2018 Buick Encore: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
74 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 74 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 9.25
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
General Motors issued a Special Policy N202299080 covering 2014 Buick Encores. My 2018 Encore had the same issues and symptoms as this Policy. My concern is because of this known problem the crankcase can be pressurized causing oil leaks which could cause a fire. General Motors issued a Service Information Bulletin 19-NA-114 in May 2019 about involving 2013 to 2019 Buick Encores. This is a known issue for many models…
Strong odor of gasoline, followed by a crack in the high pressure fuel line. Gasoline poured out under pressure from fuel line approximately 1 foot ahead of the right rear tire. Major amount of spillage - literally several gallons within a minute or so, that eventually faded as the system lost pressure. Could have been a significant safety issue and catastrophic loss if there had been an ignition source nearby. O…
The contact owned a 2018 Buick Encore. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service AWD" warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The warning light remained illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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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 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,100
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.
- Engine29 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes11 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train10 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Air Bags10 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other10 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System9 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
Other Buick Encore years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Buick Encore?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (29 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Buick Encore a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 74 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Buick Encore's most common problem?
29 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Buick Encore sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 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 2018 Buick Encore cost to run per year?
About $4,065 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $20,328 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.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2018 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 — 74 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 74 NHTSA complaints on record (9.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (6.5/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems