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.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
14 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
7 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
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..."
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 → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 23 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | 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 |
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 GX
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2021 Buick Encore GX is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 14 records (28% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Powertrain & Transmission (10) and Brakes & Traction Control (8).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 50 consumer defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Buick Encore GX.
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 GX, 2 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 3 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.