Buick Encore (2017) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury in Crashes
GM recalls 2017 Buick Encore vehicles with potential air bag failure during crashes. Owners must contact GM for free software update or SDM replacement if previous deployment occurred.
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
GM is recalling 2017 Buick Encore vehicles due to a risk that air bags may not deploy during crashes, increasing injury risk for drivers and front passengers. Owners must get a free software update or SDM replacement if their vehicle has had a previous air bag deployment. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1225640-buick-encore-2017-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-in.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1225640-buick-encore-2017-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-in · Updated October 7, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #17V437000
Cite this page
“Buick Encore (2017) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury in Crashes.” GovInfoNow, updated October 7, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1225640-buick-encore-2017-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-in. Based on NHTSA recall #17V437000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=17V437000).
Why it’s dangerous
The air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software may not properly activate air bags or seat belt pretensioners during crashes. This happens when the vehicle's software triggers a diagnostic test under certain driving conditions, preventing deployment when needed.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2017 Buick Encore vehicles are affected. Drivers and front passengers are at higher risk if the air bags fail to deploy during crashes.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your vehicle is a 2017 Buick Encore. The recall affects vehicles that may not have received the complete software update for this issue, even if previously addressed in another recall.
- Brand
Buick- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact GM Customer Service
Reach out to GM at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC at 1-800-462-8782 for free repair options.
Get Software Update
GM will reflash the SDM software for free to fix the air bag deployment issue.
Replace SDM if Needed
If your vehicle has had a previous air bag deployment, GM will replace the SDM 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 August 4, 2017. 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 17287.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 2 months.
- Recall began
- NHTSA received the defect report
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
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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 #17V437000 (October 7, 2017)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 7, 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.