YearToAvoid

2014 Buick Encore Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

44/100

#6 most-complained of 10 Encore years

The 2014 Buick Encore has a Complaint Index of 44, ranking 6th among 10 model years, with a "Good" verdict. NHTSA lists 60 complaints, 4 recalls, and 3 crashes with 3 injuries, mostly tied to the Engine at 45% of complaints.

Complaints
60
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
3 / 0
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
26.5
24 city / 31 hwy

Top 2014 Buick Encore problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine27 (45%)
  2. Electrical System13 (22%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain9 (15%)
  4. Fuel System8 (13%)
  5. Other7 (12%)
  6. Airbags5 (8%)
  7. Brakes5 (8%)
  8. Lane Departure3 (5%)
  9. Seat Belts3 (5%)
  10. Steering2 (3%)

What owners report

  • Frontal airbags and seat belt pretensioners failed to deploy or restrain occupants during moderate-speed crashes, sometimes tied to a prior safety recall.
  • Ignition keys sometimes failed to turn at very low mileage, leaving the vehicle unable to start.
  • Instrument panel lighting was reported as too dim to read in daylight, especially while wearing sunglasses.
  • Front brakes produced whistling, whirring, or grinding noises at slow speeds shortly after purchase.
  • The rear view camera display stayed dark or delayed for up to fifteen minutes in bright light, obscuring the view while backing up.
  • The engine hesitated at various speeds without stalling, a problem that recurred despite two dealer visits.
2014 Buick Encore complaints: complaints filed per month5May 2014Oct 2015May 2017Jan 2019Jan 2020Mar 2021Mar 2023Jun 2024
86 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2014 to Oct 2025; peak Sep 2020 (5).

2014 Buick Encore recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 17V437000Jul 10, 2017Seat Belts40,683 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    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 Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

    Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

  2. NHTSA 16V651000Sep 8, 2016Airbags3,640,162 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    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 Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

    Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

  3. NHTSA 14V446000Jul 23, 2014Structure & Body124,007 vehicles

    Seats

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.

    Risk: A seat that does not stay secured increases the risk of occupant injury in a vehicle crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.

See all 4 recalls for the 2014 Buick Encore →

2014 Buick Encore fuel economy and fuel cost

City
24 MPG
Highway
31 MPG
Combined
26.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,450
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2014 compared with other Encore years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2013Good3352626.5
2014Good4460426.5
2015Avoid78124427
2016Caution6779228

All Buick Encore years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Buick Encore reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2014 Encore ranks 6th out of 10 model years with a Complaint Index of 44 and a "Good" verdict relative to other Encore years.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 Buick Encore?
NHTSA data shows the Engine accounts for 45% of complaints, followed by Electrical System at 22% and Transmission & Powertrain at 15%.
Does the 2014 Buick Encore have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2014 Encore, covering Seat Belts, Airbags, Structure & Body, and an engine oil pan/block heater cord issue. None are do-not-drive recalls.
Which Buick Encore model years should I avoid?
Among Encore years, 2015, 2017, and 2019 carry "Avoid" verdicts with Complaint Index values of 78, 100, and 89, all higher than the 2014 model's 44.
How many complaints does the 2014 Buick Encore have?
NHTSA lists 60 complaints for the 2014 Buick Encore, along with 3 crashes and 3 injuries, but 0 fires.

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.