AutoUtility currently tracks 50 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Buick Encore GX. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 14 complaints (28% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 2 filings cite a crash, 3 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 50 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (14 reports • 28% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Powertrain & Transmission (10), Brakes & Traction Control (8)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 2 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 0 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 3 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2021 Buick Encore GX
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Engine & Cooling
Powertrain & Transmission
Brakes & Traction Control
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #20V588000 SERVICE BRAKES
Fuel & Propulsion System
Electrical System
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2021 Buick Encore GX
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"While driving check engine suddenly illuminated following by a "warning reduced engine power" message. Car began driving sluggish and driving over 35mph caused serious trembling. After multiple diagnosis with several engine codes pointing to issues with ECM, and mass air flow sensor, and the wiring..."
"The contact owns a 2021 Buick Encore GX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and several unknown diagnostic trouble codes were..."
"Due to defective LIN BUS 2 failure to read mass air flow sensor, vehicle suddenly goes into limp mode. This speed control issue is documented in GM Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) #22-NA-008 and PIP5934, 2022."
"A 2021 Buick Encore GX with 66,828 miles experienced sudden transmission failure while driving. The vehicle lost forward gear engagement and began slipping, creating an immediate safety risk to the driver and other motorists due to unexpected loss of vehicle propulsion and control. The vehicle was..."
"The 1.3L turbo caused metal fragments to get into my engine which in return caused the transmission to fail. My 2021 Buick encore gx has been in the shop since early February 2026 at Garber Buick in Fort Pierce Florida. The first diagnosis was solenoids needed to be replaced, after the solenoids..."
Complaint History for Buick Encore GX
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2020–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Buick Encore GX | 66 | 5 | 2 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Buick Encore GX Current Page | 50 | 2 | 2 | Current |
| 2022 Buick Encore GX | 30 | 0 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Buick Encore GX | 24 | 0 | 0 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Buick Encore GX | 29 | 0 | 1 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Buick Encore GX | 15 | 0 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Buick Encore GX | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2021 Buick Encore GX
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 23 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.