The Lane Check

CarsBuick › Encore › 2017

2017 Buick Encore: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
64%
46 of 72 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

64% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 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 85% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 17 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 52%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
Share this car

Looking at a specific Encore?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.

Check a VIN
Drivetrain complaints
46
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
89
this model year
Fires reported
4
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
12 crashes · 28 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE35 · 39%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER13 · 15%
AIR BAGS13 · 15%
POWER TRAIN9 · 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM8 · 9%
VISIBILITY/WIPER8 · 9%

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.

Cleaner alternatives

Other subcompact SUVs with no elevated signal

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE03/06/2018CRASH1 INJURED
CAR WAS PARKED ON LEVEL GROUND OUTSIDE HOME. ATV ACCIDENTALLY RAN INTO REAR BUMPER OF CAR (HAD MOVED APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET). CAR ROLLED AWAY AND ENDED UP ROLLING DOWN A SMALL HILL, JUMPING A DITCH AND RESTING ON ANOTHER HILL. CAR MOVED APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET PRIOR TO COMING TO A STOP. WHEELS WERE NOTED TO BE TURNING AN…
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM07/22/2026
The factory-installed turbocharger assembly on my 2017 Buick Encore failed mechanically while operating the vehicle, creating an immediate and severe roadway safety hazard.The structural failure of the turbocharger causes the vehicle to experience a sudden, unpredictable, and extreme loss of engine propulsion while act…
ENGINE06/11/2026
There is a problem with the 2017 Buick Encore turbocharger. From speaking with the auto shop I took it to for a check they have seen many Buick Encore’s with the same turbocharger problems. He spoke to me about it prior to me dropping off the vehicle and then confirming the issue after inspecting the vehicle. The turbo…

Three of 46 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 (2)

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Y…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet…

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

Before you buy a 2017 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.

Check a VIN

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.