Buick's compact city SUV, the Encore, has been picking up the sales numbers in recent years albeit at a rather slow pace. Though the number might seem a bit disappointing at first glance when compared to competition like the Ford Escape and the Honda HR-V, it definitely has found more takers than the Mazda CX-3, which it directly aims at, given its over premium outlook that the Buick mimics. Even though the current reliability and quality status seem decent as per NHTSA reports, engine issues are something that several owners have called out the tiny Encore and still is something to watch out for. So should you be spending around $24,056 on this sub-compact-SUV instead of the aforementioned segment leaders? Would you get into trouble if you bought one? Well, we have done all the hard work and made it easier for you with this article.
2016 Buick Encore User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
- Engine- Turbocharger complaints have been pretty common on the 2016 Buick Encore. Noticeable loss of power and occasional hiccups during acceleration are some hints to this issue. Some users also mentioned the engine malfunction lamp illuminating when this happens. Failing oil lines to the turbo which accelerates the compressor shafts is the issue for this failure. The engine is also known for random stalls and sensor failures (MAF and O2) at mileages as low as 20,000-miles.
- Transmission- Shaking or stalling at low speeds, slipping, and jerking during on-off throttle transitions are some issues pointing to transmission complaints on the 2016 Buick Encore. Reprogramming or replacement of the TCM and changing transmission fluid are some of the remedies offered by the dealer in relation to the issue noted. At least two instances of transmission replacement have been noted by the NHTSA for this model year.
Electric System complaints
- Infotainment- Pandora radio and Bluetooth connectivity issues are some common problems seen on the 2016 Buick Encore’s IntelliLink media system. While the loss of wireless phone connectivity is an intermittent problem and has no plausible fixes, the Pandora radio reception issue is something that the distributor is aware of and requires a software update from the owner's end to re-establish signal reception.
- Starting issues- Battery issues are something to look out for on the 2016 Buick Encore. Even though NHTSA has a limited number of complaints reported on this issue, multiple owners had premature/ overnight battery draining issues. Although the dealers are aware of this issue, no solutions apart from a battery replacement are suggested from their end, as reported.
Safety Complaints
- Airbags- The airbag sensing module on the passenger driver seat is said to malfunction and display a warning that the passenger side airbag is turned off despite the seat being occupied. This has been a pretty widespread issue on the Buick Encore SUVs in recent times and the automaker had announced two separate recalls (IDs 17V437000 and 16V65100) in the following years to rectify the issue.
- Seatbelt- Issues with the rear seatbelt cause the seat to get stuck once folded, preventing it from popping back up to its original position. Owners are left to manually remove the seatbelt buckle in order to put the seats back up. The issue does recur and owners are left without any remedy from the automaker’s end.
2016 Buick Encore Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
10th July 2017 |
17V437000 |
Frontal airbags may not deploy. |
Vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the issue in a previous recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the airbag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal airbags and the seat belt pre-tensioners would not occur in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
The 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. |
|
2 |
8th September 2018 |
16V651000 |
Frontal airbags may not deploy. |
Vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the issue in a previous recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the airbag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal airbags and the seat belt pre-tensioners would not occur in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
The 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. |
Should you buy a used 2016 Buick Encore?
Unlike most of its competition, the Buick Encore is rather new to the market. Although the SUV, as an overall package does come out rather appealing for the money, the powertrain side of this is still something that Buick needs to figure out. Also, its twin, the Chevy Trax has been piling up a decent number of issues for the year which we assume would also be common to the Encore, given that they are essentially the same vehicles underneath. Although the 2016 Buick Encore places itself in a rather safe position compared to the competition as far as complaints and recalls go, the known engine fail points keep us away from recommending it. That said, you could always go buy one, but make sure that you have someone who knows their way around these Buicks to keep you on the safe side.
