1990 Cadillac Allante

Routine

Owners filed 40 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip26
100
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components5
101
Service Brakes, Air › Antilock3
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder2
000
Structure › Body › Roof and Pillars1
000
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Service Brakes1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline06E043000
Filed May 19, 200688,303 vehiclesHoneywell International, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. (TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SIZES, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.

Risk. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN INADEQUATE SEAL AT THE CONNECTION, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FUEL LEAK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.

Remedy. HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed Sep 20, 201488,000 milesWA

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Apr 19, 201073,000 milesTX

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash
Filed Apr 10, 200870,000 milesMI

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Dec 3, 200336,758 milesFL

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed May 24, 2002KY

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed May 21, 2002KY

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jan 24, 2002FL

BRAKES FAILED ELECTRONICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Oct 26, 2001MA

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Oct 25, 2001GA

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Oct 10, 2001PA

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 20, 2001PA

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1 injured
Filed Jan 11, 2001OR

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Oct 30, 2000MD

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 .

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Jun 10, 2000TX

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jun 4, 2000CA

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 16, 2000TX

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Sep 15, 1999TX

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.

Service Brakes, Air › Antilock
Filed Aug 19, 1999WA

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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Aug 3, 1999FL

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Aug 2, 1999GA

NO SUMMARY

20 of 40 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1990
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19951000Routine
19939120Routine
199223100Routine
199132100Routine
1990 — this page40100Routine

Compare every Allante year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: May 19, 2006. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.