BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-2015-BUIENC-197D

2015 Buick Encore

Based on reports from 185 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
185
Crashes
11
Fires
3
Recalls
4
TSBs
1,452
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 185 complaints, 11 crashes, 3 fires, and 4 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

display screen difficult to read

5 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

ac stopped working

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX
3

grinding brakes

3 complaints • Severity 7.3/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

30 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 36K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

51
0–30K
35
30–60K
27
60–90K
8
90–120K
3
120–150K
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (51 reports) • Median: 36K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (30 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical30 (16%)
Engine29 (16%)
Steering26 (14%)
Brakes20 (11%)
Other15 (8%)
Airbags15 (8%)
Drivetrain9 (5%)
Fuel System6 (3%)

2015 Buick Encore: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2015 Buick Encore, with 30 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 36,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 36K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2015 Buick Encore, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2015 Buick Encore, with 26 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2015 Buick Encore, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

13
15
11
16
22
17
17
18
26
19
25
20
22
21
13
22
14
23
16
24
6
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2015 Buick Encore. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

Get Report — From $1.20

Recall History (4 recalls)

15V146000Apr 2015

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

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.

15V162000Apr 2015

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 26, 2014, to February 9, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Trax vehicles manufactured October 13, 2014, to February 3, 2015. The affected vehicles have tire placards that do not provide the rim size information for the front or rear wheels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."

16V651000Oct 2016

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

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.

17V437000Aug 2017

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Buick Encore is the 2014 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2015 Buick Encore vs. Class Average (Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)

This vehicle

185

Class avg

368

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 185 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Buick Encore Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013
View all Buick Encore years →

2015 Buick Encore: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2015 Buick Encore?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2015 Buick Encore is related to the electrical, with 30 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2015 Buick Encore reliable?
The 2015 Buick Encore has 185 complaints, 11 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2015 Buick Encore problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2015 Buick Encore have any recalls?
Yes, the 2015 Buick Encore has 4 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Buick Encore problems start?
Based on 124 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 36,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 2015 Buick Encore Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 185 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees