2019 Buick Encore problems & reliability
83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Buick Encore, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (9 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2019 Buick Encore vehicles were involved in 61 fatal crashes with 34 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 31 | 37% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 12 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 10 | 12% |
| Power Train | 9 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 36,500 miles (middle 50% between 4,075 and 64,625 miles), based on 28 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Turbo boost failed. shows recalls for this issue on 2018 and 2019 Buick Encores, but GMC states mine is not covered.”
Engine · filed Jul 29, 2026
“92,000 miles my catalytic convertor went bad, had for 5 years. This resulted in lag when trying to accelerate and pull out in traffic. It cost $3,000 to fix as well as the turbocharger being broke. The blind spot detection to passenger side mirror stays on at all times and should only come on when there is an object…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jul 21, 2026
“On XXX, at approximately 1:00 p.m., my 2019 Buick Encore unexpectedly caught fire while I was operating it in [XXX]. Prior to the fire, I experienced abnormal symptoms, including the vehicle failing to restart, a hissing sound, smoke coming from the engine compartment, and then visible flames. The smoke changed from…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 16, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
666 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2019 Buick Encore. The 10 most recent:
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC'ss
PIT6425D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC's
PIT6425C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
PIT5214G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2025
This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC's
PIT6425B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 2025
This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC's
PIT6425A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 17, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2019 Buick Encore has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2019 Buick Encore?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 36,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.