Model year record

2013 Buick Encore

6 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 70 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 16V502000

Electrical system: ignition

Component
Electrical system: ignition
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
8,367
Reported to NHTSA
2016-07-05
Owners notified
2016-10-14

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Safety risk

If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Recall campaignNHTSA 14V488000

Seat belts: front

Component
Seat belts: front
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
48,114
Reported to NHTSA
2014-08-08
Owners notified
2014-11-20

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to March 1, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to May 1, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and passenger lap belt pretensioner cables may not lock in a retracted position, allowing the seat belts to extend when pulled upon.

Safety risk

If the seat belts do not remain locked in the retracted position when under load, the seat occupant may not be adequately restrained in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front the driver's and the passenger's lap belt pretensioners, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. GM sent interim notifications on October 7, 2014 and will send a second notification when remedy parts are available. The recall began on November 20, 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14171.

Recall campaignNHTSA 14V446000

Seats

Component
Seats
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
124,007
Reported to NHTSA
2014-07-23
Owners notified
2014-08-15

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.

Safety risk

A seat that does not stay secured increases the risk of occupant injury in a vehicle crash.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.

Recall campaignNHTSA 14V417000

Equipment: electrical

Component
Equipment: electrical
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
2,990
Reported to NHTSA
2014-07-02
Owners notified
2014-08-29

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.

Safety risk

Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. 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 14257.

Recall campaignNHTSA 14V298000

Air bags

Component
Air bags
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
61
Reported to NHTSA
2014-06-06
Owners notified
2014-07-30

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured April 10, 2013, to May 8, 2013, and Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured December 30, 2012, to March 1, 2013. In the affected vehicles, an improper weld on the passenger side front air bag inflator may result in the air bag not deploying.

Safety risk

If the air bag does not to deploy in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the front passenger.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14211.

Recall campaignNHTSA 13V105000

Steering: steering wheel/handle bar

Component
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
144
Reported to NHTSA
2013-03-28
Owners notified
2013-05-21

Defect description

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured between December 9, 2012 and December 28, 2012, and equipped with a heated steering wheel. The steering wheel fastener may not have been properly installed. This could cause the steering wheel to come loose or separate from the steering column.

Safety risk

If the steering wheel separates from the steering column while driving, the ability to steer could be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and make any necessary repairs on the steering wheel. These services will be provided at no charge to the customer. The safety recall began on May 21, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300. This is General Motors campaign number 13098.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine2166,790 mi
Power train722,500 mi
Electrical system67,400 mi
Vehicle speed control627,230 mi
Air bags522,802 mi
Fuel/propulsion system466,790 mi
Seat belts3
Tires318,000 mi
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel2250 mi
Engine and engine cooling26,000 mi
Seats245,000 mi
Service brakes2202 mi
Unknown or other2900 mi
Equipment: electrical: navigational system(global positioning system)1
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip1
Steering116,948 mi
Structure12,000 mi
Wheels121,693 mi

The 2014 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Open investigations

An investigation is not a recall. It indicates that NHTSA is currently evaluating an alleged defect but has not reached a final determination.

EA21002Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.