2023 Buick Encore
The 2023 Buick Encore is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Encore GX FWD, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 28 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred | Gas | FWD | — | 137 hp | 162 lb-ft | 23.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Preferred | Gas | AWD | — | 155 hp | 174 lb-ft | 23.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Select | Gas | FWD | — | — | — | 23.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Select | Gas | AWD | — | 155 hp | 174 lb-ft | 23.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Essence | Gas | FWD | — | — | — | 23.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Essence | Gas | AWD | — | 155 hp | 174 lb-ft | 23.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encore GX FWD | Gas | FWD | 1.2L 3-cyl turbo | 29 | 31 | 30 | $2,250 |
| Encore GX FWD | Gas | FWD | 1.3L 3-cyl turbo | 29 | 32 | 30 | $2,250 |
| Encore GX AWD | Gas | AWD | 1.3L 3-cyl turbo | 26 | 29 | 27 | $2,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45305, 45306, 45310.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encore GX FWD | 7 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| Encore GX AWD | 7 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | 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.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2023 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 2023 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 2023 Buick Encore, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2023 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 database0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported
5.1 per 10,000 built · Buick reported 54,496 Encore built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2022: 1 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 12
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.
Engine light. Codes, P146B, P0114, C2B00 @ 64000 miles and the emission purge pump has failed, ECU, purge solenoid. I see an extended warranty has gone out for the same year Envision. As this is the same P/N for this brand and same problems, (I.E. 2020-2022 Encore extended warranty) will this be covered anytime in the future?
Stabiltrack software jerking my car in a left curve. Took to dealership who seem to find nothing wrong. Reached out to GM with no response or action. Feels extremely dangerous in a left curve unless traction control and Stabilitrack is turned off
Engine power reduced all of a sudden on a highway. Turbo went out at less than 45k miles. Turbo was replaced by GM and was told this will occur every 2 years by the dealership. Very unsafe especially driving at highway speeds
I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2023 Buick Encore GX that repeatedly shuts off while driving and doesn’t restart when auto stop is on, it leaves me stranded in traffic. The vehicle has been in the shop multiple times since February 13, and the issue has not been resolved.
When starting from a traffic light after the green light, the car made mechanical noises and would not accelerate above approximately 25 mph. It seemed obvious at the time that the transmission had failed, which was later confirmed after being towed to the dealership.
I bought my car, new, on 10/1/ 2023. The middle of November i noticed the headlights randomly dimming. On 12/3/23 I to the dealership to have them looked at. I was told there was nothing wrong but make an appt. they had my car 3 times in less than 2 months. I repeatedly told them my headlights were dimming and or going off.
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: 10 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 10 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 18 per 100,000 built. Every Encore model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
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: Unknown Or Other, Electrical System, Engine, Equipment, Power Train.
- PIC6626B Service bulletin2026-10-16 · Unknown Or Other
- PI created to guide technicians through radio restriction process
- PIT6110L Service bulletin2026-10-07 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates an issue with the SES MIL and DTC P062B and engineering is currently investigating.
- PIT6457C Service bulletin2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information is for technicians that may see DTCs that are history and should not perform any part replacements. They should follow the notes mentioned prior to anything being replaced.
- PIC6540K Service bulletin2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio.
- 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.
- PIT5995B Service bulletin2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary Information provides the dealer information of the location of the rear seat child anchors.
- PIT6196A Service bulletin2026-08-28 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary Information provides a diagnostic tip for diagnosing an issue with Cruise Control, Adaptive Cruise and Lane Keep Assist Turns Off or Inoperative.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| P219A P219A on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 9 bulletins |
| P023F P023F on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 7 bulletins |
| P129F P129F on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 7 bulletins |
| B000A B000A on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 5 bulletins |
| P0299 P0299 on Buick → | The turbocharger or supercharger is not making the boost the computer asked for. | Engine | 5 bulletins |
| P0234 P0234 on Buick → | The turbocharger or supercharger is making more boost than the computer asked for. | Engine | 4 bulletins |
| P0496 P0496 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 3 bulletins |
| P0521 P0521 on Buick → | The oil pressure sensor reading does not track what the engine is doing. | Engine | 2 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| B101D B101D on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 2 bulletins |
| B101E | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 2 bulletins |
| B3055 B3055 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 2 bulletins |
| B3060 B3060 on Buick → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 2 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 2023 Buick Encore failed the emissions check on 1.8% of first inspections — close to the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.64% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%).
failed emissions
1,724 initial inspections of 1,693 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2023 Encore | Every 2023 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1,720 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.64% | 1.1% | 1,724 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.12% | 0.16% | 1,724 |
| Miles driven a year | 7,913 | 10,038 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 26,106 | 32,673 | 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 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 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 2023 Encore
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2023 Buick Encore have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2023 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 2023 Buick Encore?
NHTSA gave the 2023 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 2023 Buick Encore?
Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 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 do owners complain about on the 2023 Buick Encore?
Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Buick Encore, most often about engine, unspecified, service brakes. Of those, 3 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 2023 Buick Encore?
The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Buick Encore is 7 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. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Buick Encore?
The manufacturer has filed 780 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Buick Encore, most often covering unknown or other, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-10-16. 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 2023 Buick Encore do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Buick Encore failed the emissions check on 1.8% of first inspections — close to the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.64% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). 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 | 3 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 3 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 | 28 | 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 | 780 | 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 | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 6 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
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. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.