2013 Buick Encore problems
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Buick Encore. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 33% of complaints. Next are electrical system (11%) and drivetrain & axles (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 70 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 33% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 23,000 miles 55 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 24 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 10 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 10 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 55 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 22,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 47,000 miles (19 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2013 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the Buick Encore with enough data (58 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 6 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
In a line of traffic getting ready to make a left turn and without warning, the engine raced causing the car to accelerate and slam into the rear of another car causing over $5k worth of damage to the encore. The air bags did not go off. The impact was so intense that the rear glove box opened tossing the contents out into the trunk.
With vehicle in drive and the brake applied, the vehicle creeps forward and addition brake pressure need to be applied. This continues until the brake pedal is to the floor. The vehicle no longer crept forward when the pedal was to the floor.
The engine oil cooler is leaking. The front driver axle shaft seal is leaking. The car is running too lean the check engine light is on. I replaced the air filter and clean fuel injectors and the car is sputtering and the check engine light is still on. The car sputters when stationary as well as moving.