NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Buick Encore. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
DURING THE DAY, DASH LIGHTS ARE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. AT NIGHT THE DASH LIGHTS UP, BUT DURING DAY TIME DRIVING THEY ARE HORRIBLE. THIS COULD BE A REAL HAZARD WHEN HAVING TO LOOK DOWN & STUDY THE GAUGES & TAKE YOUR EYES FROM THE ROAD. WHY DOESN'T GM CORRECT THIS PROBLEM? THIS PROBLEM EXISTS WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STILL DURING DAY LIGHT HOURS.
HAD AN OIL CHANGE AT DEALER (TYPICAL 15,000 MILE CHECK). ON THE RETURN TRIP TO HOME, ENGINE STARTED TO MISS, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM BACK OF CAR LIKE OIL WAS BEING BURNED AND THE ENGINE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS STOPPED. CALLED DEALER WHO HAD CAR TOWED TO THEIR LOCATION. WHILE WAITING FOR TOW, I CHECKED OIL LEVEL (IT WAS OVER FILLED BY AT LEAST A QUART (MAYBE MORE), DIP STICK WAS NOT SEATED PROPERLY TO CHECK OIL LEVEL. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVE ARRIVED AND HOOKED THE CAR UP TO TOW, HE INDICATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE ENGINE TO THE FRAME WAS MISSING. HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD TELL THE DEALER (COLMAN BUICK) ABOUT THE PROBLEM. LATER ON THE SECOND DAY AT THE DEALER, THEY SAID THEY WERE WORKING ON THE CAR ALL DAY AND WERE IN PROCESS OF REPLACING ALL FUEL INJECTOR (DON'T KNOW HOW THEY COULD GO BAD IN 13K MILES) AND THE SMOKING OF THE CAR HAS BEEN REDUCED (SOMEHOW OIL IS GETTING PAST THE RINGS AND IS BEING BURNED.TWO DAYS AND STILL NO CAR.
MY 2015 BUICK ENCORE CAUGHT FIRE IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN MY WIFE RETURNED HOME FROM TOWN. IT WAS PARKED AND SHE HAD JUST EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WALKED TO THE BACK TO ATTEMPT TO GET GROCERIES OUT. SHE SMELLED SMOKE AND LOOKED THROUGH THE CAR TOWARD THE WINDSHIELD AND COULD SEE FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD.
THE SIDE OBJECT DETECTION IN THE SIDEVIEW MIRRORS CAN BECOME DISABLED, AND THE WARNING MESSAGE "SIDE OBJECT DETECTION SYSTEM DISABLED" ONLY APPEARS FOR A SHORT PERIOD IN THE DIC. HOWEVER, THE SIDE OBJECT DETECTION REMAINS DISABLED (WITHOUT THE MESSAGE) UNTIL THE NEXT KEY CYCLE. FOR SAFETY, I BELIEVE THAT THE MESSAGE SHOULD STAY ON THE ENTIRE TIME THAT THE SIDE OBJECT DETECTION IS DISABLED. WHEN A DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW THAT THE STSTEM IS DISABLED, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD OCCUR. GENERAL MOTORS HAS ISSUED DOCUMENT ID 4426193, #16-NA-069: SIDE DETECTION SYSTEM UNAVAILABLE OR INTERMITTENTLY SIDE BLIND ZONE STOPS WORKING (MAR 3, 2016) WHICH STATES "DO NOT REPLACE ANY PARTS FOR THIS CONDITION." THE ISSUE IS NOT FIXED AND I DO NOT KNOW IF OR WHEN THE SYSTEM IS WORKING. THE SIDE OBJECT DETECTION STOPS WORKING WHEN THERE ARE NO VEHICLES/STRUCTURES/OBJECTS FOR 15-25 MINUTES. A WARNING MESSAGE FLASHES BRIEFLY ON THE DIC, BUT DOES NOT STAY ON EVEN THOUGH THE SYSTEM REMAINS DISABLED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 BUICK ENCORE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TINT ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND TWO FRONT WINDOWS DID NOT PREVENT EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE SUNLIGHT BURNED THE CONTACT'S ARMS AND PRODUCED BLISTERS WHILE SHE WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 0.
REAR BRAKES MAKE A VERY LOUD NOISE WHEN APPLIED FIRST TIME IN AM. ALSO, AFTER STANDING LONG TIME DURING DAY. NOISE IS A LOUD SCRAPING OR RUBBING SOUND WITH VIBRATION. ON GOING SINCE 2016.
SQUEAKING AND SCRAPING AND REDUCED PERFORMANCE OF REAR BRAKES. DEALER TRIED A FIX WITH IDENTICAL PARTS TO THE ORIGINAL ONES BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. THEY TELL ME THAT GM HAS NOT FOUND A FIX BUT IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THEY HAVE TRIED THE SAME FIX ON THREE OTHER VEHICLES THAT GM PREVIOUSLY ATTEMPTED AS A FIX. GEE, IT'S ONLY BRAKES. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE ON OCTOBER 26, 2015. IT WENT IN FOR THE SERVICE OF REPLACING REAR ROTORS AND PADS ON DECEMBER 29, 2015 WITH 2,187 MILES. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO IMPROVEMENT AT ALL. THE SERVICE MGR. SAID THAT I WOULD BE NOTIFIED BY MAIL WHEN A FIX IS AVAILABLE WHEN I CALLED ON JANUARY 18, 2016.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 BUICK ENCORE. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE BRAKES VIBRATED SEVERELY AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10.
THE C0LLISION WARNING SYSTEM NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE OUTSIDE DETECTION SYSTEM SHUTS ITSELF OFF NOW AND THEN SOMETIMES GIVING A MESSAGE "OUTSIDE DETECTION SYSTEM NOT AVAILABLE." ALL THIS OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHICH FOR ME IS A SAFETY C0NCERN. IT HAS HAPPENED OFF AND ON SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE.
1. WHILE STOPPED ON AN INCLINE, EVEN A SMALL INCLINE, THE VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS 6-12" WHEN MOVING FOOT FROM BRAKE TO ACCELERATOR (THE VEHICLE HAS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). WE HAVE COME CLOSE TO HITTING TWO VEHICLES BEHIND US WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE SLID BACKWARDS. 2. BECAUSE OF DESIGN, THERE ARE COLUMNS REDUCING VISIBILITY THROUGH AN ALREADY SMALL REAR WINDOW. THE PROVIDED REAR VIEW CAMERA HAS ALMOST NO RESOLUTION AND UNDER MOST NORMAL LIGHTING CONDITIONS IS TOTALLY USELESS,. THE RESULT IS THERE IS NO WAY TO SEE WHAT IS BEHIND YOU WHEN BACKING UP OR BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. 3. WE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEN TO GM AND WERE TOLD THAT "ALL OTHER ENCORES WERE THE SAME THEREFORE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO."
DRIVING ALONG AT APPROX. 55 MPH ON A MAIN HIWAY SLOWED TO APPROX. 40 MPH TO MAKE A TURN, WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE STOPPED OPERATING. EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN, NO STEERING, NO BRAKES. ON STAR DID NOT RESPOND, CAR WAS DISABLED ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES, TRIED TO START SEVERAL TIME WITH THE KEY. SERIOUS ISSUE, HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER, FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND NO CODES WERE OBTAINED FROM THE COMPUTER SYSTEM!
DRIVING ABOUT 45-50 MPH AND THE CAR SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL POWER TURNED OFF, AND THE DASH BOARD SCREEN WAS BLACK. I THEN TURN THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND RESTARTED THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAIN DRIVING ROAD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 BUICK ENCORE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN INTENSE GLARE THAT IMPACTED VISIBILITY IN WHICH THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A PERMANENT REMEDY FOR THE CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED WHILE DRIVING DURING THE DAY TIME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24. UPDATED 02/05/16*LJ; VEHICLE PURCHASE DATE SHOULD BE BEFORE INCIDENT DATE UPDATED 05/10/18*JB *CN
WHEN WE PURCHASED THIS AUTO WE WERE TOLD THE BRAKES WOULD MAKE A NOISE BUT THAT IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. WE WERE NOT TOLD THAT THEY WOULD GRAB STRONGLY ENOUGH TO THROW THE DRIVER FORWARD AT THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH. THE PROBLEM INITIALLY OCCURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED BUT NOW HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY AND IS MUCH MORE SEVERE. IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN THERE IS MOISTURE IN THE AIR OR WHEN THE WEATHER IS COOLER. I FEEL THAT IT IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD.
WHILE BRAKING TO STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A BUSY 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT ROAD, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. I SHIFTED INTO PARK TO RESTART IT. ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS DEAD EXCEPT POWER SEATS AND DOOR LOCKS. ENGINE WOULD NOT START AND NO OTHER ELECTRICAL RELATED EQUIPMENT WORKED INCLUDING ENGINE, GEAR SHIFT, INSTRUMENT PANEL, RADIO, LIGHTS,TURN SIGNALS, AND EMERGENCY LIGHTS. TWO SAFETY ISSUES BECAUSE THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED: 1). COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK TO PUSH CAR OFF THE ROAD. NONE OF THE 4 LADIES IN THE CAR COULD GET IT OUT OF PARK. FORTUNATELY, WHEN MY HUSBAND ARRIVED HE COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF PARK EITHER. TWO MACHO POLICE OFFICERS GAVE IT A TRY, BUT FAILED ALSO. AFTER SOME EFFORT, THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL BY USING THE SHIFT LOCK MAUAL RELEASE. NONE OF US EVER HEARD OF IT 2). EMERGENCY FLASIHING LIGHTS DID NOT WORK GMC DEALER TOLD US A WELD ON THE BATTERY FAILED CAUSING BATTERY WIRE TO SHORT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOME POWER WORKED, BUT THERE SHOULD BE A BACKUP SOURCE FOR EMERGENCY FLASHING LIGHTS.
COMPLAINT REGISTERED YESTERDAY, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE PHOTOS WHICH I NOW WILL INCLUDE. 2015 BUICK ENCORE HAS A DIMMING ISSUE WITH THE SCREEN WHEN UNDER A CLOUD OR PERHAPS A TREE, WHILE MOVING OR STATIONARY. CANNOT SEE SCREEN FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. MUST TURN LIGHT SWITCH TO OFF IN ORDER TO HAVE SCREEN RETURN TO BRIGHTNESS. WHEN THIS HAS TO BE DONE, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS TURN OFF COMPLETELY AND CANNOT TURN ON AGAIN ONE STOPS AND RESTART THE VEHICLE.
INFOTAINMENT SCREEN DIMS AUTOMATICALLY WHILE UNDER A TREE OR DRIVING UNDER SOME CLOUDS CAUSING THE DRIVER TO MANUALLY TURN THE LIGHT DIAL TO THE LEFT TO REGAIN THE BRIGHTNESS ON THE SCREEN. THIS WILL AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF THE DAYLIGHT DRIVING LIGHTS. THIS OCCURS EITHER STATIONARY OR WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN FOR ANOTHER MODEL OF THE BUICK LINE BUT NOTHING FOR THE ENCORE. THE TECH PERSONNEL INDICATED THE SENSORS ARE TOO SENSITIVE AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
NEW BUICK 2015 ENCORE 1. APPYING BRAKES WHEN BACKING OUT OF GARAGE CREATES A SHRILL SQUEAL. 2. WHEN SLOWING FOR THE STOP SIGN AT THE END OF THE STREET, APPLYING BRAKES MAKES A MOANING SOUND AND SLIGHT VIBRATION. 3. WHEN I APPLY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AT ABOUT 5 MPH SUCH AS STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION, THE BRAKES 'GRAB' RATHER THAN SLOWING SMOOTHLY. ALL PROBLEMS HAPPEN IN THE MORNING AFTER THE CAR HAS SET OVERNIGHT, AND THEY USUALLY GO AWAY AFTER DRIVING ENOUGH TO USE THE BRAKES A NUMBER OF TIMES. LAST WEEK I DROVE IN A HARD RAIN FOR 20-30 MINUTES GETTING HOME. PARKED CAR OVERNIGHT. BRAKE WORKED WITHOUT THE ABOVE PROBLEMS FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS, THEN STARTED AGAIN. DEALER SAYS THEY (GM) ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM ON SOME 2015 ENCORES AND ARE "WORKING ON IT" BUT IT IS SAFE, AND MIGHT BE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE A FIX.
*MANY TIMES SITTING STILL OR GOING DOWN ROAD SCREEN GOES DIM AND SOMETIMES ALMOST BLACK (WHETHER HEADLIGHTS ARE ON OR NOT) *SCREEN HAS WENT COMPLETELY OFF * HEADLIGHTS COMES ON WHEN NOT NEEDED, AND DOESN'T ALWAYS COME ON WHEN NEEDED, GOING DOWN ROAD *ALERT LIGHTS IN MIRRORS DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK GOING DOWN ROAD *SITTING IN SCHOOL PARKING LOT WITH KEYS OFF THE RADIO COMES ON BY ITSELF *SITTING IN SONIC PARKING LOT AND WHEN I WENT TO START CAR I HAD NOTHING. I KEPT TRYING IT AND FINALLY IT STARTED *BLUETOOTH DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY, YOU CAN CALL OUT OR YOU CAN RECEIVE CALLS, YOU CAN HEAR THEM BUT THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU *PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT DOESN'T ALWAYS COME ON
ALMOST EVERY DAY THE 1 ST & 2 ND TIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE & IT FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES ARE GRABBING. ON MY CAR IT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE.MY CAR PARKS IN THE GARAGE. 1 ST TIME DEALER SAID THERE WAS A BIT OF RUST ON THE CALIPERS THEY CLEANED THEM UP..NEXT MORNING SAME THING..2 ND TIME BACK TO DEALER THEY SAID IT'S PROBABLY CONDENSATION & IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THAT WAY..MY RESPONSE WAS THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE & I WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MY CAR BACK TILL ITS FIXED.THEY LATER TOLD ME THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROB..GM IS MONITORING & WORKING ON THE FIX.