2018 Buick Encore: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
74 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
74 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 9.25
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…
What the community is saying right now.
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EPA combined 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (29 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 85/100, computed from 74 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & 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: 2026-08-20.