Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, engine, and electrical. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2022Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2022 Buick Encore GX: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2022's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
False Shift to Park warning
24,000–34,200 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Buick Encore GX, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
After the shifter is put in Park, a false "Shift to Park" warning appears. The engine or accessory mode stays on, the radio keeps playing, chimes sound, and the horn honks when the driver walks away. Doors may not lock. Owners shift between Drive and Reverse many times to clear it. Reports cluster between 24,000 and 34,200 miles. Owners worry that the car could roll away. Dealers blame the shifter and connector. Owners report backordered parts, cars sitting unusable for weeks, and paying for the repair themselves. One report describes the car not going into Reverse.
A check engine light, sometimes with a service ECM message, comes on along with a loss of power while driving. One complaint describes a failed turbocharger with reduced engine performance and a critical warning on the screen. Another describes the emission purge pump being replaced after the light came on at about 7,350 miles. Owners describe feeling unsafe when the engine powers down in traffic. Some say the warning light came back after dealer visits.
One report describes a stall at highway speed. Steering and braking become hard, several warning lights come on, and a "Battery in Safe Mode" message appears. The car would not restart and had to be towed. The stall happened two more times, and the dealer could not find the cause. In the other report, the engine would not go past 35 mph and made a growing loud noise. The dealer first called it an exhaust leak and said the car was drivable, but the exhaust pipe then came off and fell to the ground.
Two of these reports describe the false "Shift to Park" warning. The car won't shut off, and one owner has to restart and work the shifter up to 20 times. The third report is more serious. A check engine light and sluggish running led the dealer to replace turbocharger intake parts. The car then lost speed suddenly while being driven and later would not start, so it had to be towed.
The engine shuts off or drops into a reduced-power mode with no warning. In one report, the car died in the fast lane of a freeway at 273 miles and had to be steered across lanes to the shoulder. The dealer traced it to a faulty high-pressure fuel pump. In another, the car hesitated, every warning light came on, and the screen warned that steering might be affected. The car then ran in limp mode and sat at the dealer for more than a week.
Excerpts from complaints Encore GX owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
The vehicle has less than 60,000 miles. Sometimes, when it is shifted into park, the info center states that it is not in park. I have to jiggle the shift or shift it into other gears and go back to park. The shift is definitely in park when this happens.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2026
Get shift to park worning when in part. Lights stay on and worning signal sounds. Have to keep fooling with shifter to stop. GM seems not willing to do anything with this problem and parts to fix are on back order with no time for availability. Repair is around $560.00. From what I can find out , this has been an on going problem with GM autos. Please help
Filed with NHTSA, October 2024
When try to turn car off dash states Shift to Park. Vehicle is in park and I have to restart engine and move gear shifter up to 20 times for it to completely cut off.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2022 ranks third for owner complaints among 7 Encore GX years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2022 is the third model year of the Encore GX's first generation (2020–2023).
Buick updated the Encore GX for 2024, so a 2022 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2024 (not on a 2022)
Recall repairs are free at any Buick dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Buick Encore GX and 2021-2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer vehicles. The emergency jack, if not positioned as directed in the vehicle owner's manual, can fracture while in use.
Risk: A fractured jack can cause the vehicle to collapse, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the jack, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owner of the safety risk are expected to be mailed July 26, 2021. A second notice will be mailed once remedy parts become available. 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 A212335470.
Cars shoppers compare with the Buick Encore GX, with their own 2022 checklists.
2022 owner complaints, side by side
