NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
34 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Jan 11, 2001
Service Brakes, HydraulicSteeringInjury
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, LACERA…
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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 ODI #558882
Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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 ODI #735421
Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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 B…
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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 ODI #723844
Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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 PRO…
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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 ODI #723546
Mileage unknown · Feb 16, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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 APPR…
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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 ODI #718820
Mileage unknown · Sep 15, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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 ODI #711380
Mileage unknown · Aug 3, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 74,000. *AK
NHTSA ODI #844220
Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
NO SUMMARY
NHTSA ODI #709493
Mileage unknown · Jul 18, 1999
Power TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic
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 INFORMA…
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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 ODI #708763
Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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 ODI #707983
NHTSA investigations
3EA99017 · Braking System Failure
Opened Jun 30, 1999 · Closed Dec 28, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
No summary supplied.
PE99012 · Braking System
Opened Feb 5, 1999 · Closed Jun 30, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
CONSUMERS ALLEGE A PARTIAL OR TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY
DP99001 · Braking System
Opened Jan 6, 1999 · Closed Feb 8, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THE PETITIONER ALLEGE TOTAL LOSS OF ALL BRAKING ABILITY WITHOUT WARNING