YearToAvoid

2017 Buick Encore Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 10 Encore years

The 2017 Buick Encore ranks worst of 10 model years, with a complaint index of 100 and 89 NHTSA complaints, 42 tied to the engine including fire reports. Airbags and seat belts also failed to work in several crashes, making 2017 the year to avoid most.

Complaints
89
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
12 / 4
Injuries / deaths
28 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28
25.5 city / 32 hwy

Top 2017 Buick Encore problems

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

  1. Engine42 (47%)
  2. Airbags13 (15%)
  3. Other13 (15%)
  4. Brakes9 (10%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain9 (10%)
  6. Fuel System8 (9%)
  7. Seat Belts8 (9%)
  8. Visibility & Wipers8 (9%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (7%)
  10. Electrical System5 (6%)

What owners report

  • Owners report the engine catching fire under the hood, sometimes while parked or idling, with median engine-related failure mileage around 47,000 miles.
  • Several owners describe airbags failing to deploy in moderate-speed crashes, including rear-end and animal-strike collisions.
  • Seat belts reportedly failed to lock or restrain occupants during impacts, letting drivers or passengers strike the steering wheel or dashboard.
  • Some owners report the vehicle rolling backward on an incline while stopped with the foot on the brake, before switching to the gas pedal.
  • One owner reported the engine losing power and stalling on a city street, later found to have a hole in the engine block.
2017 Buick Encore complaints: complaints filed per quarter132017 Q32019 Q22020 Q22021 Q32022 Q42024 Q12025 Q12026 Q2
131 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2018 Q3 (13).

2017 Buick Encore recalls

2 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.

2017 Buick Encore fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25.5 MPG
Highway
32 MPG
Combined
28 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,300
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.

2017 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
2015Avoid78124427
2016Caution6779228
2017Avoid10089228
2018Caution5674028
2019Avoid8986227

All Buick Encore years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Buick Encore reliable?
NHTSA data ranks the 2017 Buick Encore worst among the 10 model years covered, with a complaint index of 100 and 89 complaints, 47% of them tied to the engine.
What is the biggest problem with the 2017 Buick Encore?
The top problem area is the engine, accounting for 42 of 89 complaints (47%), including multiple reports of engine fires, at a median mileage of 47,000 miles.
Does the 2017 Buick Encore have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2017 Encore, one covering seat belts (campaign 17V437000) and one covering airbags (campaign 16V651000), neither classified as do-not-drive.
How does the 2017 Encore compare to other years?
The 2017 model has the highest complaint index (100) of any Encore year in the data, worse than 2015 (78) and 2019 (89), while 2020-2022 models score far lower and are rated Best.
Did the 2017 Buick Encore have airbag problems?
Yes, airbags account for 13 of 89 complaints (15%), including reports of airbags failing to deploy in crashes at speeds up to 70 mph, with a median mileage of 38,000 miles.

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.