NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 69 owner complaints for the 2020 Buick Encore GX.
2Safety recalls
69Owner complaints
5Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: equipment and brakes. Most-described problem: shifter errors or getting stuck in gear (20 complaints, 29%). Most-reported area: brakes (21 complaints, 30%). Excludes the Encore, which has its own pages.
2 safety recalls for the 2020 Buick Encore GX
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Equipment
Jun 10, 2021
mechanical · accessory scissor/screw/bottle jack/lift · stand
The emergency jack, if not positioned as directed in the vehicle owner's manual, can fracture while in use.
Risk: A fractured jack can cause the vehicle to collapse, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the jack, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owner of the safety risk are expected to be mailed July 26, 2021. A second notice will be mailed once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A212335470.
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Buick Encore GX and 2021-2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ENCORE GX. Buick campaign A212335470.
Sensor connection contamination in the electronic brake boost system may cause an interruption of communication between the sensor and the brake boost system.
Risk: If communication with the sensor is interrupted, the electronic brake boost assist could be lost. Extra pedal force will be required to slow and stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electronic brake boost module, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202307260.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CT4, CT5 and XT4, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, and 2020-2021 Buick Encore GX vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ENCORE GX. Buick campaign A202307260.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Encore GX. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Shifter errors or stuck in gear20 · 29%
Check engine light11 · 16%
Loss of power or limp mode7 · 10%
Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal4 · 6%
Stalling or shutting off while driving3 · 4%
Hesitation or slow acceleration3 · 4%
Transmission failure or replacement3 · 4%
Infotainment or touchscreen failures3 · 4%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Brakes21 · 30%
Powertrain18 · 26%
Electrical system15 · 22%
Engine13 · 19%
Speed control5 · 7%
Steering4 · 6%
Air bags3 · 4%
Unknown or other19 · 28%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Buick Encore GX recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Encore GX drew the most (26).
Owner complaints
2020: 69 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Buick Encore GX
Model year
Complaints
2020
69
2021
53
2022
32
2023
27
2024
31
2025
15
2026
4
Safety recalls
2020: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Buick Encore GX
Model year
Recalls
2020
2
2021
2
2022
1
2023
0
2024
2
2025
1
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Buick Encore GX SUV AWD
Rollover risk 17.9%
Buick Encore GX SUV FWD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2020 Encore GX problems?
In the 69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Buick Encore GX, the problems described most are shifter errors or getting stuck in gear (20), the check engine light coming on (11), and loss of power or limp mode (7). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2020 Buick Encore GX safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Buick Encore GX earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Encore GX has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Buick dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ENCORE GX.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.