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2013 Buick Encore: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
62%
28 of 45 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

62% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Buick Encore are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 83% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 7 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 54%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
28
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
52
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
4 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE21 · 40%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM8 · 15%
POWER TRAIN7 · 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6 · 12%
AIR BAGS5 · 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4 · 8%

The years either side

2010
no data
2011
no data
2012
no data
2013
62%
28 of 52
2014
60%
32 of 60
2015
41%
42 of 124
2016
74%
51 of 79
2017
64%
46 of 89
2018
68%
42 of 74
2019
64%
47 of 84
2020
48%
39 of 87
2021
62%
36 of 61
2022
66%
25 of 40
2023
48%
10 of 25

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS10/09/2014CRASH1 INJURED
IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC GETTING READY TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE RACED CAUSING THE CAR TO ACCELERATE AND SLAM INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER CAR CAUSING OVER $5K WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE ENCORE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. THE IMPACT WAS SO INTENSE THAT THE REAR GLOVE BOX OPENED TOSSING THE CONTENTS OUT …
ENGINE12/21/2023
My car had problems with overheating. I check my oil and coolant levels. My car show check engine light so I took it to mechanics to get check. The invoice states possible blown head gaskets. I research online similar complaints with other Buick Encore 2013. I just this car March 2023 has about 89000. I am making pa…
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM07/17/2023
The check engine light came and took the car to O'Reillys and was informed it had low turbo boost code took car to the dealership and they indeed confirmed that was the issue and that it would be over $3000.00 to fix!!! I bought this car 4 months ago and this seems to be an issue with a few other owners as well Buick n…

Three of 28 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
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 b…
AIR BAGS
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 …
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
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 vehicle…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2013 Buick Encore

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.