VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE

Buick Encore GX2020–2026

Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.

🚙 SUV
Buick Encore GX
2020–2026
A+
Defect Risk
Recall intensity
0.4/yr · seg. median 1.9
Safety
Low
5 inj.
✓No open federal investigations
3
Recalls
159
Complaints
2022
Best Yr
5
Injuries
Top issue: POWER TRAINAvoid 2020
7
Years Analyzed
3
Total Recalls
159
Total Complaints
5
Reported Injuries
0
Reported Deaths

Best Years to Buy a Buick Encore GX

Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.

#1 PICK4yr old
2022
Strong Buy · 98/100
Reliability100/100
Value window95/100
Recalls0
Complaints20
Top issue: POWER TRAIN
#2 PICK3yr old
2023
Strong Buy · 96/100
Reliability100/100
Value window88/100
Recalls0
Complaints21
Top issue: ENGINE
#3 PICK1yr old
2025
Strong Buy · 88/100
Reliability100/100
Value window65/100
Recalls1
Complaints8
Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Buick Encore GX Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2020

0 recalls · 61 complaints

3 reported injuries

Top issue: UNKNOWN OR OTHER

#2 WORST
2021

0 recalls · 24 complaints

2 reported injuries

Top issue: ENGINE

#3 WORST
2024

1 recall · 20 complaints

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Buick Encore GX — Year-by-Year Comparison

Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsReliabilityValueBuyer ScoreVerdict
202615——
100
50
83
Good
202518——
100
65
88
Good
2024120——
98
78
91
Good
2023021——
100
88
96
Good
2022020——
100
95
98
Good
20210242—
94
98
95
Caution
20200613—
84
97
89
Avoid

Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.

Known Buick Encore GX Problems

Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.

POWER TRAIN
26
ENGINE
24
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
23
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
22
SERVICE BRAKES
12
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
6
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
6
STEERING
5

Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.

Shopping by Era

How each generation of the Encore GX compares — best year within each era shown.

2018–Present

Modern safety tech, refreshed platforms, updated powertrains. Higher purchase price but lower reliability risk. Best pick in this era: 2022 (Buyer Score 98).

Best: 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best year Encore GX to buy?+

The 2022 Buick Encore GX scores highest on our Buyer Score (98/100) — combining a reliability score of 100/100 with a value score of 95/100. It has 0 recalls and 20 NHTSA complaints on record.

Which Encore GX years have the most problems?+

The 2020, 2021, 2024 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2020 Encore GX leads with 0 recalls and 61 owner complaints.

What is the Buyer Score?+

The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.

What are the most common Encore GX problems?+

The most frequently reported Buick Encore GX issues involve: POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.

Deep-Dive Research

Found the right year? Verify the specific car.

A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.

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