2015 Buick Encore Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
78/100
#3 most-complained of 10 Encore years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2015 Buick Encore has a complaint index of 78 and ranks 3rd worst out of 10 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. It has 124 complaints, 4 recalls, and its top problem area is the Engine at 28% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 124
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 6 / 2
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 27
- 24 city / 31.5 hwy
Top 2015 Buick Encore problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine35 (28%)
- Electrical System34 (27%)
- Steering27 (22%)
- Brakes25 (20%)
- Airbags16 (13%)
- Other15 (12%)
- Transmission & Powertrain11 (9%)
- Fuel System7 (6%)
- Structure & Body6 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (4%)
What owners report
- Some drivers report sudden loss of engine power and complete electrical shutdown while driving around 45-50 mph, with the dashboard, radio, and gauges going dark.
- Owners describe the ABS or brakes failing to slow the car properly, in one case leading to a rear-end crash at around 30 mph on a wet road.
- Several owners report grinding, squealing, or grabbing brakes shortly after purchase, sometimes tied to early low-mileage complaints.
- One owner reported the vehicle lunging backward at high speed with the brake pedal depressed after sitting overnight in a cold garage.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in frontal or side-impact crashes at highway speeds, despite prior recall repairs in some cases.
- A steering-related complaint described the power steering assist warning light illuminating with the wheel locked, accompanied by a burning smell.
2015 Buick Encore recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
- NHTSA 15V162000Mar 20, 2015Other19,831 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 26, 2014, to February 9, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured October 13, 2014, to February 3, 2015. The affected vehicles have tire placards that do not provide the rim size information for the front or rear wheels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."
Risk: If the label is missing front and rear rim size information, the owner may replace the rims with ones that are an incorrect size, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and will send owners a corrected label, free of charge. The recall April 29, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15166.
2015 Buick Encore fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 24 MPG
- Highway
- 31.5 MPG
- Combined
- 27 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,400
- 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.
2015 compared with other Encore years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2015 Buick Encore reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2015 Encore a complaint index of 78, the 3rd worst of 10 model years tracked, with 124 complaints and 4 recalls, so it carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Encore years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2015 Buick Encore?
- Engine issues are the top complaint category, making up 28% of complaints (35 of 124), with a median failure mileage of 33,200 for the vehicle overall.
- Does the 2015 Buick Encore have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2015 Encore, covering seat belts, airbags, a labeling issue, and a steering column inspection/replacement, none marked do-not-drive.
- How does the 2015 Encore compare to other years?
- The 2015 model (complaint index 78) ranks worse than 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022, but better than 2017 (100) and 2019 (89), both also rated Avoid.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2015 Buick Encore?
- EPA rates the 2015 Encore at 27 mpg combined (24 city / 31.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,400.