Buick Encore (2017) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury in Crashes
General Motors recalls 2017 Buick Encores with air bag deployment issues that may increase injury risk during crashes. Free software update and SDM replacement available.
Use caution until it’s fixed
A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
What happened, in plain English
General Motors is recalling 2017 Buick Encores due to a risk that air bags and seat belt pretensioners might not deploy during crashes, potentially causing injury. Owners should contact GM customer service for free repairs. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1225639-buick-encore-2017-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-in.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1225639-buick-encore-2017-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-in · Updated October 9, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #16V651000
Cite this page
“Buick Encore (2017) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury in Crashes.” GovInfoNow, updated October 9, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1225639-buick-encore-2017-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-in. Based on NHTSA recall #16V651000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=16V651000).
Why it’s dangerous
In some driving conditions, the vehicle's air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software may trigger a diagnostic test. During this test, the front air bags and seat belt pretensioners won't deploy if a crash occurs, increasing injury risk.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2017 Buick Encores are affected. Drivers and front passengers are most at risk during crashes.
How to tell if you have this one
Check for 2017 Buick Encore models. The recall covers vehicles with specific software issues that may not deploy air bags during crashes.
- Brand
Buick- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact GM Customer Service
Reach out to GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 for repair instructions.
Get Software Update
GM will reflash the SDM software for free to fix the air bag deployment issue.
Replace SDM if Needed
Vehicles with previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced at no cost.
What NHTSA says to do
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 2 months.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Keep exploring
Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #16V651000 (August 9, 2016)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 9, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.