Selling a broken or junk Buick Encore

If your Encore's engine or transmission has given out, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Two cars under one name

The first Encore ran from the 2013 to the 2022 model year in North America. Wikipedia says it was built at GM Korea's plant in Bupyeong, South Korea, alongside the Chevrolet Trax, with a 1.4-liter turbo four or a 1.6-liter four and, in automatic form, a 6-speed 6T40. GM dropped it after 2022.

The Encore GX arrived for 2020 and was sold next to it. EPA's data files the GX as a version of the Encore and runs through 2026, which is why this page goes past 2022. So the 2023-2026 rows describe the GX, and the 2020-2022 rows mix both.

Known problems by period

2013-2016: engine first, then brakes and steering

These four years hold 316 complaints. Engine leads on the 2013 (18 of 52), the 2014 (24 of 60) and the 2016 (35 of 80). The 2015 is different: 124 complaints, the most of any year, spread across service brakes (20), electrical (20) and steering (19).

Recalls here are mostly small, single-cause campaigns:

• 14V417 (2013-2014 AWD): the engine block heater cord was replaced with one rated for minus 40 degrees. The 2,990-vehicle campaign also covers the Verano and Chevrolet models.
• 14V488 (2013): new front lap belt pretensioners, in a 48,114-vehicle campaign that includes the Cadillac ATS.
• 14V446 (2013-2014): seat hook bracket welds and lower seat tracks, across 124,007 GM vehicles.
• 15V146 (2015): steering columns inspected and replaced as needed, in a campaign shared with the 2015 Trax.

2017-2019: the engine still leads

The engine tops the list again on the 2017 (29), 2018 (22) and 2019 (24). The 2017 stands out for injuries: 28 people hurt across 12 crash reports, the most of any year. Air bags are the second-named component on the 2017 and 2019, and tie with service brakes for second on the 2018. Two seat belt pretensioner software recalls, 16V651 and 17V437, reach 2014-2017 Encores; both are GM campaigns that also cover other models, so their counts (3,640,162 vehicles for 16V651, including the Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban, and 40,683 for 17V437, including the LaCrosse, Corvette and Silverado 1500) are not Encore-only.

2020-2022: power train and brakes

With the GX in the mix, service brakes lead the 2020 (19) and power train climbs on the 2020-2022. Under recall 20V668 (2019-2020), dealers look for missing bolts on the start-stop transmission accumulator, a campaign of 194,105 vehicles over many GM models. Recall 20V588 puts a new electronic brake boost module in 2020-2021 Encore GX, and it also covers Corvette and Cadillac models. Recall 21V440 replaces an emergency jack that can break if used the wrong way.

2023-2026: the GX years

Only 79 complaints exist for these years. A 2025 or 2026 has barely been on the road long enough to draw any. The 2024's top component is the electrical system (20 of 32), and recall 23V744 updates software that can make the instrument display go blank, covering 60,154 vehicles including the Envista and Trax. On 2024-2026 Encore GX models, the backup camera picture can come up warped or blank. That is recall 26V539, filed August 20, 2026, and its 306,511 total also counts the Trailblazer, Trax and Envista.

Complaints and recalls by model year

These Encore and Encore GX numbers come from NHTSA on October 10, 2026. When an Encore recall spans several years, we list it under each of those years.

Fix it, or let it go?

On a small crossover, an engine job can swallow most of what the car is worth. Before you pay:

1. Run your Encore's VIN through nhtsa.gov/recalls. Seventeen campaigns touch the Encore, and the newest is from August 2026.
2. Engine gone? Get the diagnosis in writing, then read blown engine to weigh a rebuild against selling.
3. Warning light only? Start with check engine light on before assuming the worst.
4. Recall work still open? You can still sell. Open recall explains how.

Selling your Encore whole

1. Have the VIN, the mileage, and whether it's an Encore or an Encore GX.
2. Ask for an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it's parked: a driveway, a parking garage, a shop lot. Note whether it rolls and steers, especially on an AWD car. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave it whole. Missing wheels or a pulled engine change the offer, so mention them.
5. Bring the title and ID. Still owe on it? See still owe on the loan. Plates afterward: after you sell.

Other Buicks: the Envision, Enclave and Rendezvous, or every Buick.