AI DamageCadillac Allante: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Cadillac Allante across 8 model years: 197 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 89% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 4% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 2% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 1% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 1% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 1% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 176 complaints (89% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 8 complaints (4% of all).
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (3% of all).
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (3% of all).
- Equipment: 3 complaints (2% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.1 L · petrol · 8 cyl 1987–1988
- 4.5 L · petrol · 8 cyl 1989–1992
- 4.6 L · petrol · 8 cyl 1993
- automatic, 4-speed 1987–1993
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 197 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 176 | 6 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
While reversing at 10 mph brakes failed , causing the consumer to hit the vehicle in the rear. The brake pedal was hard when depressed. Consumer read in the owner's manual that the vehicle had dual brakes. Meaning, if one part fails the other part would work to stop the vehicle.
The dealer could not find a solution for the current brake failures. The consumer says the vehicle was dangerous to drive.
Three total brake failures to date. Two resulted in accidents when the allante had to be crashed into trucks on each occassion to stop without injury to pedestrians. Property damage in each case was about $1,000 to the allante and $2,000 to the trucks in each case.
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 contact stated that while driving 35 mph, an abnormal noise was emitted from the vehicle as the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The contact took the vehicle to a repair shop for inspection where they advised that the air compressor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.