AutoUtility currently tracks 19 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2020 Buick Encore. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 5 complaints (26.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 filing cites a crash, 1 reports one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
4 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
4 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
4 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The contact owns a 2020 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal and accelerator pedal became extremely hot to the touch. The contact became aware that the silver heat shield was missing. Additionally, the contact stated that there was electrical..."
"I took my 2020 Buick Encore to an independent auto repair shop to have a brake inspection after I had contacted GM multiple times about the loss of acceleration, check engine light and stabilitrak light would come on with brake pedal stiffness and then almost needing to push it to the floor to..."
"Defective "TURBO CHARGER" at 38,091 miles. The defective worn-out or damaged turbocharger was removed from the engine and a new one was installed at a cost of $1816.00. This part should not wear out at 38,000 miles. My mechanic informed me that this is common in the Buick Encore vehicles to..."
"I've been dealing with a frustrating car issue lately where my vehicle keeps stalling and hesitating during acceleration - whether I'm pulling away from a stop or trying to pick up speed on the road. After getting it checked out, my mechanic determined that the high pressure fuel pump control..."
"I am co-owner of the vehicle. My daughter was driving the SUV when the Check engine light came on. There was no warning whatsoever, and the turbocharger has gone bad . Prior to the light eliminating there was nothing wrong with the suv. I was driving the suv when the check engine light came on. I..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Buick Encore | 124 | 6 | 4 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Buick Encore | 79 | 6 | 2 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Buick Encore | 89 | 12 | 2 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Buick Encore | 74 | 10 | 0 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Buick Encore | 84 | 9 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Buick Encore Current Page | 19 | 1 | 2 | Current |
| 2021 Buick Encore | 9 | 0 | 0 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Buick Encore | 8 | 1 | 0 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Buick Encore | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Buick Encore | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Buick Encore | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Buick Encore | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 17 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2020 Buick Encore
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2020 Buick Encore is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 5 records (26.3% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Fuel & Propulsion System (4) and Powertrain & Transmission (4).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 19 consumer defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns for the 2020 Buick Encore.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Buick Encore, 1 filing cites a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 1 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.