2015 Buick Encore Problems and Recalls

Source: NHTSA vehicle records, recall and complaint snapshot 2026-10-18. Manufacturer communications retain their separately dated source snapshot. Counts are submitted records, not failure probabilities. One vehicle can appear in several campaigns.

Complaint model names counted: ENCORE. Recall model names counted: ENCORE. Complaint records are deduplicated by ODI number; vehicle recalls are counted by distinct campaign number for this year.

Model-year records

What the 2015 record can and cannot say

The 2015 record contains 124 submitted complaints. The median across this model's matched years is 77 reports. Neither number accounts for vehicle sales or time on the road. Source names: ENCORE. NHTSA source snapshot: 2026-10-18.

Electrical System is the most common displayed component tag, with 30 reports (24.2% of this year's submitted complaints). One complaint can name several components. The share describes reports, not the probability of a failure.

Engine replacement or major internal repair has the highest arithmetic midpoint for parts in the applicable planning estimates, at $8,000 before labor. A paid plan can help only if the component and cause qualify; check existing manufacturer coverage first.

Problem research and repair guidance

2015 Buick Encore: symptoms, affected vehicles and documented fixes

Match the symptom and the exact vehicle scope before arranging work. The imported catalogue is an editorial index of source documents, not an independent safety authority. Recall text is checked against NHTSA; each record links to the evidence that supports its scope and remedy.

3documented issue files

2vehicle systems

3 recall files · 0 other manufacturer files. These are editorial file counts, not distinct campaign totals, failure rates or a complete recall history.

AIR BAGS

Official NHTSA safety recall2014, 2015, 2016, 2017Campaign 16V651000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL: recall 16V651000

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.

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 and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Condition in the official record

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 and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Which vehicles the source covers

NHTSA model names: ENCORE. Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
NHTSA campaign 16V651000
The complete campaign lists 3,640,162 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Campaign 16V651000 is based on the recalled vehicle population and VIN, not a published mileage threshold. Mileage alone cannot confirm or exclude it.

Component in the source: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Jurisdiction: United States

Published recall 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 customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Consequence in the NHTSA record: 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.

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

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 customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue

16V651000: NHTSA campaign 16V651000
NHTSA safety recall · 2016-09-08
Official component, defect, consequence and remedy; checked 2026-10-18.

Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

Official safety recall2014, 2015, 2016, 2017Campaign 17V437000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL: recall 17V437000

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.

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 not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Condition in the official record

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 not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Which vehicles the source covers

NHTSA model names: ENCORE. Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
NHTSA campaign 17V437000
The complete campaign lists 40,683 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Safety recall eligibility is based on the VIN and campaign scope, not ordinary warranty mileage. Check the complete VIN even when the vehicle is outside its original warranty.

Component in the source: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Published recall 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 customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Consequence in the NHTSA record: 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.

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

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 customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue

17V437000: NHTSA campaign 17V437000
NHTSA safety recall · 2017-07-10
Official component, defect, consequence and remedy; checked 2026-10-18.

Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

STEERING

Official safety recall2015Campaign 15V146000

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM: recall 15V146000

The circuit board wear may cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Condition in the official record

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.

Which vehicles the source covers

NHTSA model names: ENCORE. Model years: 2015.
NHTSA campaign 15V146000
The complete campaign lists 2,295 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Safety recall eligibility is based on the VIN and campaign scope, not ordinary warranty mileage. Check the complete VIN even when the vehicle is outside its original warranty.

Component in the source: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Published recall 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.

Consequence in the NHTSA record: The circuit board wear may cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

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.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue

15V146000: NHTSA campaign 15V146000
NHTSA safety recall · 2015-03-13
Official component, defect, consequence and remedy; checked 2026-10-18.

Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

Confirm who pays before authorizing work

A recall remedy follows the campaign and VIN eligibility. A service bulletin provides diagnosis or repair instructions; it does not by itself promise payment. Manufacturer warranty extensions and support programs have their own conditions.

Compare recalls, bulletins and warranty extensions →

Keep a current problem separate from future coverage

These files do not supply a shop quote. Ask for a diagnosis and written estimate, then check recall remedies or existing coverage. A new vehicle service contract generally excludes pre-existing conditions.

Prepare a useful description for the mechanic →

Each file retains its original source review date. Historical remedy wording can change; check the current manufacturer notice and NHTSA VIN lookup for your vehicle. The separately dated NHTSA counts elsewhere on this page use a different dataset and scope.

Read the evidence for this vehicle

What can the data tell you about 2015 Buick Encore?

No model-specific individual-repair price keys are retained for Buick Encore in this library. Generic parts and labor estimates, public records and separate annual cost references may still be available.

Individual-repair price scopeGeneric inputs

Model-level range presence is a source-coverage check. It does not confirm that a repair fits every engine or model year.

EPA configuration match2 source rows

This model year can include different equipment. Use the VIN and original specifications to identify the actual configuration.

Documented repair pathsCheck the source

Recall and communication counts describe records. They cannot establish a breakdown probability or current VIN status.

Price-key audit reviewed October 18, 2026; EPA source snapshot 2026-08-07. Individual-repair ranges and annual repair-budget references are different datasets.

Cost-library audit

The evidence behind a repair estimate

30 of 44 repair categories have verified national benchmarks; 14 retain planning assumptions. Old model-specific ranges were removed because this refresh did not reverify them.

44 repair categories; a content audit, not a market survey

See the analysis, charts and method →

Campaign-reference audit

One campaign can create many entries

1,200 selected recall files resolve to 780 distinct campaign IDs after compact references are normalized and checked against official NHTSA records. Files and campaigns are different counting units.

1200 selected recall files; normalized references checked against official NHTSA records

See the analysis, charts and method →

Source: NHTSA vehicle records, recall and complaint snapshot 2026-10-18. Manufacturer communications retain their separately dated source snapshot. Counts are submitted records, not failure probabilities. One vehicle can appear in several campaigns.

Complaint model names counted: ENCORE. Recall model names counted: ENCORE. Complaint records are deduplicated by ODI number; vehicle recalls are counted by distinct campaign number for this year.

Sources and methods

What each source tells you

NHTSA records: 124 submitted complaints, 4 recalls and 1,459 manufacturer communications. These are report counts, not failure probabilities.

EPA vehicle details: 2 matched fuel-economy configurations help us leave out repairs for equipment this model year does not have.

Repair-cost estimates: We model 32 applicable repairs beyond normal wear items, using published benchmarks where available plus parts and independent-shop labor assumptions. These ranges are not dealer quotes, repair-shop quotes or invoices.

Read the full research and repair-cost methodology.

Vehicle configuration

2015 EPA specification range

The official dataset contains 2 matched configurations for this model year. The range reflects trim and drivetrain choices, not changes to the complaint count.

Vehicle classSmall SUV

Fuel choicesGasoline

Drive layoutsAll-wheel drive and Front-wheel drive

Engine range1.4 L; 4 cylinders

EPA efficiency26 to 28 mpg

Transmission typesAutomatic

EPA figures vary by configuration. Confirm the exact engine, drive layout and fuel system from the VIN or original window sticker. Source: FuelEconomy.gov vehicle data, updated 2026-08-07.

Estimated repair bills

Major repair cost range

These ranges combine parts and labor benchmarks with modeled independent-shop rates for 50-metro reference. These are national repair benchmarks and planning assumptions, not published prices for this exact vehicle. We filter repairs using the available model-year specifications; a shop must confirm the engine, equipment and diagnosed job.

Repair	System	Estimated range
Engine replacement or major internal repair	Engine	$6,095 to $16,964
Transmission replacement	Transmission	$6,079 to $6,995
Transfer case replacement	Driveline	$2,189 to $8,192
Turbocharger replacement	Turbo and Supercharger	$1,662 to $6,524
Head gasket replacement	Engine	$2,339 to $3,728
Strut and control arm repair	Suspension	$1,053 to $4,545
Fuel injector set replacement	Fuel System	$908 to $4,651
Infotainment display or head unit replacement	Electrical and Electronic	$722 to $4,467
Timing chain replacement	Engine	$1,934 to $3,038
Steering rack replacement	Steering	$2,232 to $2,681

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$6,095-$16,964 largest modeled range shownEstimated repair cost, not a shop quote or a prediction.

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Compare years

Other Buick Encore model years

20228 reports · 0 recalls 20219 reports · 0 recalls 202019 reports · 2 recalls 201987 reports · 2 recalls 201874 reports · 0 recalls 201789 reports · 2 recalls 201680 reports · 2 recalls 2015124 reports · 4 recalls

Is an Extended Warranty Worth It for a 2015 Buick Encore?

What the 2015 record can and cannot say

Follow or share this source snapshot

2015 Buick Encore: symptoms, affected vehicles and documented fixes

AIR BAGS

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL: recall 16V651000

Condition in the official record

Which vehicles the source covers

Published recall remedy

Evidence for this issue

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL: recall 17V437000

Condition in the official record

Which vehicles the source covers

Published recall remedy

Evidence for this issue

STEERING

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM: recall 15V146000

Condition in the official record

Which vehicles the source covers

Published recall remedy

Evidence for this issue

Confirm who pays before authorizing work

Keep a current problem separate from future coverage

What can the data tell you about 2015 Buick Encore?

The evidence behind a repair estimate

One campaign can create many entries

What each source tells you

2015 EPA specification range

Major repair cost range

Other Buick Encore model years

More model years with problem research