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, ABS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND TRACTION LIGHT WERE ALL ON IN THE PANEL AND SO A WARNING SIGNAL.THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.I WAS IN RT 206 IN NJ, AFTER CHESTER.025/2020. I HAD T…”
NHTSA complaint #11322311, 2020

Engine And Engine Cooling 3

“The contact owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact's husband noticed there was oil leaking onto the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact’s husband, who is a certified mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was caused by a leaking oil cooler pipe. The contact was informed that the oil cooler pipe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the leak was persistent. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced GMC recall…”
NHTSA complaint #11633066, 2024

“The contact owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light would illuminate as the average miles per gallon decreased. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the clamps for the turbo hoses were loose. The clamps and hoses were realigned and tightened. The contact stated that the failure recurred 2 months later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the same diagnosis along with a red thread failure. The clamps were realigned and tightened again. The contact stated that the air filter hose was also loose. The manu…”
NHTSA complaint #11434883, 2021

“The contact's sister owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle inadvertently loss motive power without warning. The vehicle would restart independently and resumed normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the turbocharger assembly was defective. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was also informed that the antifreeze had been burning within the engine however, no additional repairs were performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The…”
NHTSA complaint #11418310, 2021

Vehicle Speed Control 3 1 crash

“THIS TOOK PLACE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE PARKING LOT OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION GOING FORWARD. IT WAS DECELERATING HEAD-IN INTO A PARKING SPOT. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 5 MPH. MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKING WAS ENGAGED. I THEN HEARD THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE. THERE WAS A HIGH WHINING SOUND. I LOST BRAKING AS MY RIGHT FOOT DEPRESSED THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT AN INCREASED SPEED. IT JUMPED THE SIDEWALK CURB, CROSSED THE CONCR…”
NHTSA complaint #11308591, 2019 · crash

“While driving, my car began to glitch out. The screens started turning on and off, the doors began locking and unlocking, and I lost my ability to steer, brake, and accelerate. It caused me to run a red light and I almost got into a severe accident. This issue has occurred several times, and during more recent occasions the car has turned off completely while driving. There were no warning lights or messages indicating that something was wrong with the car, but sometimes when I turn the car back on, it says “calibrating.” If Buick has sold cars that are capable of losing complete control, this…”
NHTSA complaint #11661607, 2025

“The contact owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle would not exceed 25 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the accelerator pedal had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11501090, 2023

Seat Belts 2

“The contact owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side seat belt was not retracting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle warranty had expired. There was no further assistance provided. The failure mileage was 17,846.”
NHTSA complaint #11502191, 2023

“Stabilitrak warning comes on and car stalls out. Passenger seat belt doesn't clip person in correctly.”
NHTSA complaint #11470352, 2022

Exterior Lighting 1

“AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR 1 YEAR AND A HALF AGO I HAD 2 ENGINE PROBLEMS FIXED ALREADY. NOW, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIMENTING 4 TIMES A TOTAL LACK OF HEADLIGHT AND PANEL LIGHTS WHILE I AM DRIVING. IT LASTS SECONDS, THE IDIOT LIGHTS COME BACK WHILE I AM DRIVING. I WAS VERY SCARED BECAUSE IN ONE OF THESE TIMES I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT IN A BUSY HIGHWAY AND IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY, I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING .I TOOK IT TO MCGUIRE TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.”
NHTSA complaint #11257593, 2019

Latches/Locks/Linkages 1

“The contact's girlfriend owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving 35 mph, the vehicle inadvertently shifted to neutral and all the door latches unlocked independently. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The driver continued driving to her destination. The contact stated he also experienced the same failure while driving up a hill. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact also took the vehicle to O'Meara B…”
NHTSA complaint #11426458, 2021

Structure 1

“2018 Buick Encore has large area of peeled paint on hood. There is also bubbling unde driver side door handle. I was told the hood issue was to to defective paint and primer. I was also told the repair would be well over one thousand dollars. The car has never been in an accident or had any modification done.”
NHTSA complaint #11639617, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 1

“DURING FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON HERE IN PA, HAD A WET/HEAVY SNOW. SNOW WAS REMOVED FROM WINDSHIELD, BUT NOT THE GULLY BELOW WIPERS. NO BIGGIE, THIS IS HOW WE'VE DONE IT ON EVERY CAR SINCE I WAS A KID, CLEANING OUT THE GULLY WHEN WIPERS CANNOT GO DOWN ALL THE WAY. AS I WAS DRIVING AND SNOW WAS COMING DOWN, SOME FROM ABOVE THE WINDSHIELD CAME DOWN AND ADDED TO WHAT WAS IN THE GULLY. THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING! IMAGINE MY SURPRISE, THE WIPERS CAME TO A STOP AND WERE NOT MOVING. I COULD NOT SEE IF BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS, PULLED OVER WHEN I COULD, AND STARTED SCRAPING OUT THE GULLY. WIPERS…”
NHTSA complaint #11153638, 2018

Wheels 1

“8/14-CAR WAS LACKING POWER, SERVICE MANAGER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE ISSUE ON ROAD TEST . 8/24-CAR SERVICE FOR ROUGH IDLE AND LACK OF POWER, SERVICE STABILITRAK LIGHT ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON WITH AN ERROR CODE OF P0171. IN SEPTEMBER, CAR STARTED TO SHAKE WHILE IN PARK BUT NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, DEALER ADVISE UNABLE TO DO ANY REPAIRS UNLESS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. 11/27- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN FOR SAME CODE, P0171. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN SHOP. VEHICLE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUES DEC 2018 AND AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. GM DEALERS ARE NOT ABLE TO FIX TURBO ISSUE AND P0171 ISSUES. MY VEH…”
NHTSA complaint #11282934, 2019