2015 Buick Encore Safety Report
2015 Buick Encore Safety Report
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2015 Buick Encore
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2015 Buick Encore. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (4) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (120) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 8 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Steering | Compare steering issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2021 | Compare against the 2021 Buick Encore with 8 complaints and 0 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2017 | Check the 2017 Buick Encore before buying across this generation. |
Buick Encore Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Buick Encore years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Buick Encore | 77 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2017 Buick Encore | 83 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2018 Buick Encore | 69 | 0 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2019 Buick Encore | 74 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2020 Buick Encore | 17 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2021 Buick Encore | 8 | 0 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2015 Buick Encore Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2015 Buick Encore, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Steering
15 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Steering issues Buick onlyEngine
11 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Buick onlyService Brakes
11 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Service Brakes issues Buick onlyAir Bags
8 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Air Bags issues Buick onlyElectrical System
7 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Buick onlySteering,Electrical System
5 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Steering,Electrical System issues Buick onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2015 Buick Encore
Reliability Score
The 2015 Buick Encore receives a reliability score of 55 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates average reliability — some notable concerns exist that prospective buyers should be aware of.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2015 Buick Encore
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2015 Buick Encore
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2015 Buick Encore:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags And Service Brakes Recalled for safety concerns, affecting a significant number of vehicles. |
High | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Steering And Electrical System Issues can lead to loss of power steering and potential loss of control. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Engine And Engine Cooling Can cause overheating, leading to engine damage. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Exterior Lighting Issues can affect visibility and safety. |
Low | Common | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2015 Buick Encore:
Issues with the electric power assist system can lead to loss of power steering.
Recalled for frontal airbags, affecting a significant number of vehicles.
Recalled for service brakes, affecting a significant number of vehicles.
Issues can cause overheating, leading to engine damage.
Recall Details for the 2015 Buick Encore
The following 4 recalls have been issued for the 2015 Buick Encore by NHTSA:
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may ...
Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC custom...
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing...
Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC cust...
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 26, 2014, to February 9, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured October 13, 2014, to February 3, 2015. The affected vehicles have tire placards that do not provide the rim size information for the front or rear wheels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/R...
Consequence: If the label is missing front and rear rim size information, the owner may replace the rims with ones that are an incorrect size, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and will send owners a corrected label, free of charge. The recall April 29, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15166.
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured November 27, 2014, to February 24, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured November 18, 2014, to February 17, 2015. The steering column assembly housing may contact the power steering printed circuit board causing the circuit board to wear.
Consequence: The circuit board wear may cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15168.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2015 Buick Encore
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2015 Buick Encore with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2 complaints involved crashes. 1 involved fires. 2 reported injuries or fatalities.
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The contact became aware of oil underneath the vehicle on the driveway, resulting in a complete loss of power. The vehicle leaked oil and lost the vehicle lost power twice. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and de...
check engine light came onforP0299 code and heard that there's a lot of vehicles with turbos having this problem
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the steering wheel seized. The traction control warning light and the power steering warning light was illuminated, and the message to “Contact Dealer for Service” was displayed. The vehicle was towed ...
Leaking oil from oil coolant pipe under car and timing chain or belt gasket blowing oil.i have seen on Google in 2016 a stop update on 2015 had issue with the s02ame problem.
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle, before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagn...
The painting on my 2015 Buick Encore started peeling about 2 years ago and has continued to worsen, and I am concerned about the longevity and overall appearance of my vehicle. As a loyal customer, I expect the paint job to last for a reasonable amount of time, and I believe this issue should be addressed by the manufacturer. I would like to request that Buick fixes this issue free of charge. I un...
While driving the dash signal came on stating that the power steering unit had gone off. The car was being driven without power steering. The message state to get serviced immediately. There was a recall for this problem but research states that my vin number did not show my car was part of this recall. WELL, IT IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS OTHERS. Please advise as to how I can get this fixed...
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and jerking while attempting to accelerate while driving at various speeds, and while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been re...
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact stopped the vehicle and added coolant and drove to the residence. The contact stated that the next day while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became abnormally stiff, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. Additionally, the radio and instrument...
My check engine light came on so I took it to a repair shop. They put it on their Diagnostic System Check Computer and the code #PO299 came up. After further inspection and investigation, the failed part is the Turbocharger- A1140104N. This vehicle's, vin number, model year and mileage qualifies it for warranty replacement and labor for the faulty part. However, because it is a Buick and not a Che...
tilt steering wheel usage is causing wires in steering culumb to break
MY KEY GETS STUCK IN THE EGNITION, MY MACHANIC SAID IT IS SPECIFIC TO THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR.
I was driving at 65 when the power assist on my steering stopped and i was forced off the road. The check engine light was on and the word STEERING appeared on the dash It duplicates the description in recall 15168 but there is no recall listed for my VIN number The dealer also stated the same issue regarding the VIN
Massive coolant leak. Been happening on and off since I bought the car in nov2019. Taken to several shops and have had replacement done and it goes right back to leaking. This time the shop believes it's leaking into the engine itself.
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the electronic power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a gas station temporarily. The dealer was contacted and suggested the contact call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V146000 (Steering) as a possible solution; ...
While at a stoplight, my buick encore's power steering just stopped working. I was only able to turn the steering wheel with great effort. The car would not go in reverse, although when pressing on the accelerator in reverse, the engine would rev. Shifting from drive to reverse also caused the car to jolt. The car is available for inspection. This has happened previously in fall of 2021, and the ...
Power steering failed when driving. I had another passenger with me and when avoiding a pothole in the road, the car went crazy and it took all I could to control the vehicle and NOT crash into anyone or another car! I am having nightmares of what could have happened to me and my passenger. On the next day, I tried to start my vehicle and the steeling wheel was locked. I had it towed to VIP ne...
1. Both rear springs have broken within 1 year of each other. There were no accidents or any kind or off road driving. These are Expensive to fix. 2. Driver side airbag light is on. No idea why. Afraid to drive this vehicle.
It’s it’s firing and shaking, and I have kept up on the oil changes. It’s a lot of money
It seems like the 2015 Buick Encores are having a lot of the same issues. I do not see a recall for any of these issues. 1. loss of power when trying to accelerate. This has almost caused an accident for me. I had plenty of time to pull out, but my car wouldn't speed up. Thankfully the car coming up noticed I was having issues and slowed down. This also may affect the performance and fuel efficie...
Showing 20 of 120 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2015 Buick Encore
Has the 2015 BUICK ENCORE been recalled?
Yes, the 2015 BUICK ENCORE has 4 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2015 BUICK ENCORE have?
The 2015 BUICK ENCORE has 120 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 6 involved crashes. 7 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
The 2015 BUICK ENCORE received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 5/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2015 BUICK ENCORE involve steering (15 complaints), engine (11 complaints), service brakes (11 complaints). Other affected components include air bags, electrical system, steering,electrical system.
How many crash reports does the 2015 BUICK ENCORE have?
There are 6 crash reports associated with the 2015 BUICK ENCORE out of 120 total complaints (5.0% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2015 BUICK ENCORE have?
There are 2 fire reports for the 2015 BUICK ENCORE out of 120 total complaints. Fire reports are among the most serious safety concerns tracked by NHTSA.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2015 BUICK ENCORE.
How many injuries are reported for the 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
7 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2015 BUICK ENCORE. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2015 BUICK ENCORE is acceptable with caveats. It has 120 complaints, 4 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
The components with the most failures on the 2015 BUICK ENCORE are: 1. STEERING (15 complaints), 2. ENGINE (11 complaints), 3. SERVICE BRAKES (11 complaints), 4. AIR BAGS (8 complaints), 5. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (7 complaints). STEERING is the single most-reported problem area with 15 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
Be cautious of steering and electrical system issues, as they can lead to loss of power steering and potential loss of control. Check for recalls and address any engine and cooling issues promptly. The 2015 BUICK ENCORE has 120 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
The 2015 BUICK ENCORE receives a reliability score of 55/100, indicating average reliability. This is based on 120 owner complaints, 4 recalls, and 8 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Airbags and Service Brakes and Steering and Electrical System.
What are the known issues with the 2015 BUICK ENCORE?
Known issues with the 2015 BUICK ENCORE include: Airbags and Service Brakes, Steering and Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling, Exterior Lighting. These are based on patterns found across 120 NHTSA complaints. 4 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
Are there any recalls for the 2015 Buick Encore?
Yes, there are recalls for airbags and service brakes, affecting a significant number of vehicles.
What are the common issues with the 2015 Buick Encore?
Common issues include steering and electrical system problems, engine and engine cooling issues, and exterior lighting problems.
Can steering and electrical system issues affect safety?
Yes, issues with the steering and electrical system can lead to loss of power steering and potential loss of control, affecting safety.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of steering and electrical system issues, as they can lead to loss of power steering and potential loss of control. Check for recalls and address any engine and cooling issues promptly.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2015 Buick Encore
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2015 Buick Encore. The data includes 120 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 4 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 6 reported crashes, 2 fire incidents, 7 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2015 Buick Encore an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 5 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 4 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-13