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2018 Buick Encore

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2018 Encore.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2018 Buick Encore is a subcompact SUV that rides on a front-wheel-drive platform and is powered by a four-cylinder engine requiring 4.2 quarts of 0W-20 oil, paired with an automatic six-speed transmission; its EPA ratings of 27 city, 33 highway, and 30 combined mpg place it among the more efficient offerings in its class. With 71 total owner complaints and zero recalls, this model year falls well below the 2015 peak of 123 complaints but above the 2022 low of eight, situating it in the middle of the Encore’s reliability history and suggesting a steady, unremarkable ownership experience for the era.

Model year2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.2 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified

Lug nut torque103 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy27/33/30 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI Start Stop: 48; Without Start Stop: 47 · Start Stop: 700; Without Start Stop: 525 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12699847. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI Start Stop: 48; Without Start Stop: 47 · Start Stop: 700; Without Start Stop: 525 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215/55R18OEM · verified

Wheel / rim7.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12699847 alt 55593191
Engine air filter	95021102
Spark plug	12681656 alt 12683541
Battery	88866291 alt 88864541
Front wiper blades	42765840 alt 42765836
Serpentine belt	55587929 alt 55595700
Thermostat	12649163 alt 55565619
Cabin air filter	13503677

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	168.1 in
Overall width	69.7 in
Overall height	65 in
Wheelbase	100.8 in
Curb weight	3358 lb
Track (front / rear)	60.6 / 60.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	60/40

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	27 / 33 / 30 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Encore of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.8–10.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.80 sec — 2017 Preferred II

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2017	Preferred II 1.4L Turbo I-4	7.80 sec	16.20 sec	138 hp	FWD
2017	Sport Touring 1.4L Turbo I-4	8.40 sec	16.60 sec	138 hp	AWD
2017	Sport Touring 1.4L Turbo I-4	8.50 sec	16.50 sec	138 hp	FWD
2017	Sport Touring 1.4L Turbo I-4	8.60 sec	16.60 sec	138 hp	AWD
2017	Premium 1.4L Turbo I-4	10.70 sec	17.90 sec	138 hp	AWD
2016	Sport Touring 1.4L Turbo I-4	9.20 sec	17.00 sec	138 hp	AWD
2020	GX Essence (Sport Touring) 1.3L Turbo I-3	8.70 sec	16.70 sec	155 hp	FWD
2020	GX Essence (Sport Touring) 1.3L Turbo I-3	9.30 sec	17.00 sec	155 hp	AWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.2 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, Use Dexron gear oil GM part number 88863089 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 103 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	DEXRON(R)-VI GM P/N 89020661
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	4.2-6.3
Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil	Use Dexron gear oil GM part number 88863089
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	1.1 qt
Engine Coolant Capacity	7.7
Engine Oil	0W-20
Engine Oil Capacity	4.2 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)	31.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)	18.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	6 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	8.8 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

103 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	.028 in
Spark Plug Torque	18 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	.024 - .028 in
Spark Plug Torque	13 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.30-1.50 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	5.00-5.10 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	Start Stop: 48; Without Start Stop: 47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	Start Stop: 700; Without Start Stop: 525 cca

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-94
RPM	43-58 @ Idle rpm
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50.0-94.0
RPM	43.0-58.0 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	11
Engine Compression	174

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque	21
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt Torque	Front: 118; Rear: 74
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for Replacement	Front: .905; Rear: .393
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after Refinish	Front: .913; Rear: .402
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation	.001
Maximum Rotor Runout	.002
Maximum Drum Diameter	Rear: 9.094

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Front Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages

37.0 ft. lbs., 60 degrees Do not re-use old hub nut.

37 ft. lbs

Rear Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages

37.0 ft. lbs., 60 degrees Do not re-use old hub nut.

37 ft. lbs

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not re-use old bolts. Do not allow oil to contaminate cylinder head surface or head bolt bosses.

1	26.0 ft. lbs.	26 ft. lbs
2	180 degrees	180 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not re-use old bolts. Do not allow oil to contaminate cylinder head surface or head bolt bosses.

1	22.0 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	240 degrees	240 degrees

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	11 ft. lbs.	11 ft. lbs
2	15 ft. lbs.	15 ft. lbs
3	Turn 60

Oil Pan to Block Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

11.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 180

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Accelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System Hoses (inspect) · Engine Oil (inspect fluid level)
Every 22,500 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2018 Buick Encore generated 71 complaints, zero recalls, and zero investigations, recording lower federal friction than 2017’s 87 complaints and two recalls and 2019’s 80 complaints and two recalls, while sitting well under the generation’s 2015 complaint peak of 123. Its 896 technical service bulletins continue a steady generational decline from 1,627 in 2013 and 1,119 in 2017, signaling reduced factory-identified service patterns as the platform matured. Owner filings clustered in Engine (16), Air Bags (9), Unknown or Other (6), and Power Train (4), though the data does not specify root causes; the year also logged 10 crash-related complaints and zero fire-related complaints. As the first model year in this sequence to post zero recalls after five prior years of campaigns, 2018 occupies a late-maturity position before the sharper complaint contraction seen in 2020. That combination of a recall-free record, a falling TSB count, and complaint volume well below the 2015 high makes the 2018 Encore a comparatively sound choice and a good year to buy used.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

896

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

10 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17’18’19 ’20 ’21 ’22

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 71 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine16

Air Bags9

Unknown Or Other6

Power Train4

Steering,Electrical System,Service Brakes2

Electrical System,Engine2

Unknown Or Other,Engine2

Electrical System2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 896 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIT3271Q	2026-04-01	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP6104	2026-03-09	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V	2026-03-09	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U	2026-01-08	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G	2025-11-20	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Encore. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group S battery Vehicles taking 4.2 qt Engine oil filter 12699847 Engine air filter 95021102 Spark plug 12681656 Battery 88866291

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2018 Encore take?

4.2 qt of 0W-20 STARBURST Use GM Dexos 1 Oil or equivalent, per the factory manual.

Does the 2018 Encore have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Encore get?

EPA figures are 27 city / 33 highway / 30 combined mpg.