Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vs Buick Encore: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is ahead of the Buick Encore on the federal record, 84/100 against 79/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
- 13 model years scored
- 746 owner complaints on record
- about 6 complaints per year on the road
- 33 recall campaigns, 20 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (94/100) · worst 2012 (59/100)
Buick Encore
- 10 model years scored
- 598 owner complaints on record
- about 7 complaints per year on the road
- 22 recall campaigns, 16 safety-critical
- best year 2021 (94/100) · worst 2015 (61/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Sonata Hybrid against Encore
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
- Engine — 324 complaints
- Electrical System — 194 complaints
- Service Brakes — 101 complaints
Buick Encore
- Engine — 221 complaints
- Electrical System — 84 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 69 complaints
Both nameplates have Engine as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018….
Buick Encore: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020….
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Hyundai Sonata Hybrid prices at about $28,100 and a Buick Encore at about $23,600 — the Buick Encore is roughly $4,500 less, and they return 47.0 against 26.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid or the Buick Encore more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid scores 84/100 against the Buick Encore's 79/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Buick Encore years should I avoid?
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: no year scores below 45. Buick Encore: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and the Buick Encore?
The largest complaint group on the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is Engine (324 complaints); on the Buick Encore it is Engine (221).
Is the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid or the Buick Encore cheaper to own?
A recent used Hyundai Sonata Hybrid prices at about $28,100 and a Buick Encore at about $23,600, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.