1987 Cadillac Allante Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1987 Cadillac Allante, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes3278.0%
- Powertrain (other)24.9%
- Engine12.4%
- Interior & seats12.4%
- Tires & wheels12.4%
- Transmission12.4%
- Body & structure12.4%
- Visibility12.4%
- Electrical12.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
ELECTRICAL WITH THE TRANSMISSION-A NEW MAIN COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION PRINDL SWITCH WERE INSTALLED. I STARTED OUT AND HEARD A BIG BOOM. THE INNER PLANETARY TRANSMISSION HOUSING UNIT EXPLODED INTO CHUNKS OF METAL ALL OVER THE ROAD AND SPRAYING TRANSMISSION FLUID ONTO CATALYTIS CONVERTER CAUSING A FIRE. WIRING HARNESS AND RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE BURNT.
ABS INDICATOR LIGHT TURNED ON, PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS INDICATOR LIGHT TURNED ON, PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS INDICATOR LIGHT TURNED ON, PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1987 CADILLAC ALLANTE. THE VEHICLE HAS PIRELLI 2560VR15 TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A FIELD. SHE SUSTAINED CUTS TO THE FOREHEAD, A BRUISED LEFT LEG, AND A CONCUSSION. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE TIRES WERE NOT INSPECTED. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 160,000. UPDATED 09/18/07. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS INDICATOR LIGHT TURNED ON, PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS INDICATOR LIGHT TURNED ON, PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS INDICATOR LIGHT TURNED ON, PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .