MODELYEARINDEX

Which Buick Encore GX years to avoid

No Buick Encore GX model year in 2020–2021 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2020 and 2021, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Buick Encore GX Full report
C
Grade 2020–2021
2020 vs model median 1.2×
Model median3× median
Brakes 16
Engine 6
Electrical 5
Weakest

2020 · 2021

Best

2020 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2020
1.19× 57 C
2021
0.81× 41 B
2022 P
0.90× 39 B
2023 P
0.66× 43 B
2024 P
0.64× 39 B
2025 P
0.47× 24 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2020 C 57 reports · median 1,251 mi

  1. Brakes 16

    The contact owns a 2020 buick encore gx. The contact stated while making a u-turn, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard but failed to stop the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 6

    I was driving home approx 6:00 PM as I was starting on l75 my buick 2020gx with less than 300 miles started to speed up to a very fast my brakes did not slow me down the car kept speeding up I was very scared when the… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 5

    I purchased this vehicle 9/25/2020. Recall NHTSA# 20v588 issued 9/24/2020. I was not contacted by dealership who sold vehicle until 9/29/2020. There was an active recall on vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

6 crash · 2 injuries

2021 B 41 reports · median 37,750 mi

  1. Engine 11

    The contact owns a 2021 buick encore gx. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the RPM was fluctuating from 0 to 3,000 RPM. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 6

    The brake system failed upon pulling into a parking space. Had it happened a few, short moments before, there would have been a high probability of a crash. The vehicle was taken to hardy buick gmc chevrolet. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Fuel System 5

    I'm in need of a repair on my 2021 buick encore gx. It was seen at gm of marion on july 30 for a warning light that came on as I was driving down the road after having an oil change. It stated my power was reduced. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash · 5 injuries

The best year for the Encore GX

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Encore GX model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 74.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.81× 41 B
2020 1.19× 57 C

Recalls

3 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
21V440000 EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT:STAND 2020–2022 135,400
23V744000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL 2024 60,154
20V588000 SERVICE BRAKES 2020, 2021 3,677

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2020 were reported at a median of 1,251 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Buick Encore GX years should you avoid?
No Buick Encore GX model year in 2020–2021 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2020 and 2021.
What is the best year for the Buick Encore GX?
2021 is the best-scoring Buick Encore GX model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 74.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Buick Encore GX have?
3 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Buick Encore GX model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2020 Encore GX
Complaints in window
57
Severity-weighted
91.5
Model median (weighted)
77
vs model median
1.19×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
2
Open investigations
0
Score 65.3 C