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What 77 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Buick Encore GX

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (77)Crash / fire / injury (7)Engine (40)Fuel system (13)Transmission & drivetrain (11)Electrical system (8)Airbags (7)Steering (5)Seat belts (4)Body & structure (3)Engine & cooling (3)Speed control (3)

4 of 77 complaints match · Seat belts · clear filters

May 20, 2021Seat beltsSeats

I recently put the back seats down to put some boxes back there. It is stuck down. I don't know if the seat itself is stuck or if the seatbelt is messed up in there. Either way. I need my seat back up.

NHTSA ODI 11417882

Dec 23, 2020AirbagsSeat beltsCrash2 injuries

HAD ACCIDENT, WHERE I WAS HIT FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE, AFTER THAT IMPACT I WAS STRUCK IN THE REAR, WHICH TOTALED THE CAR. ME AND A PASSAGE WAS TOSSED AROUND LIKE RAG DOLLS. THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSAGE SIDE DID NOT HOLD IN PLACE CAUSING HER HEAD TO STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD TWICE, NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FROM SIDE FRONT BACK NONE WHICH WOULD OF KEPT HER AND I FROM BEING TOSSED AROUND, THIS NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO SOMEONES ATTENTION, AND A RECALL WE WAS LOOKING WE BOTH HAVE INJURIES, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ADVISE TO WHY THIS VEHICLE WAS NEVER RECALLED AND CHECKED???? NOW ME AND MY PASSAGE HAS A ROAD OF RECOVERY DUE TO THE AIRBAGS AND SEAT BELTS

NHTSA ODI 11384768

Jan 5, 2019Seat belts

I HAD MY BACKSEATS LAID DOWN TO HAVE MORE ROOM WHEN MOVING. AFTER TWO WEEKS, I TRIED PULLING THE SEATS BACK INTO SEATED POSITION. THE DOUBLE SEAT WILL NOT LIFT. THE MIDDLE SEATBELT HAS LOCKED, NOT ALLOWING IT TO LIFT MORE THAN ABOUT TEN INCHES. NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY PULLING THE BELT TIGHT TO DISENGAGE THE LOCK, IT WILL NOT GIVE.

NHTSA ODI 11165404

Mar 15, 2018AirbagsSeat beltsCrash2 injuries

TAMARA RECALL: THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS AND SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING A CRASH TO BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF MY VEHICLE. ALL SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE CRASH. I WAS STOPPED BEHIND A VEHICLE AT A RED LIGHT WHEN A DRUNKEN DRIVER SLAMMED INTO MY 2016 BUICK ENCORE. MY VEHICLE WAS PROPELLED FORWARD INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE SHOULDER HARNESS OF MY SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK TO RESTRAIN ME AND MY FRONTAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CAR HAD NO OPEN RECALLS ON IT. I DID THE 2016 RECALL CORRECTION BUT I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING NOTIFIED OF THE SECOND RECALL. MY CARS SERVICE HAS BEEN EXCLUSIVELY AT A BUICK DEALERSHIP AND DON'T RECALL EVER BEING TOLD OR RECEIVING ANY DOCUMENTATION REFLECTING CORRECTION FOR THE 2017 RECALL. EITHER WAY, MY CAR HAD NO OPEN RECALLS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.

NHTSA ODI 11079497

Working with the data? Download all 77 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 12, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Buick Encore GX verdict →