AutoUtility currently tracks 9 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Buick Encore. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 3 complaints (33.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 reports one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
3 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
3 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
2 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
1 owner complaint submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Intermittent Service Brake Assist Light with very hard brake pedal and almost no breaks backing up. Have had it to several shops who said it was a turbo booster issue so scheduled service with Patriot GMC Boyertown Pa. Also intermittently has little to no power causing driving hazard suddenly..."
"I have continuously had my check engine light pop on. I have took it in twice for them fix the issue which is the purge sensor. It did not fix the issue because the light just pops back on. This has caused issues with me passing emissions and has been an headache shortly street I obtained the..."
"The contact owns a 2021 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed. The contact had to slam on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the Hill Assist message was displayed. The brake pedal was pumped..."
"Took to the dealership. They stated my flex pipe had melted and the o2 sensors are stuck in the pipe need replacement as well. They have to replace flex pipe and everything leading to the 2nd o2 sensor. They stated there was no damage or tampering to the flex pipe. This should not have happened in..."
"Turbo Charger failed while passing a semi-trailer truck causing a severe lack of power and almost causing a head on collision with on-coming traffic. I had 3 passengers at the time. The problem has been confirmed by a independent service center and I am getting a second opinion from a dealer on..."
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 | 19 | 1 | 2 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Buick Encore Current Page | 9 | 0 | 0 | Current |
| 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 6 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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 2021 Buick Encore
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2021 Buick Encore is Powertrain & Transmission, appearing in 3 records (33.3% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (3) and Brakes & Traction Control (2).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 9 consumer defect complaints and 0 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 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 2021 Buick Encore, 0 filings cite 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.