NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 19 owner complaints for the 2020 Buick Encore.
2Safety recalls
19Owner complaints
1Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain and seats. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (5 complaints, 26%). Most-reported area: engine (7 complaints, 37%). Excludes the Encore GX, which EPA lists alongside the Encore from 2020 to 2022.
2 safety recalls for the 2020 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 rear attachment bolts of one or both front seats may not have been installed.
Risk: If an occupied front seat is missing the rear attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing risk of injury to the occupant.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202304380.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Encore GX and 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles.
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 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 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 light5 · 26%
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
Engine7 · 37%
Electrical system4 · 21%
Fuel and propulsion system4 · 21%
Powertrain4 · 21%
Brakes3 · 16%
Speed control3 · 16%
Air bags1 · 5%
Unknown or other3 · 16%
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 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 2019 Encore drew the most (23) and the 2020 drew 5.
Owner complaints
2020: 19 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
2020: 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 2020 Encore problems?
In the 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Buick Encore, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2020 Buick Encore safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 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.