2016 Buick Encore: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
78
Complaints
2
Recalls
6
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
14
Injuries
182.1
Severity index
Severity index 182.1 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Buick Encore ranks 5 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 96% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 40 | 51.3% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 13 | 16.7% |
| POWER TRAIN | 11 | 14.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 9 | 11.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 8 | 10.3% |
| AIR BAGS | 7 | 9.0% |
| STEERING | 5 | 6.4% |
| SEAT BELTS | 4 | 5.1% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 40 of 78 complaints (51.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 5 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V651000 | 08/09/2016 | 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 |
| 17V437000 | 10/07/2017 | 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, Chevrole |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.