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1990 Cadillac Allante

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1990 Cadillac Allante do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 27.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 4 of 40 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Air. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

40 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

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

NHTSA ODI #741245

Mileage 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 19, 1999
Service Brakes, Air

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 ODI #710222

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

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

3

EA99017 · 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