NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 52 owner complaints for the 2013 Buick Encore. It has 1 open investigation that names this model year.
Recalled components: electrical system, seat belts, seats, equipment, and 2 more. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (13 complaints, 25%), then stalling or shutting off (6). Most-reported area: engine (21 complaints, 40%; median mileage when it happened: 66,800).
6Safety recalls
52Owner complaints
4Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026
Excludes the Encore GX, which EPA lists alongside the Encore from 2020 to 2022.
6 safety recalls for the 2013 Buick Encore
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Electrical system
Jul 5, 2016
ignition
Fails federal standard 114 (theft and rollaway protection)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
In the affected vehicles, the driver and passenger lap belt pretensioner cables may not lock in a retracted position, allowing the seat belts to extend when pulled upon.
Risk: If the seat belts do not remain locked in the retracted position when under load, the seat occupant may not be adequately restrained in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front the driver's and the passenger's lap belt pretensioners, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. GM sent interim notifications on October 7, 2014 and will send a second notification when remedy parts are available. The recall began on November 20, 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14171.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to March 1, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to May 1, 2013.
Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.
Risk: A seat that does not stay secured increases the risk of occupant injury in a vehicle crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks.
In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.
Risk: Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. 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 14257.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater.
In the affected vehicles, an improper weld on the passenger side front air bag inflator may result in the air bag not deploying.
Risk: If the air bag does not to deploy in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the front passenger.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14211.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured April 10, 2013, to May 8, 2013, and Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured December 30, 2012, to March 1, 2013.
The steering wheel fastener may not have been properly installed. This could cause the steering wheel to come loose or separate from the steering column.
Risk: If the steering wheel separates from the steering column while driving, the ability to steer could be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and make any necessary repairs on the steering wheel. These services will be provided at no charge to the customer. The safety recall began on May 21, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300. This is General Motors campaign number 13098.
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured between December 9, 2012 and December 28, 2012, and equipped with a heated steering wheel.
NHTSA listing: ENCORE. Buick campaign 13098.
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.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2013 Buick Encore; it is still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Engineering analysis EA21002Open since Sep 17, 2021
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant - propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L.
NHTSA listing: ENCORE. Component: Air bags (frontal, driver side, inflator module, passenger side). This investigation names 352 models.
An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Encore. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 66,800 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Electrical system8 · 15%
Powertrain7 · 13%
Speed control6 · 12%
Air bags5 · 10%
Fuel and propulsion system4 · 8%
Brakes3 · 6%
Unknown or other2 · 4%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Buick Encore recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2013 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 2015 Encore drew the most (33) and the 2013 drew 25.
Owner complaints
2013: 52 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Buick Encore
Model year
Complaints
2013
52
2014
60
2015
124
2016
79
2017
89
2018
74
2019
86
2020
19
2021
9
2022
8
Safety recalls
2013: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Buick Encore
Model year
Recalls
2013
6
2014
4
2015
4
2016
2
2017
2
2018
0
2019
2
2020
2
2021
0
2022
0
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.
In the 52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Buick Encore, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (13), stalling or shutting off (6), and loss of power or limp mode (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2013 Buick Encore safe?
In NHTSA crash tests the 2013 Buick Encore earns 4 to 5 stars overall, depending on the version. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2013 Buick Encore?
Yes. NHTSA has 1 open investigation that names the 2013 Buick Encore: desiccated air bag inflator rupture (EA21002, opened Sep 17, 2021). An investigation is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
How do I check if my Encore 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 Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ENCORE.
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.