YearToAvoid

2021 Buick Encore GX Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 20 engine complaints for the 2021 Buick Encore GX, 38% of all 53 complaints filed for the year. Owners most often report turbo boost faults triggering reduced-power or limp mode, with a median failure mileage of 43,000. No related recall is listed for this engine issue.

Engine complaints
20
38% of 53
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
43,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Check engine light comes on with an 'Engine Power Reduced' message and the vehicle drops into limp mode, unable to go past low speeds.
  • Turbocharger failure is diagnosed after repeated under-boost codes, sometimes recurring after an earlier turbo replacement.
  • Engine stalls at low speed with RPM fluctuating between 0 and 3,000 before the check engine light illuminates, and the vehicle sometimes will not restart.
  • Vehicle hesitates or jerks under acceleration while the check engine light is on, with the speedometer reading inconsistent with actual speed.
  • Engine overheats intermittently, reportedly tied to a faulty coolant control valve, prompting a dashboard message to pull over and idle.

When 2021 Buick Encore GX engine complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 6, 2021, latest Jul 8, 2026.

2021 Buick Encore GX engine complaints: complaints filed per month2Oct 2021May 2024Aug 2024Oct 2024Aug 2025Dec 2025Apr 2026Jun 2026
20 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2021 to Jul 2026; peak Sep 2022 (2).

Engine recalls for the 2021 Buick Encore GX

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Encore GX model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 202016 (23%)
  2. 202120 (38%)
  3. 20227 (22%)
  4. 20237 (26%)
  5. 20243 (10%)
  6. 20252 (13%)

Frequently asked questions

Are 2021 Buick Encore GX engine problems common?
NHTSA lists 20 engine complaints for the 2021 model year, which is 38% of all 53 complaints filed for that year, the highest share among the years shown (2020-2025).
What is the main engine complaint on the 2021 Buick Encore GX?
Owners most often report turbocharger under-boost faults that trigger a check engine light, reduced power, and limp mode, along with some reports of stalling and coolant control valve overheating.
At what mileage do 2021 Encore GX engine problems usually occur?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this issue is 43,000 miles.
Is there a recall for the 2021 Buick Encore GX engine?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for this engine issue on the 2021 model year.
Were there any crashes, fires, or injuries linked to these engine complaints?
NHTSA data shows 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 0 injuries among the 20 engine complaints for the 2021 Encore GX.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.