2022 Buick Encore: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission. The 5 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

2022

Owner complaints: 8
Recalls: 0
Crashes reported: 1; 1 injury
Reliability: Excellent; 80/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/5 checked

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1

01Ask for service records and look for repeat dealer visits for power loss or a check engine light.

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3

02Scan for stored trouble codes before buying, especially an EMC code, P1467, or P146b.
03Smell for an oil-burning odor in the cabin during and after a long test drive.
04Check the engine bay, cabin air filter, and under the seats for mouse droppings or nesting material.

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/1

05Test drive with stop-and-go starts on a steep hill and watch for sudden power loss, lurching, or limp mode.

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.

Reported on other Encore years with the same design

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.

2021 Encore

9 owner complaints

Transmission 3
Engine 3

Worth adding to your 2022 checks

Accelerate up a highway grade and confirm the engine pulls steadily without sudden power loss.
Scan for stored codes, especially P0299 and P0420, and ask whether the turbo was ever replaced.
Ask for records of purge sensor repairs and confirm the check engine light stays off.

Open the 2021 checklist

2020 Encore

19 owner complaints

Transmission 4
Electrical 4
Brakes 2

Worth adding to your 2022 checks

Scan for stored trouble codes, especially P0299 turbo under-boost, and confirm the check engine light works and stays off.
Accelerate hard up a steep hill and onto a highway; watch for sluggish power, high rpm, or jerky shifts.
Ask for service records showing any turbocharger replacement and when it happened.

Open the 2020 checklist

2019 Encore

82 owner complaints

Engine 23
Airbags 9
Electrical 9

Worth adding to your 2022 checks

Accelerate hard up a highway on-ramp and watch for power loss, hesitation, or a check engine light.
Scan for stored trouble codes, especially P0299, and ask for any turbocharger repair records.
Check the coolant reservoir level and look under the car for coolant or oil leaks near the turbo.

Open the 2019 checklist

Which Encore is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2022 Buick Encore. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

Version	Drive	EPA rating
1.2L 3-cyl	FWD	30 mpg
1.3L 3-cyl	AWD, FWD	27–30 mpg
1.4L 4-cyl	AWD, FWD	26–27 mpg

The 2022 Buick Encore was sold in three versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Encore that averages well under the EPA 26 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Buick Encore, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

Transmission2No crashes
Sudden power loss is the main complaint. An EMC code is stored, the check engine light comes on, and the SUV lunges forward before dropping into what feels like limp mode with little or no power. It can happen on short or long trips. Reports also describe fuel use far above normal and a strong oil-burning smell. Stopping and starting on hills becomes hard, and drivers report near misses in traffic. Repeat dealer visits have not fixed the problem, and owners describe disputes over warranty or emissions coverage for the repair.

How the 2022 compares with other Encore years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2022 has the fewest owner complaints of the 5 Encore years we cover, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2022 Average of other years