Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Seats and Restraints 25
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of
the restraint is at the same height as the
top of the occupant's head. This position
reduces the chances of a neck injury in a
crash.
The height of the head restraint can be
adjusted. Pull the head restraint up to raise
it. Try to move the head restraint to make
sure that it is locked in place.
To lower the head restraint, press the
button, located on the top of the seatback,
and push the head restraint down. Try to
move the head restraint after the button is
released to make sure that it is locked in
place.The front seat outboard head restraints are
not removable.
Rear Seats
The rear seats have head restraints in the
outboard seating positions that can be
lowered for better visibility when the rear
seat is unoccupied.
To lower the head restraint, press the
button, located on the top of the seatback,
and push the head restraint down.
When an occupant is in the seat, always
return the head restraint to the upright
position. Pull the head restraint up and push
it rearward until it locks into place. Push and
pull on the head restraint to make sure that
it is locked.
If you are installing a child restraint in the
rear seat, see
“Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System” under
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 054.
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment
{Warning
You can lose control of the vehicle if you
try to adjust a driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. Adjust the driver seat
only when the vehicle is not moving.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
28 Seats and Restraints
There is an armrest on the inboard side of
the driver seat. To raise or lower the
armrest, push up or pull down on the
armrest.
Folding Seatback
The front passenger seatback folds flat.
{Warning
If you fold the seatback forward to carry
longer objects, such as skis, be sure any
such cargo is not near an airbag. In a
crash, an inflating airbag might force that
object toward a person. This could cause
severe injury or even death. Secure
objects away from the area in which an
airbag would inflate. For more
information, seeWhere Are the Airbags?
0 40 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0170.
{Warning
Things you put on this seatback can
strike and injure people in a sudden stop
or turn, or in a crash. Remove or secure
all items before driving. To fold the seatback:
1. Lower the head restraint all the way. See Head Restraints 024.
2. Move the seat as far back as possible. See Seat Adjustment 025.
3. Lift the lever fully and fold the seatback
forward.
If necessary, move the seat belt out of
the way to access the lever.
4. Continue lowering the seatback until it is completely folded and locks in place.
To raise the seatback: 1. Lift the lever fully to unlock the seatback. Then, raise the seatback and
push it rearward until it re-engages. 2. Push and pull on the seatback to make
sure it is locked in place.
{Warning
If either seatback is not locked, it could
move forward in a sudden stop or crash.
That could cause injury to the person
sitting there. Always push and pull on
the seatbacks to be sure they are locked.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Reminder
If equipped, the message REAR SEAT
REMINDER LOOK IN REAR SEAT displays
under certain conditions indicating there
may be an item or passenger in the rear
seat. Check before exiting the vehicle.
This feature will activate when a second row
door is opened while the vehicle is on or up
to 10 minutes before the vehicle is turned
on. There will be an alert when the vehicle
is turned off. The alert does not directly
detect objects in the rear seat; instead,
under certain conditions, it detects when a
rear door is opened and closed, indicating
that there may be something in the
rear seat.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
36 Seats and Restraints
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle. The belt should return to its stowed
position.
Always stow the seat belt slowly. If the seat
belt webbing returns quickly to the stowed
position, the retractor may lock and cannot
be pulled out. If this happens, pull the seat
belt straight out firmly to unlock the
webbing, and then release it. If the webbing
is still locked in the retractor, see your
dealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure the seat belt
is out of the way. If a door is slammed
against a seat belt, damage can occur to
both the seat belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height
adjuster for the driver and front outboard
passenger seating positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder portion of
the belt is on the shoulder and not falling
off of it. The belt should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper shoulder belt
height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the seat belt in a crash. See
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly033.
To move the shoulder belt height adjuster
down, push down on the release button and
move the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move the height adjuster
up by pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired
position, try to move it down without
pushing the release button to make sure it
has locked into position.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has seat belt pretensioners for
the front outboard occupants. Although the
seat belt pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the seat belt assembly. They can
help tighten the seat belts during the early
stages of a moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner activation are
met. Seat belt pretensioners can also help
tighten the seat belts in a side crash or a
rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash, the
pretensioners and probably other parts of
the vehicle's seat belt system will need to
be replaced. See
Replacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash 038.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Seats and Restraints 61
Head Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation
The rear outboard head restraints can be
removed if they interfere with the proper
installation of the child restraint.
To remove the head restraint:1. Partially fold the seatback forward. See Rear Seats 028.
2. Press both buttons on the head restraint
posts at the same time, and pull up on
the head restraint.
3. Store the head restraint in a secure place. 4. When the child restraint is removed,
reinstall the head restraint before the
seating position is used.
{Warning
With head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly, there is a
greater chance that occupants will suffer
a neck/spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for all
occupants are installed and adjusted
properly.
To reinstall the head restraint:
1. Insert the head restraint posts into the holes in the top of the seatback. The
notches on the posts must face the
driver side of the vehicle.
2. Push the head restraint down.
If necessary, press the height adjustment
release button to further lower the head
restraint. See Rear Seats028.
3. Try to move the head restraint to make sure it is locked in place.
Replacing LATCH System Parts
After a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the LATCH system in
the vehicle. A damaged LATCH system
may not properly secure the child
restraint, resulting in serious injury or
even death in a crash. To help make sure
the LATCH system is working properly
after a crash, see your dealer to have the
system inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system and it
was being used during a crash, new LATCH
system parts may be needed.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Instruments and Controls 71
Instruments and Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . 78
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . 80
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . 83
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . 86
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Engine Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization (8 Inch Screen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Vehicle Personalization (7 Inch Screen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Pull or push the steering wheel closer or away from you.
4. Lift the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
310 Index
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
StabiliTrakOFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . .106, 139
Stoplamps and Back-Up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Storage Areas
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Cargo Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Underseat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Struts
Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
System
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Roof Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Systems Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Text Messaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Tires (cont'd)
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 245
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 247
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . 243
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Towing General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . 132
Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181