1987 CADILLAC ALLANTE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1987 CADILLAC ALLANTE. THE VEHICLE HAS PIRELLI 2560VR15 TIRES. 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. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 160,000. UPDATED 09/18/07. *JB

Mileage: 160,000

THIS PAST WEEKEND THE BRAKES ON MY 1987 ALLANTE COMPLETELY FAILED LEAVING ME WITH ONLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND DOWN SHIFTING. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVELED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE HOSE FROM THE PUMP TO THE BRAKE UNIT ON THE FIREWALL DEVELOPED A PIN-HOLE; THIS ALLOWED THE SYSTEM TO PUMP ALL OF THE BRAKE FLUID OVERBOARD IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. FROM THE TIME THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED UNTIL I LOST ALL BRAKES WAS A MATTER OF A FEW SECONDS. HAD I BEEN ON A DIFFERENT ROAD OR HAD MY DAUGHTER BEEN DRIVING THE CAR THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. *NM

Mileage: 130,000

ABS BRAKE FAILURE. I HAVE CONTACTED ALL CADILLAC DEALERS IN ST LOUIS AREA AND THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SYSTEM. IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVABLE NOW FOR 2 YEARS,AND IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1987 ALLANTES. *CB

Mileage: 99,157

BOSCH ABS FAILURES ARE A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL CADILLAC. *AK

ELECTRICAL WITH THE TRANSMISSION-A NEW MAIN COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION PRINDL SWITCH WERE INSTALLED. I STARTED OUT AND HEARD A BIG BOOM. THE INNER PLANETARY TRANSMISSION HOUSING UNIT EXPLODED INTO CHUNKS OF METAL ALL OVER THE ROAD AND SPRAYING TRANSMISSION FLUID ONTO CATALYTIS CONVERTER CAUSING A FIRE. WIRING HARNESS AND RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE BURNT.

I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS WHO HAVE REPORTED BRAKE FAILURES WITH THE BOSCH III ABS SYSTEM INSTALLED ON THESE CARS. THIS FAILURE IS CATASTROPHIC BECAUSE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM REQUIRES AT LEAST 3 1/2 PUMPS OF THE ACTUATOR, BUT CANNOT BE ENGAGED WITH THE CAR IN GEAR. ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER WILL WARN OF COMPONENT PROBLEMS WITH THE SYSTEM USING A SERIES OF COMPLICATED CODES, IT IMPLIES THAT THAT ABS SYSTEM CAN BE DEACTIVATED AND THE BRAKES WILL STILL FUNCTION. THAT MAY BE CORRECT OR MAY NOT. IN SOME CASES, PEOPLE HAVE DRIVEN FOR A YEAR WITH THESE WARNINGS APPEARING INTERMITTENTLY, ONLY TO HAVE COMPLETE FAILURE OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. IN OTHERS, THE BRAKES FAILED ALMOST AS SOON AS THE WARNINGS APPEARED. WORSE YET, THE WARNINGS SEEM TO IMPLY THAT THE BRAKES WILL FUNCTION WITH THE "ABS SYSTEM DISABLED". IN SOME CASES THEY DO, BUT COMPLETE AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WILL OCCUR AT SOME COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE TIME IN THE FUTURE. THIS CIRCUMSTANCE IS A

ABS SYSTEMS ON ALLANTES DEFECTIVE--NHSTA ENGINEERS INVESTIGATING?

AT 65MPH APPLIED BRAKES WHEN VEHICLE AHEAD VEERED INTO MY LANE. BRAKE PEDAL SLAMMED TO THE FLOOR. RELEASED BRAKES AND SMOOTHLY REAPPLIED PRESSURE. PEDAL JUMPED UP APPROX HALF WAY. RELEASED PRESSURE AGAIN AND EASED PEDAL DOWN AGAIN. NORMAL BRAKING WAS REGAINED. HAD BRAKES REBUILT IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. NO APPARENT PROBLEMS.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. YH

THE PROBLEM IS MY ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAIL AT TIMES AND THEN RETURN TO NORMAL, I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 25 YEARS AND I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM . I HAVE READ OF MANY OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.

THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THE ALLANTE IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. IT IS A DANGER TO THOSE OF US WHO DRIVE THE CAR AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I NARROWLY AVOIDED REAR ENDING ANOTHER CAR AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL WHEN COMLETE BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED BY PULLING ON THE SHOULDER AND SLOWLY ROLLING TO A STOP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT NEARLY ALL ALLANTE OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS BREM FAILURES. THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND INJURY OCCURS. *AK

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN A NORMAL FASHION, THE ANTI-LOCK MESSAGE IS LIT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS A 'CLICK' FEEL TO IT AS PRESSURE IS APPLIED. THE BRAKES DO LOCK UP IN A PANIC STOP. SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, THE ANTI-LOCK MESSAGE WILL FLASH ON THE INFORMATION CENTER EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MOVED OR THE BRAKES APPLIED. WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN, IF THE PEDAL IS GENTLY PUSHED THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON AND WARN OF ANTI-LOCK DISABLING. THEY WORK FINE THEN.

MULTIPLE REPAIRS TO BRAKING SYSTEM. NOT QUALITY COMPONENTS

NO SUMMARY

I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ALLANTE. THE ABS DISABLES AND THEN FULL BRAKE FAILURE HAPPENS. *AK

NO SUMMARY

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DISABLES WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED FIRMLY. *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE THE MASTER CYLINDER UNIT PART #3636719. I ALSO REPORTED THE PREVIOUS FAILURE TO NHTSA. *AK

THIS HAS BEEN MY THIRD TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE....I HAVE REPORTED ONE OTHER TO YOUR ORGANIZATION.......I'M 52 YEARS OLD.I DON'T DRIVE HARD OR FAST.THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.PLEASE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. PLEASE DO YOUR JOB. *AK