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2015 Buick Encore

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2015 Buick Encore do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 67.

About this comparison →
124Owner complaints

Model-year median: 67

4Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
52
201360
2014124
201579
201689
201774
2018
Compare all Encore years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Electrical System
30Engine
29Steering
27Service Brakes
20Air Bags
16
All reported categories
Unknown Or Other
15Power Train
11Fuel/propulsion System
7Exterior Lighting
5Structure
5Suspension
5Vehicle Speed Control
5Electronic Stability Control (esc)
4Seat Belts
4Engine And Engine Cooling
3Visibility/wiper
3Seats
1Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1Traction Control System
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

80 reports with mileage · 44 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports

What owners actually said

124 reports
Mileage unknown · Nov 2, 2024
Steering

While driving the dash signal came on stating that the power steering unit had gone off. The car was being driven without power steering. The message state to get serviced immediately. There was a recall for this problem but research states that my vin number did not show my car was part of this recall. WELL, IT IS HAVING T…

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While driving the dash signal came on stating that the power steering unit had gone off. The car was being driven without power steering. The message state to get serviced immediately. There was a recall for this problem but research states that my vin number did not show my car was part of this recall. WELL, IT IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS OTHERS. Please advise as to how I can get this fixed by the dealership under a recall #15168/15U14600. There is only 18,000 miles on this car, YES eighteen thousand. This recall needs to include my vehicle. Please respond immediately.

NHTSA ODI #11623230

86,600 miles · Aug 29, 2024
EnginePower Train

The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and jerking while attempting to accelerate while driving at various speeds, and while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic conve…

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The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and jerking while attempting to accelerate while driving at various speeds, and while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was informed about the failure and confirmed there were no recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 86,600.

NHTSA ODI #11611564

108,172 miles · Aug 6, 2024
Steering

The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact stopped the vehicle and added coolant and drove to the residence. The contact stated that the next day while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became abnormally stiff, making it dif…

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The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact stopped the vehicle and added coolant and drove to the residence. The contact stated that the next day while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became abnormally stiff, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. Additionally, the radio and instrument panel became inoperable. The message "Check Power Steering Unit" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V146000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 108,172.

NHTSA ODI #11606836

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2024
Fuel/propulsion System

My check engine light came on so I took it to a repair shop. They put it on their Diagnostic System Check Computer and the code #PO299 came up. After further inspection and investigation, the failed part is the Turbocharger- A1140104N. This vehicle's, vin number, model year and mileage qualifies it for warranty replacement and l…

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My check engine light came on so I took it to a repair shop. They put it on their Diagnostic System Check Computer and the code #PO299 came up. After further inspection and investigation, the failed part is the Turbocharger- A1140104N. This vehicle's, vin number, model year and mileage qualifies it for warranty replacement and labor for the faulty part. However, because it is a Buick and not a Chevy the dealership is not authorizing the repair, even though it is the exact same system and part that is being replaced in the Chevy models. Without this part functioning properly, it affects performance and the car's ability to accelerate when needed which makes it a hazard to drive if you should need to accelerate quickly.

NHTSA ODI #11603657

Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 2024
Air BagsElectrical SystemSeat Belts

tilt steering wheel usage is causing wires in steering culumb to break

NHTSA ODI #11601793

Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2024
Electrical System

MY KEY GETS STUCK IN THE EGNITION, MY MACHANIC SAID IT IS SPECIFIC TO THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11582072

Mileage unknown · Feb 23, 2024
Steering

I was driving at 65 when the power assist on my steering stopped and i was forced off the road. The check engine light was on and the word STEERING appeared on the dash It duplicates the description in recall 15168 but there is no recall listed for my VIN number The dealer also stated the same issue regarding the VIN

NHTSA ODI #11573532

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2024
Engine

Massive coolant leak. Been happening on and off since I bought the car in nov2019. Taken to several shops and have had replacement done and it goes right back to leaking. This time the shop believes it's leaking into the engine itself.

NHTSA ODI #11571192

88,326 miles · Jan 30, 2024
Steering

The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the electronic power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a gas station temporarily. The dealer was contacted and suggested the contact call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact reference…

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The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the electronic power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a gas station temporarily. The dealer was contacted and suggested the contact call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V146000 (Steering) as a possible solution; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,326.

NHTSA ODI #11568862

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2024
Power TrainSteering

While at a stoplight, my buick encore's power steering just stopped working. I was only able to turn the steering wheel with great effort. The car would not go in reverse, although when pressing on the accelerator in reverse, the engine would rev. Shifting from drive to reverse also caused the car to jolt. The car is available f…

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While at a stoplight, my buick encore's power steering just stopped working. I was only able to turn the steering wheel with great effort. The car would not go in reverse, although when pressing on the accelerator in reverse, the engine would rev. Shifting from drive to reverse also caused the car to jolt. The car is available for inspection. This has happened previously in fall of 2021, and the same exact thing happened, but this time while I was driving through an intersection. I was unable to steer and ran into a curb. My safety and safety of others was put at risk because I could have hit another driver or pedestrian The car has been inspected by a Triple A approved mechanic twice (once in 2021 and once now), and they have not found any problems with the car. The power steering and traction lights came on on my dashboard.

NHTSA ODI #11564285

Official recalls

4

17V437000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seat Belts:pretensioner

Jul 10, 2017

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:pretensioner

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Air Bags:frontal

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

16V651000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seat Belts:pretensioner

Sep 8, 2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:pretensioner

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Air Bags:frontal

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

15V162000 · Equipment:other:labels

Mar 20, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 26, 2014, to February 9, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured October 13, 2014, to February 3, 2015. The affected vehicles have tire placards that do not provide the rim size information for the front or rear wheels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the label is missing front and rear rim size information, the owner may replace the rims with ones that are an incorrect size, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and will send owners a corrected label, free of charge. The recall April 29, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15166.

15V146000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mar 13, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured November 27, 2014, to February 24, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured November 18, 2014, to February 17, 2015. The steering column assembly housing may contact the power steering printed circuit board causing the circuit board to wear.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The circuit board wear may cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15168.

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.