2018 Buick Encore
The 2018 Buick Encore is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Encore, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 74 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encore | Gas | FWD | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 27 | 33 | 30 | $2,250 |
| Encore | Gas | FWD | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Encore AWD | Gas | AWD | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 31 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Encore AWD | Gas | AWD | 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 24 | 30 | 27 | $2,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38950, 39461, 38998, 38999.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encore | 3 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Transitional Bin 110 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
| Encore, Encore AWD | 3 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Transitional Bin 110 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV] |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 1.4 L |
| Engine configuration | In-Line |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | FWD/Front-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 6 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Essence, Preferred, Preferred II, Premium). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 168.1 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 69.7 in |
| Height | 65.0 in |
| Wheelbase | 100.8 in |
| Track, front | 60.6 in |
| Track, rear | 60.6 in |
| Curb weight | 3,236–3,358 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 60/40 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door SUV AWD, 4-door SUV FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2018 Buick Encore is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2018 Buick Encore. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Buick Encore, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2018 Buick Encore
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Encore →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database10 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 9 injuries · 0 deaths reported
8.9 per 10,000 built · Buick reported 83,443 Encore built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2018: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 9
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
Feel like the car is loosing drive/power and not accelerating. I was driving and the engine light started flashing. No power to go up the hill, it could have gone backwards. Car does not accelerate made a whirring noise when it was turned off. Dangerous situation. Service Bulletin #N212338400
The contact owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, she depressed the brake pedal but it failed to stop the vehicle, causing her to rear-end a truck. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries nor sought medical attention.
Turbo charger malfunction. Confirmed by dealership and had to be replaced. Stabilitrak malfunction. Car is stalling out at a red light or stop sign, and/or jerking hard. Stalled out in middle of an intersection with my children in the car. Ongoing problem
The contact's girlfriend owns a 2018 Buick Encore. The contact stated while his girlfriend was driving 35 mph, the vehicle inadvertently shifted to neutral and all the door latches unlocked independently. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The driver continued driving to her destination.
I have brought my new 2018 Buick Encore vehicle into delray Buick dealership, delray beach, fl for numerous servicing to address correcting/repair/replace the passenger side airbag switch and or any components in the system effecting the dash indicator light which shows 100% of the time that the passenger airbag is off when there is in…
Since I bought this car in 04/2018 I had many problems problems as the engine sensor had to be replaced, headlights going out when I was driving, they could not reproduce the problem at the dealership , now the back wheel driver module is bad,it will need to be replaced ,and finally I almost could not drive in the highway on 04/25/2020…
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Buick itself: 41 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 62 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 49 per 100,000 built. Every Encore model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 28 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 8,000 and 54,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 20% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Power Train, Unknown Or Other.
- PIT5698F Service bulletin2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- PIP4902W Service bulletin2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- PIT5099J Service bulletin2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- PIT3271Q Service bulletin2026-04-01 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
- PIP6104 Service bulletin2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
- PIP4902V Service bulletin2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- PIP4902U Service bulletin2026-01-08 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- PIT5214G Service bulletin2025-11-20 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions without utilizing the support of General Motors Technical Assistance Center. If valid vibration frequency or Road Force Variation data has been collected and a repair attempt does no
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0299 P0299 on Buick → | The turbocharger or supercharger is not making the boost the computer asked for. | Engine | 19 bulletins · 2 owner reports |
| P0234 P0234 on Buick → | The turbocharger or supercharger is making more boost than the computer asked for. | Engine | 16 bulletins |
| P0300 P0300 on Buick → | Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 11 bulletins |
| P050D P050D on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 11 bulletins |
| P1101 P1101 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 11 bulletins |
| B3055 B3055 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 10 bulletins |
| B3060 B3060 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 10 bulletins |
| B3935 B3935 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 10 bulletins |
| P0171 P0171 on Buick → | The engine is running lean on bank 1: too much air, or not enough fuel, for the mixture the computer wants. | Engine · Mass air flow sensor → | 5 bulletins · 2 owner reports |
| P0308 P0308 on Buick → | Cylinder 8 is misfiring. | Engine · Ignition coils → | 7 bulletins |
| C0131 C0131 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Service Brakes · Brake pads → | 3 bulletins |
| P0442 P0442 on Buick → | A small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Electrical System · Gas cap → | 3 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Buick Encore failed the emissions check on 6.3% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.5% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%).
failed emissions
2,292 initial inspections of 2,237 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2018 Encore | Every 2018 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 6.3% | 3.0% | 2,288 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 2.5% | 1.9% | 2,292 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.13% | 0.22% | 2,292 |
| Miles driven a year | 7,949 | 10,002 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 65,963 | 82,833 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Encore by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2018 Encore
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2018 Buick Encore have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2018 Buick Encore. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2018 Buick Encore?
NHTSA gave the 2018 Buick Encore 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (100/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Buick Encore?
Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Buick Encore, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2018 Buick Encore?
Transport Canada measured it at 168.1 in long, 69.7 in wide (body, without mirrors), 65.0 in tall, on a 100.8 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,236–3,358 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2018 Buick Encore?
Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Buick Encore, most often about engine, service brakes, unspecified. Of those, 10 involved a crash, 9 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2018 Buick Encore?
The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Buick Encore is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. The certificate names the standard as Federal Tier 3 Transitional Bin 110.
Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Buick Encore?
The manufacturer has filed 899 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Buick Encore, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2018 Buick Encore do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Buick Encore failed the emissions check on 6.3% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.5% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 4 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 4 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 74 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 899 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 12 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.