Home › Cars › Buick › Encore › 2020
2020 Buick Encore problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls
49% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Buick Encore are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 64% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 6 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 46%).
Does the 2020 Buick Encore have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 41 of 83 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Buick Encore concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (49%), and the largest group is filed under power train (22). For comparison, the 2019 scores 64% and the 2021 scores 61%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.
Complaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
How the 2020 compares with other Buick Encore years
Of the 11 Buick Encore years with enough complaints to score, the 2020 is the 3rd-best on engine and transmission share (49%). The worst is the 2016 (74%), the best the 2015 (41%). By volume, the 2020 drew 89 complaints (41 drivetrain), against 86 for the 2019 and 62 for the 2021.
Buick Encore years to avoid and best years →
2013 Encore problems · 2014 Encore problems · 2015 Encore problems · 2016 Encore problems · 2017 Encore problems · 2018 Encore problems · 2019 Encore problems · 2020 · 2021 Encore problems · 2022 Encore problems · 2023 Encore problems
The rest of the picture on the 2020 Buick Encore
- The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2020 Buick Encore said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
- What the repair costs. Typical transmission repair ranges, to price into your offer.
- Cleaner alternatives. Similar cars and nearby years with a better record.
- Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
- What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
- Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.
What one owner reported
One of 41 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
2020 Buick Encore transmission recalls
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Buick Encore involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 4 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer…
3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.
Checking one particular 2020 Buick Encore? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.
Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.Questions people ask about the 2020 Buick Encore
Does the 2020 Buick Encore have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 41 of 83 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Buick Encore concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (49%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Buick Encore?
Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2020 Buick Encore is service brakes: 24 of 89 complaints (27%) name it, followed by power train (22) and engine (21). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 49% of the relevant total.
Is the 2020 Buick Encore reliable?
On the engine and transmission, owner complaints point to a weak spot: 49% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain (high signal). That is worse than 64% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 11 Buick Encore years we score, it ranks 3rd-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Buick Encore?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Buick Encore involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 4 in total: 20V668000 (power train: automatic transmission). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.
Which Buick Encore years are better?
Among the Buick Encore years we track, the 2015 (41%) and the 2023 (48%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2020 (49%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/buick-encore
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.