Buick Encore Gx Reliability by Year

Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

284 NHTSA complaints (2020–2025).Complaint rate: 8.7 per 10,000 vehicles sold in the US.

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Should I buy a Buick Encore Gx?

Quick answer from 284 NHTSA complaints · 2020–2025

Buick Encore Gx reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is electrical faults. Pick the right year and this Encore Gx can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.

Best years to buy
Years to avoid
Most common Buick Encore Gx problem: Electrical Faults43 complaints (0.0% crash-involvement rate).

Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.

Why these years are worse

The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:

  • electrical faults43 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
  • transmission / drivetrain40 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
  • engine problems33 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
  • brakes33 complaints (9.1% involved a crash)
  • fuel system14 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
Severity Score
13.1
Complaints
284
US Units Sold
327,674
Crash Rate
3.5%
Fire Rate
0.4%
Injuries
11
Fatalities

Which Years to Buy & Avoid

Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.

Rankings based on complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold — normalized for production volume so low-sales years aren't falsely rated "good".

Bottom line: The 2020 Buick Encore Gx had a notable spike in NHTSA complaints. Other years had typical complaint volumes. Most common issue across all years: Electrical System.

Avoid These Years

2020
24.6 complaints per 10K sold · 7 crashes
42,240 units sold

Average

2021–2023
7.8 complaints per 10K sold
169,719 total units sold

Better Years

No years stand out as significantly better.

Too New

2024–2025
53 complaints so far
115,715 total units sold

Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.

Looking at a specific Buick Encore Gx?

A model's reputation is just the start.

Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).

Complaint Rate per 10,000 Vehicles Sold

Normalized by US annual sales volume — higher = more complaints relative to sales

Show raw complaint counts

Common Buick Encore Gx Problems

Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.

Show full table
ComponentComplaintsCrash %
Electrical Faults430.0%
Transmission / Drivetrain400.0%
Engine Problems330.0%
Brakes339.1%
Fuel System140.0%
Steering Defects1010.0%
Unintended Acceleration714.3%
Headlight/Taillight Failures60.0%
Airbags560.0%
Wipers & Visibility40.0%

When Each Problem Spiked

Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.

Data Sources & Methodology

Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (284 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.

Sales data: US annual vehicle sales from goodcarbadcar. Coverage: 100% of model years have sales data. Total US sales: 327,674.

Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.

Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint rate. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).

See also: Buick Encore Gxaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.

Buying a Buick Encore Gx?

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