Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
170–25K
325–50K
250–75K
375–100K
2100–150K
1150K+
28 reports with mileage · 46 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Engine. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
74 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2023
Air Bags
My airbag light is on and malfunctioning. It will cost $200 for the diagnostic and no repair. To repair it will cost $873.19. I see there are more complaints in regarding this issue. To me this is a safety issue and concerns me as I drive my grandchildren in this car. I am told it is an actual sensor in the cushion of the seat.…
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My airbag light is on and malfunctioning. It will cost $200 for the diagnostic and no repair. To repair it will cost $873.19. I see there are more complaints in regarding this issue. To me this is a safety issue and concerns me as I drive my grandchildren in this car. I am told it is an actual sensor in the cushion of the seat. My vehicle is under 5 years old. Something has to be done.
NHTSA ODI #11501135
41,000 miles · Jan 10, 2023
Vehicle Speed Control
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…
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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 ODI #11501090
Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2022
Air Bags
previous airbag recall, but not including my VIN. However, my airbag light is on and malfunctioning. It will cost $200 to just diagnose the repair and no idea what the cost to fix this saftey issue on a car that is only 5 years old. Please help!
NHTSA ODI #11497139
Mileage unknown · Jul 5, 2022
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
Feel like the car is loosing drive/power and not accelerating. I was driving and the engine light started flashing. No power to go up the hill, it could have gone backwards. Car does not accelerate made a whirring noise when it was turned off. Dangerous situation. Service Bulletin #N212338400
NHTSA ODI #11472397
15,000 miles · Jun 30, 2022
Air BagsService BrakesCrash
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. …
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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 bumper repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
NHTSA ODI #11471693
Mileage unknown · Jun 29, 2022
EngineUnknown Or Other
Turbo charger malfunction. Confirmed by dealership and had to be replaced. Stabilitrak malfunction. Car is stalling out at a red light or stop sign, and/or jerking hard. Stalled out in middle of an intersection with my children in the car. Ongoing problem.
NHTSA ODI #11471666
Mileage unknown · Jun 21, 2022
Power TrainSeat BeltsUnknown Or Other
Stabilitrak warning comes on and car stalls out. Passenger seat belt doesn't clip person in correctly.
NHTSA ODI #11470352
Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2022
Electrical SystemEngine
My vehicle would not start and I had no control over the computerized system.
NHTSA ODI #11468559
Mileage unknown · May 11, 2022
Electrical System
Currently my vehicle has issue with dash board and instrument panel getting hot to the touch after driving for approximatly an hour also causing an odor. The heater/ac stays on continuesly never turns off and the heating up issue exists with either temperature.
NHTSA ODI #11464153
54,000 miles · Sep 29, 2021
Engine And Engine Cooling
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…
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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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.
NHTSA ODI #11434883
Official recalls
0
No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2018 Buick Encore Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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