AutoUtility currently tracks 74 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Buick Encore. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 28 complaints (37.8% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 10 filings cite a crash, 5 report one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
28 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
15 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
12 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
7 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Not long after I purchased my car, i noticed it was lacking power during takeoff and when driving uphill which forced my car to hit very high RPMs during normal use. There was also a P0299 code that appeared then disappeared frequently. I discovered a turbo special coverage N232395330 and took it..."
"General Motors issued a Special Policy N202299080 covering 2014 Buick Encores. My 2018 Encore had the same issues and symptoms as this Policy. My concern is because of this known problem the crankcase can be pressurized causing oil leaks which could cause a fire. General Motors issued a Service..."
"Strong odor of gasoline, followed by a crack in the high pressure fuel line. Gasoline poured out under pressure from fuel line approximately 1 foot ahead of the right rear tire. Major amount of spillage - literally several gallons within a minute or so, that eventually faded as the system lost..."
"Request for Goodwill Assistance – Turbocharger Failure (Special Coverage XXX) Dear General Motors Customer Assistance, I am writing to request a one-time goodwill repair for my 2018 Buick Encore (VIN: [XXX]). Approximately two months after purchasing this vehicle, the check engine light illuminated..."
"I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a repeated dangerous defect in my 2018 Buick Encore. The vehicle intermittently locks up while driving without warning. When this happens: brakes become unresponsive or lock steering becomes difficult or locks gas pedal does not respond dashboard..."
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 Current Page | 74 | 10 | 0 | Current |
| 2019 Buick Encore | 84 | 9 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Buick Encore | 19 | 1 | 2 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 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 34 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 9 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 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 2018 Buick Encore
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2018 Buick Encore is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 28 records (37.8% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Brakes & Traction Control (15) and Air Bags & Restraints (12).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 74 consumer defect complaints and 0 safety recall campaigns for the 2018 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 2018 Buick Encore, 10 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 5 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.