2019 Buick Encore: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
84 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 84 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 12.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Loss of acceleration due to cracked turbo boost. I guess you need a special 2019 vin # to be included in a recall. Recall for 2017 2018 and a select few 2019 very disappointed with this big repair job that is a known problem. I'm done with Buick.
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 detected in the right side blind area. I'm [XXX] old and have never ever has a catalytic convertor g…
Front radiator collant overflow expanion tank w/cap & sensor fluid level gets extremely low and sets off a dashboard message stating engine overheating - once i fill up the collant the light goes off this continually occurs every few weeks/months what is causing this to occured? i had it serviced and a leak has not been detected 2019 buick encore awd
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V774000 | Air Bags | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Spark, Traverse, and Trax vehicles. The Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM) on these vehicle may not have been turned off of "manufacturing mode," preventing the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash. |
| 20V668000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts. |
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.
- Engine32 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Fuel/Propulsion System12 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other12 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Air Bags11 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Electrical System10 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train9 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Buick Encore years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Buick Encore?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (32 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Buick Encore a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 66/100, computed from 84 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Buick Encore's most common problem?
32 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 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 2019 Buick Encore cost to run per year?
About $4,128 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $20,640 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 2019 Buick Encore have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Buick Encore, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/11/2018. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2019 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 — 84 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 84 NHTSA complaints on record (12.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (6.5/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems