RoadVitals

1990 Cadillac Allante Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
38
Latest Sep 20, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
95%
of 40 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1990 Cadillac Allante submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 38 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming brake

The 25 most recent of 38, in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed Sep 20, 2014

OVER THE LAST MONTH, WHILE BRAKING THE DRIVER INFO DISPLAY WOULD SHOW ANTILOCK-TRACTION DISABLED, THEN WOULD FLASH ANTILOCK OK, TRACTION OK. VEHICLE SEEMED TO BRAKE JUST FINE AND SINCE THE DISPLAY SAID IT WAS OK I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM, THEN ON 9/20/2014 WHILE DRIVING HOME DOWN MY STREET THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. THIS HAPPENED ALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE LAST TIME THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF TROUBLE. FROM WHAT I HEAR THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR CADILLAC ALLANTE FROM 87-92. I KNOW THAT THERE WERE NOT MANY OF THESE CARS MADE (ABOUT 3000 PER YEAR) BUT IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THEN I FEEL THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED, SINCE IT IS SAFETY RELATED. MY GRANDSON IS GETTING HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR AND I WAS GOING TO GIVE HIM THIS VEHICLE...NOW I HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS..I CAN'T BELIEVE GM WOULD ALLOW SUCH A VEHICLE TO BE ON THE HIGHWAYS. THIS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME *TR

NHTSA ID
10637771
Incident
Sep 20, 2014
Mileage
88,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Apr 19, 2010

POWER ASSIST BRAKE FAILURE. BRAKES ARE OPERATING AT 10 PER CENT BY PUMPING TO A GRADUAL STOP. DOWN-SHIFTING AND PANIC PUMPING AVOIDED A CRASH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10326428
Incident
Apr 18, 2010
Mileage
73,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Apr 10, 2008
Crash reported

WITHOUT WARNING, BRAKES ON MY 1990 CADILLAC ALLANTE FAILED AND I RAN INTO A TRUCK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10224052
Incident
Apr 4, 2008
Mileage
70,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Dec 3, 2003

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKES THEY FAILED COMPLETELY, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC STATED MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY WHICH CAUSED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. *AK *PH

NHTSA ID
10044750
Incident
Oct 14, 2003
Mileage
36,758 mi
Brakes
Filed May 24, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
762253
Incident
Mar 1, 2002
Brakes
Filed May 21, 2002

WHILE DRVING, ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. POWER WENT OUT, AND HAD TO APPLY BRAKES MANUALLY TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATES UNABLE TO GET PARTS TO REPAIR. *TT

NHTSA ID
8010233
Incident
Apr 1, 2002
Brakes
Filed Jan 24, 2002

BRAKES FAILED ELECTRONICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

NHTSA ID
757301
Brakes
Filed Oct 26, 2001

AFTER FAILURE AND NEAR ACCIDENT, CADILLAC CORPORATION SAID THEY HAD AN INEXPENSIVE WAY TO REMEDY PROBLEM. THEY INSTALLED A BOOSTER TO ADD PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL. COST WAS $700. THIS DID NOT WORK. ANOTHER FAILURE DRIVING HOME WHICH ALMOST CAUSED ANOTHER ACCIDENT. NOW TOLD MUST REPLACE THE PUMP WHICH I DID. COST $3,382. I ASKED FOR THE OLD PART. SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARE ME ANOTHER $500 CORE CHARGE. I UNDERSTAND THIS BOSH BRAKE SYSTEM WAS THE SAME BRAKE SYSTEM RECALLED ON CHRYSLER VEHICLES. ALTHOUGH MANY MORE CHRYSLERS WERE SOLD THEN CADILLAC ALLANTE'S THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND LOSS OF LIFE. I AM TOLD THIS IS A MAJOR FAILURE IN ALLANTES'*AK

NHTSA ID
753746
Incident
Sep 4, 2001
Brakes
Filed Oct 25, 2001

I RECIEVED AN ANTILOCK DISABLED MESSAGE AND WITHIN 1 MILE THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED. THE CAR STILL HAD GOOD BRAKE PEDAL, BUT NO BRAKES AT ALL. THE EMERGENCY BRAKES FAILED AS WELL. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS 3:30 AM AND NO TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO SWING INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT AND CIRCLE UNTIL THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. UPON TALKING TO SEVERAL OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT OCCURANCE WITH THESE CARS. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE CADILLAC DOES SOMETHING ABOUT THIS POTIENTIALLY FATAL FLAW?*AK

NHTSA ID
753645
Incident
Oct 23, 2001
Brakes
Filed Oct 10, 2001

ABS/MASTER CYL INDER FAILURE. CAR HAS A HARD BRAKE PEDAL AND WILL NOT STOP AS IT SHOULD. REPLACEMENT PART FROM CADILLAC HAS A LIST PRICE OF $3,066.00 PLUS ABOUT $500.00 IN LABOR. GM KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH 87-93 ALLANTES AND SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL THEM AND REPAIR THEM AT NO CHARGE. THEY SHOULD ALSO REINBURST ALL COMSUMERS WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THIS REPAIR. THIS IS TYPICAL GM NOT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
753078
Incident
Oct 8, 2001
Brakes
Filed Feb 20, 2001

LOST ALL BRAKING WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH. WHAT ARE MANUFACTURERS RESPONSIBILITY?*AKK

NHTSA ID
741245
BrakesSteering
Filed Jan 11, 2001
1 injury reported

WHILE EXITING THE HIGHWAY THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND WHEN DEPRESSED, CONSUMER TRIED TO STEER CLEAR OF AN UTILITY POLE BUT THE STEERING DID NOT SEEM TO RESPOND CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HIT THE UTILITY POLE, CONSUMER SUFFERED A FRACTURED LEFT WRIST, FRACTURED RIGHT ANKLE, MULTIPLE LACERATIONS ON THE RIGHT HAND AND LOWER ARM, LACERATIONS AROUND RIGHT EYE, BRUISED SHOULDER AND CHEST, BRUISED KNEE AND STRAINED MUSCLES IN LEFT SHOULDER AND NECK. NLM

NHTSA ID
558882
Brakes
Filed Oct 30, 2000

ABS BRAKES DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. PUT TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND PUMPED THE PARKING BRAKE.THIS WAS A LIFE THREATENING EPISODE. *AK .

NHTSA ID
735421
Incident
Oct 28, 2000
Brakes
Filed Jun 10, 2000

OVER THE LAST YEAR WHILE BRAKING THE DRIVER INFO DISPLAY WOULD SHOW ANTILOCK-TRACTION DISABLED, THEN WOULD FLASH ANTILOCK OK, TRACTION OK. VEHICLE SEEMED TO BRAKE JUST FINE AND SINCE THE DISPLAY SAID IT WAS OK I DID'NT THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM, THEN ON 5-30-00 WHILE DRIVING HOME DOWN MY STREET THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. THIS HAPPENED ALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE LAST TIME THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF TROUBLE. FROM WHAT I HEAR THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR CADILLAC ALLANTE FROM 87-92. IKNOW THAT THERE WERE NOT MANY OF THESE CARS MADE (ABOUT 3000 PER YEAR) BUT IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THEN I FEEL THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED, SINCE IT IS SAFTEY RELATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
723844
Incident
May 30, 2000
Brakes
Filed Jun 4, 2000

ODI ACTION NUMBER: EA99-017 I GOT A MESSAGE ON MY MESSAGE CENTER THAT MY ALLANTE'S ABS SYSTEM WAS DISABLED SO I TOOK IT INTO MY DEALER. ON THE WAY THE BRAKES WENT TOTALLY OUT, ALMOST CAUSING AT LEAST ONE ACCIDENT. NOW I AM FINDING OUT FROM OTHER OWNERS OF CADILLAC ALLANTES THAT THIS IS HOW THE FOUND OUT ABOUT A MODEL WIDE PROBLEM. YOUR BRAKES GO OUT IS HOW YOU FIND YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR BRAKES. I HAD DRIVEN FEWER THAN TEN MILES AFTER RECEIVING THE WARNING. AND THE WARNING WAS NOT BRAKE FAILURE, BUT JUST ABS WHICH I HAVE NEVER REALLY USED. CADILLAC MADE VERY FEW OF THESE MODELS, BUT THE PROBLEM IS RAMPANT IN ALL OF THEM UP TO 1993. ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? *AK

NHTSA ID
723546
Incident
Jun 1, 2000
Brakes
Filed Feb 16, 2000

I CANNOT APPLY BRAKES WITHOUT LOSING THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM. I RETAIN SOME BRAKING, BUT IT IS THE MANUAL BRAKING AND NOT THE ABS. THIS FAILURE STARTED AROUND 60000 MILES IN 1998 AND I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS IN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE KNOWING THAT I WON'T HAVE ABS. I'M A MEBER OF THE ALLANTE APPRECIATION GROUP AND HAVE READ APPROX (40) FAILURES OF SAME FROM OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT OUR WEBSITE AND YOU'LL ALWAYS FIND SOME MEMBER COMPLAINING OF A FAILURE OF THE ABS. *AK

NHTSA ID
718820
Incident
Feb 15, 2000
Brakes
Filed Sep 15, 1999

DRIVING AT 45 MPH, A WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH AND I EXPERIENCED, SUDDEN AND COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE, USED EMERGENCY BRAKE AND TRANSMISSION TO STOP.

NHTSA ID
711380
Incident
Sep 11, 1999
Brakes
Filed Aug 19, 1999

FAILURE STARTED WITH: ABS/TRACTION CONTROL FAIL LIGHTS AND READ-OUT ON THE DIC & HVAC PANEL ALONG WITH BRAKE PEDDLE 'THUMP' (NORMAL). THIN FINAL LOSS OF ALL BRAKEING DUE TO ACCUMULATOR AND HI-PRESS PUMP LOSS.CODE 63 WAS NOTICED BUT WAS UNABLE TO ISOLATE.

NHTSA ID
710222
Incident
Oct 21, 1998
Brakes
Filed Aug 3, 1999

ABS BRAKE SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 74,000. *AK

NHTSA ID
844220
Brakes
Filed Aug 2, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID
709493
Incident
Jul 8, 1998
Brakes
Filed Jul 30, 1999

ANTILOCK BRAKES REQUIRE REPAIR...CAR STILL HAS STOPPING POWER BUT NO ANTILOCK AT TIMES

NHTSA ID
709416
BrakesTransmission
Filed Jul 18, 1999

EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE EVERY TIME I STEP ON THE BRAKES I RECEIVE A MOMENTARY DROP IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHAT APPEARS TO BE A LOUD CLICKING COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH AREA AND THEN A REFIRMING OF THE BRAKE PEDAL JUST BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. ALL THE TIME THIS IS HAPPENING I AM RECEIVING A MESSAGE ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER, ANTI-LOCK DISABLED, TRACTION CONTROL DISABLED FOLLOWED BY ANTI-LOCK O.K., TRACTION CONTROL O.K. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AND SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE I HAVE TALKED TO OTHERS WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND I DO NOT FEEL THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I FEEL THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE OR WARRANTY TIME.

NHTSA ID
708763
Incident
Dec 5, 1998
Brakes
Filed Jun 28, 1999

THERE HAS BEEN MANY ALLANTES WITH SAME PROBLEMS. PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR A FATALITY!SEE OTHER PEOPLES COMMENTS AND PROBLEMS ON ALLANTE NET: HTTP://WWW.ALLANTE.ORG/ NO AFETY DEFECTS MENTIONED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID
707983
Incident
Mar 15, 1998
Brakes
Filed Jun 2, 1999

HYDRAULIC UNIT FOR BRAKES FAILED. MJS

NHTSA ID
545900
Incident
May 1, 1999
Brakes
Filed May 19, 1999

3 APPLICATIONS OF BRAKES AFTER FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON. "DROVE" CAREFULLY TO DEALER, USING GEARS TO "BRAKE." REPLACED PUMP ASSEMBLY AND RELAY ASSEMBLY.

NHTSA ID
706650
Incident
Feb 18, 1999

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

Data on this page last refreshed .