1987 Cadillac Allante Brakes Problems

THIS PAST WEEKEND THE BRAKES ON MY 1987 ALLANTE COMPLETELY FAILED LEAVING ME WITH ONLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND DOWN SHIFTING. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVELED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE HOSE FROM THE PUMP TO THE BRAKE UNIT ON THE FIREWALL DEVELOPED A PIN-HOLE; THIS ALLOWED THE SYSTEM TO PUMP ALL OF THE BRAKE FLUID OVERBOARD IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. FROM THE TIME THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED UNTIL I LOST ALL BRAKES WAS A MATTER OF A FEW SECONDS. HAD I BEEN ON A DIFFERENT ROAD OR HAD MY DAUGHTER BEEN DRIVING THE CAR THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10164725

Incident

Aug 6, 2006

Mileage

130,000 mi

ABS BRAKE FAILURE. I HAVE CONTACTED ALL CADILLAC DEALERS IN ST LOUIS AREA AND THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SYSTEM. IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVABLE NOW FOR 2 YEARS,AND IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1987 ALLANTES. *CB

NHTSA ID

10054297

Incident

Jun 4, 2002

Mileage

99,157 mi

BOSCH ABS FAILURES ARE A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL CADILLAC. *AK

NHTSA ID

757488

Incident

Nov 21, 2001

I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS WHO HAVE REPORTED BRAKE FAILURES WITH THE BOSCH III ABS SYSTEM INSTALLED ON THESE CARS. THIS FAILURE IS CATASTROPHIC BECAUSE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM REQUIRES AT LEAST 3 1/2 PUMPS OF THE ACTUATOR, BUT CANNOT BE ENGAGED WITH THE CAR IN GEAR. ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER WILL WARN OF COMPONENT PROBLEMS WITH THE SYSTEM USING A SERIES OF COMPLICATED CODES, IT IMPLIES THAT THAT ABS SYSTEM CAN BE DEACTIVATED AND THE BRAKES WILL STILL FUNCTION. THAT MAY BE CORRECT OR MAY NOT. IN SOME CASES, PEOPLE HAVE DRIVEN FOR A YEAR WITH THESE WARNINGS APPEARING INTERMITTENTLY, ONLY TO HAVE COMPLETE FAILURE OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. IN OTHERS, THE BRAKES FAILED ALMOST AS SOON AS THE WARNINGS APPEARED. WORSE YET, THE WARNINGS SEEM TO IMPLY THAT THE BRAKES WILL FUNCTION WITH THE "ABS SYSTEM DISABLED". IN SOME CASES THEY DO, BUT COMPLETE AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WILL OCCUR AT SOME COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE TIME IN THE FUTURE. THIS CIRCUMSTANCE IS ABSOLUTELY INTOLERABLE AND CONSTITUTES A MAJOR SAFETY THREAT TO THE OWNER AND THE PUBLIC. THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS SYSTEM WILL RUN FROM $1500-4000, AND NEITHER CADILLAC NOR BOSCH HAS MADE ANY EFFORT TO "PATCH" OR UPDATE THE DESIGN, PROVIDE A MORE FAILSAFE SYSTEM, OR SUBSIDIZE IN ANY WAY THE COST OF THESE REPAIRS. I AM AWARE OF NO OTHER CAR WHOSE ESSENTIAL BRAKING SYSTEM WILL REQUIRE THOUSANDS TO MAINTAIN OR ABSOLUTELY WILL EITHER COST THOUSANDS THAVE COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WILL SUFFER CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITHIN 140,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

736098

Incident

Nov 9, 2000

ABS SYSTEMS ON ALLANTES DEFECTIVE--NHSTA ENGINEERS INVESTIGATING?

NHTSA ID

731858

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

724735

AT 65MPH APPLIED BRAKES WHEN VEHICLE AHEAD VEERED INTO MY LANE. BRAKE PEDAL SLAMMED TO THE FLOOR. RELEASED BRAKES AND SMOOTHLY REAPPLIED PRESSURE. PEDAL JUMPED UP APPROX HALF WAY. RELEASED PRESSURE AGAIN AND EASED PEDAL DOWN AGAIN. NORMAL BRAKING WAS REGAINED. HAD BRAKES REBUILT IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. NO APPARENT PROBLEMS.*AK

NHTSA ID

724611

Incident

Feb 15, 2000

THE PROBLEM IS MY ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAIL AT TIMES AND THEN RETURN TO NORMAL, I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 25 YEARS AND I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM . I HAVE READ OF MANY OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

721637

Incident

Feb 1, 2000

THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. YH

NHTSA ID

551867

THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THE ALLANTE IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. IT IS A DANGER TO THOSE OF US WHO DRIVE THE CAR AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I NARROWLY AVOIDED REAR ENDING ANOTHER CAR AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL WHEN COMLETE BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED BY PULLING ON THE SHOULDER AND SLOWLY ROLLING TO A STOP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT NEARLY ALL ALLANTE OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS BREM FAILURES. THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND INJURY OCCURS. *AK

NHTSA ID

720604

Incident

Feb 15, 2000

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN A NORMAL FASHION, THE ANTI-LOCK MESSAGE IS LIT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS A 'CLICK' FEEL TO IT AS PRESSURE IS APPLIED. THE BRAKES DO LOCK UP IN A PANIC STOP. SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, THE ANTI-LOCK MESSAGE WILL FLASH ON THE INFORMATION CENTER EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MOVED OR THE BRAKES APPLIED. WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN, IF THE PEDAL IS GENTLY PUSHED THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON AND WARN OF ANTI-LOCK DISABLING. THEY WORK FINE THEN.

NHTSA ID

718489

Incident

Jan 3, 1999

MULTIPLE REPAIRS TO BRAKING SYSTEM. NOT QUALITY COMPONENTS

NHTSA ID

714621

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

711422

Incident

Sep 1, 1999

I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ALLANTE. THE ABS DISABLES AND THEN FULL BRAKE FAILURE HAPPENS. *AK

NHTSA ID

708856

Incident

Jul 8, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID

708459

Incident

Jul 9, 1999

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DISABLES WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED FIRMLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

706976

Incident

Apr 5, 1999

THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE THE MASTER CYLINDER UNIT PART #3636719. I ALSO REPORTED THE PREVIOUS FAILURE TO NHTSA. *AK

NHTSA ID

706481

Incident

May 11, 1999

THIS HAS BEEN MY THIRD TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE....I HAVE REPORTED ONE OTHER TO YOUR ORGANIZATION.......I'M 52 YEARS OLD.I DON'T DRIVE HARD OR FAST.THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.PLEASE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. PLEASE DO YOUR JOB. *AK

NHTSA ID

705873

Incident

Apr 22, 1999

TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. PART NUMBERS REPLACED INCLUDE: ACCUMULATOR 3520224, MASTER CYLINDER 3636719 AND THE F-MODULE AS (ECM) 1638548. FORTUNATELY, AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE I WAS SLOWING TO MAKE A TURN. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, I DOWN SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO LOW, KEPT GOING STRAIGHT AND STOPPED BY APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. DEALERSHIP INVOICE REPAIR ORDER # 173761 AND 172562. *AK

NHTSA ID

705778

Incident

Aug 11, 1997

ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE UNABLE TO STOP CAR WITHOUT PRESSING DOWN WITH BOTH FEET DEALER ADVIASES THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE CADILLAC ALLANTE THE GARAGE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE CAR AND SAID THE REPAIR COULD EASILY BE OVER 2OOO.00 DOLLARS THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THIS HAPPENS

NHTSA ID

705516

Incident

Mar 22, 1999

ABS BRAKES WENT OUT ABOUT 10 MONTHS AGO. REGULAR BRAKS WORK FINE, BUT ABS BRAKE LIGHTS MESSAGE, THAT THE ABS IS OUT, KEEPS COMING ON MY MESSAGE CENTER. I HAVE TRIED TO HAVE THE ABS DISCONNECTED TWICE, BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SYSTEM, AND CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED. ESTIMATES HAVE RANGED FROM $1000 TO $ 1800 TO REPAIR. I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN SHORT CHANGED BECAUSE I DRIVE LESS THAN 5000 MILES [ RETIRED] ANNUALLY, AND FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE ABS, AND I CAN'T. I ALSO KNOW THAT MY BRAKING SYSTEM CAN GO OUT AT ANY TIME, SO I EITHER PAY FOR SOMETHING I DON'T NEED, OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

705222

Incident

Jun 1, 1998

I HAD TO GUESS ON DATES BECAUSE SINCE LAST YEAR AT AROUND 90,000 MILES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE DISABLED ALMOST EVERY TIME I HIT THE BRAKES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN AND THE MECHANICS DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I'VE READ ABOUT IT ON THE WEB (THAT'S HOW I FOUND THIS PAGE TO COMPLAIN) AND APPARENTLY IT'S COMMON TO HAVE THIS VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR. I AM EXREMELY SCARED AND HAVE RECENTLY STOPPED DRIVING IT. THERE ARE NOT VERY MANY ALLANTE'S OUT THERE, BUT SINCE SO MANY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, I THINK THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO FIX IT. COULD YOU PLEASE INFORM ME OF ANY PROGRESS IN THE MATTER. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

704420

Incident

Feb 27, 1998

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED AND COMPLETE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS HAD REPORTED IT TO YOU, AND I WANTED TO ADD MY EXPERIENCE TO THEIRS. AS THIS WAS FAR FROM BEING AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AS I WAS INFORMED BY BOTH CADILLAC'S 800, AS WELL AS BY THE DEALER, I BELIEVE THAT CADILLAC MOTOR CAR DIVISION SHOULD ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS COMPONENT FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID

703540

Incident

Feb 6, 1997

ABS READS DISABLED ON INFO CENTER IN CAR

NHTSA ID

702155

Incident

Nov 2, 1998

UNDER NORMAL BRAKING CONDITIONS BRAKES WORK AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO, BUT IF ANY ADDITIONAL BRAKING PRESSURE IS NEEDED THE BRAKES FAIL WHILE DISPLAYING A MESSAGE THAT THE ABS IS DISABLED. AGAIN, THIS FAILURE WILL OCCUR ANYTIME MORE THAN NORMAL BRAKE PRESSURE IS REQUIRED.

NHTSA ID

702144

Incident

Dec 27, 1998