1991 Cadillac Allante

I ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED THIS REPORT WHEN IT HAPPENED. WHEN I SAW A LIST OF ALL THE ALLANTES WITH THE FAILURE, I NOTICED MU127092 WASN'T ON IT. I WAS TOLD TO RESUBMIT. ANYWAY, I RUN THE LOCAL ALLANTE CAR CLUB HERE IN ST. LOUIS AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW NERVOUS OUR 87-92 MEMBERS/OWNERS ARE. THEY ARE SCARED TO DRIVE THEIR CARS BECAUSE THEY COULD LOSE THEIR ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM WITH OUT ANY WARNING. ALMOST ALL OF THEM WON'T LET THEIR WIVES DRIVE OR LET THE KIDS RIDE ALONG BECAUSE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY FAILURE. THIS HAPPENED ON MY OTHER ALLANTE AS WELL (NU126027) THE CAR WAS LOW MILEAGE, IN PERFECT SHAPE, AND INSPECTED CONSTANTLY. IT HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THAT CAR HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE HYDRO SYSTEM REPLACED ALONG WITH $6,000 IN OTHER BRAKE COMPONENTS BEFORE THE COMPUTER SAID THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS SAFE (A TOTAL OF $8,500.IN PARTS/SERVICE). IT TOOK 7 WEEKS BECAUSE CADILLAC WOULDN'T RESPOND TO SERVICE QUERIES BY MY DEALER. CADILLAC IS TERRIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE BRAKING SYSTEMS BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT A PROBLEM THEY HAVE ON THERE HANDS. THE CAR I'M REPORTING NOW, MU127092 WAS ROUGHLY $2,300 IN SERVICE AND 2 WEEKS TO REPAIR. ONE OF OUR MEMBERS HAD A BRAKE FAILURE ON HIS 88 AND HAD TO STORE HIS ALLANTE BECAUSE HE CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLCE THE SYSTEM. I CURRENTLY OWN TWO 93 ALLANTE AS WELL; BOTH WITH THE TRADITIONAL BOSCH II VACUUM POWERED SYSTEM USED ON ALL OTHER CADILLACS. I CAN DRIVE THOSE CARS WITHOUT WORRY. IT WOULD BE A BLESSING TO HAVE CADILLAC REPLACE OUR BOSCH III HYDRO SYSTEMS WITH THE BOSCH II VACUUM BOOST SYSTEM. THEN WE ALL COULD DRIVE OUR WONDERFUL CARS WITH CONFIDENCE RATHER THAN WHITE KNUCKLE FEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOU HELP. J. HESLOP, FOUNDER, GATEWAY REGION - ALLANTE APPRECIATION GROUP. *AK

BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED AND BRAKE LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON - I WAS IN A PARKING LOT SO I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. HOWEVER, THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL UNDER BRAKING AND I DRIVE IT ONLY OCCASIONALLY NOW. THE DEALER LOOKED AT IT ONCE AND REPLACED A SWITCH BUT THIS DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT TIME THEY SAID THAT IT NEEDS A PART THAT WILL COST UPWARDS OF $2600.00, I HAVE NOT YET FIXED THIS BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THIS SYSTEM WAS POORLY DESIGNED AND SHOULD NOT FAIL TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS THIS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS.

WHILE TRAVELING 70-80MPH I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN AT ABOUT 40MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL LIFTED MY FOOT UP. I THEN PRESSED HARDER ON THE PEDAL AND WAS UNABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICAL DOWN. FINALLY AFTER 2 SECONDS THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE CAR SKIDDED OUT OF CONTROL. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE CAR WENT UP A CURB. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTICED. I, THE DRIVER, WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE CAR. I HIT MY HEAD ON THE SIDE WINDOW DUE TO IMPACT ON CURB.