2022 Buick Encore
small SUV / 4-door SUV
Small overlap front: driver-side
Rating applies to 2015-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2015 Buick Encore Convenience Group 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year. Beginning with 2015 models of the Encore and Trax, the front-end structure was modified to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained reasonably well.
The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.
The driver's space was maintained reasonably well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEN1502 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 14 |
| Footrest (cm) | 9 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 8 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 9 |
| Parking brake (cm) | |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 2 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Steering column | 4 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 14 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 12 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 12 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEN1502 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 107 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.3 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 7 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.23 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 25 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 3.9 |
| Right | 0.1 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 7 |
| Right | 2 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 1 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.53 |
| Right | 0.33 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.8 |
| Right | 0.6 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 56 |
| Right | 49 |
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Rating applies to 2015-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2015 Buick Encore Convenience Group 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year. Beginning with 2015 models of the Encore and Trax, the front-end structure was modified to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
|
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag but started to roll around the right side because the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the head and torso. |
Action shot taken during the passenger-side small overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame and dashboard after the crash test indicates that the passenger’s survival space was maintained reasonably well.
The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the passenger dummy’s head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.
Intrusion into the passenger's space was reasonably well controlled, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side
| Test ID | CN15007 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 13 |
| Footrest (cm) | 11 |
| Right toepan (cm) | 7 |
| Center toepan (cm) | 1 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 4 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Center dash (cm) | 7 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 12 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 11 |
| Right lower dash (cm) | 10 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CN15007 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 110 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 8 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.17 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 25 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.9 |
| Right | 3.5 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 4 |
| Right | 5 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 1 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.58 |
| Right | 0.66 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.9 |
| Right | 2.0 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 46 |
| Right | 50 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CN15007 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 105 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 15 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.26 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 22 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.1 |
| Right | 0.8 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 4 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.19 |
| Right | 0.20 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 0.2 |
| Right | 0.3 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 35 |
| Right | 49 |
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Buick Encore 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the moderate overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from hitting hard structures during rebound by the side curtain airbag.
Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low. The deployed knee airbag is resting on the dummy's lower legs.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEF1303 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Left (cm) | 6 |
| Center (cm) | 9 |
| Right (cm) | 6 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 11 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | -2 |
| Rearward (cm) | -7 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEF1303 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 194 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.2 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 12 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.25 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 29 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 0.2 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 0.6 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 1 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.19 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.30 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.5 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 3.3 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 36 |
| Right | 87 |
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Rating applies to 2021-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore Preferred 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Thigh/hip | |
| Leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Thigh | |
|
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
| |
View of the vehicle after the crash showing the airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
The rear passenger dummy's head came close to contacting the front seatback, which increases the risk of head injuries.
The rear passenger dummy injury values indicate a moderate risk of injury to the head or neck and a likely risk of injury to the chest. During the crash, the shoulder belt remained in an ideal position on the dummy’s chest.
The rear passenger dummy's lap belt remained in the ideal position on the pelvis.
During rebound the rear passenger dummy's head moved outside of the side curtain airbag. The head protection is inadequate and puts the head at risk of possible contact with outside objects.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEF2103 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 4 |
| Left (cm) | 7 |
| Center (cm) | 14 |
| Right (cm) | 7 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 10 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | 3 |
| Rearward (cm) | -1 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEF2103 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 247 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.5 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 11 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.15 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 29 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.2 |
| Right | 0.6 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 1 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.24 |
| Right | 0.44 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.7 |
| Right | 2.2 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 48 |
| Right | 95 |
Rear passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CEF2103 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 for head contact during forward excursion |
no contact
|
| Peak gs at hard contact | 28 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 2.5 |
| Compression (kN) | 1.1 |
| Maximum Nij for head contact during forward excursion |
no contact
|
| Chest | |
| Chest index | 47 |
| Shoulder belt tension (kN) | 7.3 |
| Thigh (kN) | |
| Left femur compression | 0.4 |
| Right femur compression | 1.3 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Buick Encore 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front and rear seat-mounted torso airbags
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES1301 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -15.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES1301 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 189 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.2 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.5 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 31 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.5 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 31 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.08 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.29 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.5 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.8 |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.1 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.2 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 155 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -22 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES1301 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 148 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.3 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.3 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 16 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 22 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 18 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 1.87 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.17 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.2 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.2 |
| Combined force (kN) | 1.4 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.3 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 53 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 11 |
Side: updated test
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore Preferred 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbags.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES2005 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -18.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES2005 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 188 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.3 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 43 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 43 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 41 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.32 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.66 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.8 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES2005 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 126 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.3 |
| Compression (kN) | 1.1 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 14 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 0.9 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 34 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.62 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.44 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.7 |
Roof strength
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Buick Encore 4-door 4wd
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 3,327 lbs |
| Peak force | 15,414 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 4.63 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Power leather seats
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | Power leather seats |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 4 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 10 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 11.3 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 56 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 27 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 371 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.
Headlights
Trim level(s)
- All trims
| Low-beam headlight type | Halogen reflector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | Halogen reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | No |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | Halogen reflector |
| High-beam headlight type | Halogen reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | No |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2021-22 models |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 82.7 m | None |
| Straightaway left edge | 53.6 m | None |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 52.0 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 48.0 m | None |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 41.8 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 38.7 m | None |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 169.3 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 153.9 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 64.0 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 65.0 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 47.9 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 48.0 m |
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Seat belt reminders
Rating applies to 2021-22 models
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Front row | |
| Unbelted occupant alert (audible & visual) | |
| Initiation time | |
| Duration | Negligible (under 8 seconds) |
| Volume | |
| Audio frequency | |
| Second row | |
| Startup status alert (visual) | None |
| Background cabin sound pressure level at 24 km/h | 53 dB |
| Audible signal sound pressure level at 24 km/h | 68 dB |
| Difference between background and signal | 15.6 dB |
| Background cabin sound pressure level at 40 km/h | 56 dB |
| Audible signal sound pressure level at 40 km/h | 65 dB |
| Difference between background and signal | 9.3 dB |
| Dominant audio frequency | 750 Hz |
Child seat anchors
Rating applies to 2016-22 models
| Overall evaluation | |
| Vehicle trim | Convenience Group |
| Seat type | cloth |
This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.
It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.
| Overall evaluation | |
| Vehicle trim | Convenience Group |
| Seat type | cloth |
| G | Good |
| A | Acceptable |
| M | Marginal |
| P | Poor |
| Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated. | |
thether anchor symbol | Tether anchor |
lower anchor symbol | Lower anchors |
| Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s) | |
| No hardware available |
Details by seating position
| 1 | |
|---|---|
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors | |
| 2 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| none available | |
| 3 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors |
Seat position 21
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 4-6 |
| Force (lbs) | 31 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 69 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 4-6 |
| Force (lbs) | 28 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 68 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Middle seatback |
| Confusing hardware present | Yes |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
No |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 22
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Lower anchor B | |
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Middle seatback |
| Confusing hardware present | Yes |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
No |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 23
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 4-6 |
| Force (lbs) | 24 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 73 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 4-6 |
| Force (lbs) | 25 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 74 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Middle seatback |
| Confusing hardware present | Yes |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
No |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |