Manager Tells Buick Dealership Saleswoman To Sell Encores. Then She Drives 5 Of Them And Realizes None Of Them Work

When you get to a car dealership, you hope that every brand new car you see is in pristine condition.

After all, these cars are supposed to be new. If that’s the case, surely these are in the best condition that they will ever be in.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Whether it’s due to being left out on the lot for too long or a technical issue with the car itself, there’s no guarantee that every car on the lot is ready to drive.

This can sometimes put salespeople in an awkward position, as one Buick seller recently learned. But who — or what — is at fault?

What’s Wrong With The Buicks?

Car saleswoman and TikTok creator Shelby (@shelbykmcnamee) recently shared an experience she had trying to sell the Buick Encore GX. According to Shelby, her attempts to sell the car hit a considerable snag.

“Today I'm selling a car, right? And it's one of these five Encores that my managers gave us to spot last week,” she says. “So, I've been working it up. I've been trying to sell it, right?”

“Come to find out — I'm out here for an hour, two hours looking for one of them that works. None of them do. They're all dead. They all got something going,” she continues.

While Shelby complains about her current predicament, she says that she plans to “keep on trucking.” But how could something like this happen in the first place?

Is This A Common Problem With The Buick Encore GX?

The Buick Encore GX is a reasonably well-reviewed car. On Kelley Blue Book, the vehicle has an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars — and Edmunds rated the car 7 out of 10.

But just because a car is well-reviewed, that doesn’t mean that it’s without issue. In fact, several Buick Encore GX owners claim that they have faced similar issues while trying to get theirs to start.

In June, a forum user claimed that their brand-new Encore GX struggled to start, even after the dealership replaced both its battery and engine control module. On Reddit, another self-described Encore GX owner alleged that “once in a while” their car stalls at startup. At least one other commenter in the thread claimed to have the same problem.

General Motors appears to be aware of the issue. In a July service bulletin, GM acknowledged potential engine stalling and starting difficulties in the 2026 Encore GX. The bulletin claimed that GM engineers were currently investigating the issue, though they had not figured out a repair. In the meantime, the company suggested turning off the car’s Auto Stop feature.

Gallery: 2024 Buick Encore GX

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Source: General Motors

Could It Be The Dealership’s Fault?

All of that said, this may not have happened because there’s something wrong with the Encore. The ones in Shelby’s lot may have simply had dead batteries.

While it may sound silly, dead batteries are a common problem on car lots. After all, a car battery is recharged through use — and if a vehicle sits unused for too long, its battery can drain.

This explains why other dealership workers have reported the same problem in different makes and models. For example, one Reddit user claimed that, after surveying their lot, they found three cars with dead batteries. In that same thread, another person wrote that it “feels like every car is either low on gas or dead.”

This, too, has been acknowledged by GM. In 2022, the company issued a service bulletin to dealers advising them to monitor car battery levels and charge as needed.

Drivers Blame The Cars

Even though the true cause of the problem is unclear, some people in the comments section were quick to blame GM and Buick.

“We have the same issue with batteries on our Buicks!!!” exclaimed one user.

“I had to stop working at a General Motors dealership because their vehicles are so unreliable,” offered another. “I now work where the vehicles are a lot more reliable and I am a lot happier.”

“And people wonder why it is suggested to get the extended warranty. None of these cars these days are reliable. So people deny the warranty and then come and complain when their [expletive] breaks,” wrote a third.

Motor1 reached out to Shelby via TikTok direct message and comment. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.