2015 Buick Encore: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
124 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 124 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 11.27
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Weber road auto service replaced the engine using county PRC and out-of-pocket funds, and the newly installed used engine has an active engine oil cooler leak, creating an immediate vehicle fire and sudden engine stalling hazard. Also there’s a leak at the ac compressor, condenser and coupler valves. This was discovered by Buckeye Auto Service. No repairs have been made as first shop keeps brushing me off.
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The contact became aware of oil underneath the vehicle on the driveway, resulting in a complete loss of power. The vehicle leaked oil and lost the vehicle lost power twice. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and determined that the ma…
Leaking oil from oil coolant pipe under car and timing chain or belt gasket blowing oil.i have seen on Google in 2016 a stop update on 2015 had issue with the s02ame problem.
Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V651000 | Air Bags:Frontal | 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… |
| 17V437000 | Air Bags:Frontal | 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… |
| 15V146000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured November 27, 2014, to February 24, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured November 18, 2014, to February 17, 2015. The steering column assembly housing may contact the power steering printed circuit board causing the circuit board to wear. |
| 15V162000 | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,250
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System30 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine29 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Steering27 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Service Brakes21 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Air Bags16 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other15 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Buick Encore years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Buick Encore?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (30 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2015 Buick Encore a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 61/100, computed from 124 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2015 Buick Encore's most common problem?
30 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2015 Buick Encore sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2015 Buick Encore cost to run per year?
About $4,674 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,370 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2015 Buick Encore have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2015 Buick Encore, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/09/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2015 Buick Encore really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 124 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 124 NHTSA complaints on record (11.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (6.5/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems