NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 86 owner complaints for the 2019 Buick Encore.
2Safety recalls
86Owner complaints
9Complaints citing a crash
2Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain and air bags. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (16 complaints, 19%), then stalling or shutting off while driving (9). Most-reported area: engine (33 complaints, 38%). Excludes the Encore GX, which EPA lists alongside the Encore from 2020 to 2022.
2 safety recalls for the 2019 Buick Encore
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles.
The Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM) on these vehicle may not have been turned off of "manufacturing mode," preventing the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM module to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18365.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Spark, Traverse, and Trax vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ENCORE. Components: Air bags; Air bags: air bag/restraint control module. Buick campaign 18365.
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 86 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Encore. 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
Check engine light16 · 19%
Stalling or shutting off while driving9 · 10%
Overheating or coolant loss8 · 9%
Smoke or a burning smell7 · 8%
Loss of power or limp mode6 · 7%
Won't start4 · 5%
Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting4 · 5%
Airbags did not deploy in a crash4 · 5%
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
Engine33 · 38%
Fuel and propulsion system12 · 14%
Air bags11 · 13%
Electrical system10 · 12%
Powertrain10 · 12%
Brakes7 · 8%
Speed control7 · 8%
Unknown or other12 · 14%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Buick Encore recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2019 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 2019 Encore drew the most (23).
Owner complaints
2019: 86 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Buick Encore
Model year
Complaints
2016
79
2017
89
2018
74
2019
86
2020
19
2021
9
2022
8
Safety recalls
2019: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Buick Encore
Model year
Recalls
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Buick Encore SUV AWD
Rollover risk 17.9%
Buick Encore SUV FWD
Rollover risk 19.8%
Questions
What are the most common 2019 Encore problems?
In the 86 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Buick Encore, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (16), stalling or shutting off while driving (9), and overheating or coolant loss (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2019 Buick Encore safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2019 Buick Encore earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
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 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.
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.