CADILLAC ALLANTE · model year

1988 CADILLAC ALLANTE

22 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1988CADILLACALLANTE carries 22 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 ALLANTE is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 16 filings, followed by service brakes, air:antilock (3) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 1988 ALLANTE, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

22
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

22 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP16
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1

Recent Complaints

20010925SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

BRAKES WITH NO POWER ASSIST. BRAKE PEDAL BECAME VERY HARD. ABS WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED. VEHICLE WAS SLOW TO STOP. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER. HAD VEHICLE WORKED ON, BUT BRAKING PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR BLOCK AND RELAY NEEDED REPLACED. *JB

20000830SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

NO SUMMARY

20000623SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20000531SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

DUE TO SUN LIGHT PLASTIC HOUSING OF SEATBELTS THEY HAVE CRACKED . INTERNAL PARTS WITHIN SEATBELTS ASSEMLBY HAVE FAILED DUE TO POOR MANUFACTURING, CAUSING A LOSS OF PROTECTION.PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

20000224SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING STEPPED ON THE BRAKES PEDAL AND IT FELT HARD. THEN, TOOK IT FOR REPAIRS ,AND BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. , RECENTLY, ABS LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING THAT BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING, AND VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING ON TIME. *AK

20000224SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

WHILE DRIVING STEPPED ON THE BRAKES PEDAL AND IT FELT HARD. THEN, TOOK IT FOR REPAIRS ,AND BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. , RECENTLY, ABS LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING THAT BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING, AND VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING ON TIME. *AK

20000214SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

MY 1988 CADILLAC ALLANTE HAS SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD MUCH DIFFICULTY WITH THE ABS SYSTEM ON THIS CAR AND IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. THE BOSCH ABS III SYSTEM HAS MANY COMPONENTS THAT APPEAR PRONE TO FAILURE AND I HOPE THAT THE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED BY CADILLAC BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST. LUCKILY, MY BRAKE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED CLOSE TO HOME AND THERE HAS BEEN NO LOSS OF LIFE OR PROPERTY DUE TO MY OWNERSHIP OF THIS CAR. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION SERIOUSLY. I PRAY THAT NOBODY DIES FROM THE DEFECTS IN THIS SYSTEM. *AK

20000201SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED A MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR ON THE MESSAGE CENTER(ANIT LOCK BRAKES DISABLED). ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, DRIVER PUSHED ON THE PEDAL AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THIS HAPPENED DURING A HARD BRAKING STOP. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND DRY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC RECENTLY. MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

19991130SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM HAS BEEN NON-FUNCTIONAL FOR TWO YEARS, BUT THE NORMAL BRAKING WAS FINE. THEN LAST WEEK AS I PULLED INTO MY PARKING LOT I COULD ONLY BARELY BRING THE CAR TO A STOP WITH THE MIGHTIEST LEG. PRESS I COULD MUSTER. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE ABS PUMP WAS RUNNING AND BILLOWING BLACK SMOKE. NOW THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY NO BRAKES AT ALL SO THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEABLE. THE ABS PROBLEM WITH THE CADILLAC ALLANTE HAS BECOME ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH ITS OWNERS WHO HAVE SPENT MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN EFFORTS TO REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE SYSTEM. PLEASE MAKE THE EFFORT TO PROMOTE A RECALL OF THIS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SITUATION SO THAT THE OWNERS OF THESE AMERICAN PRODUCTS CAN CONTINUE TO BE SAFE ON THE ROADS. THANK YOU, JAMES A. PETTERCHAK, M.D. *AK

19991129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS BRAKE FAILURE, OWNER DISABLED THE SYSTEM, HOWEVER WARNING LIGHT CONTINUES TO REMAIN ON. MJS

19991118SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ALLANTE HAD ANTI-LOCK BRAKE PROBLEMS WHEN PURCHASED. PROBLEM NEVER REPORTED TIL PRESENT.AK

19991115SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THE "ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DISABLED " MESSAGE IS DISPLATED FREQUENTLY WHEN BRAKING.WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS FUNNY AND ACTS WEIRD .I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER ALLENTE OWNERS AND UNDERSTAND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER ALLENTES AND THAT CADILLAC WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP OR CORRECT. *AK

19990725CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVE THAT THE BRAKES JUST TOTALLY STOP WORKING WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND WITHOUT ANY PATTERN. A TELEPHONE POLE WAS HIT ONCE CAUSING THE DAMAGE LISTED THE LAST INSTANCE WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT OF INJURY OR DAMAGE BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE

19990721SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

19990525SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

EVERYTIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE BRAKE LIGHT GOES ON AND MESSAGE ANTI-LOCK DISABLED APPEARS. WHEN I TOOK IT TO CADILLAC DEALER THEY TOLD ME COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE $4,500 PLUS. HOWEVER, I HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER ALLANTE OWNERS THAT AFTER REPLACING WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM THE PROBLEM IS LIKELY TO REOCCUR. *AK

19990518SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ANTI LOCK BRAKES CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCE FAILURE. MJS

19990428SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK

ABS LIGHT STAYS ON 85% OF THE TIME REAR BRAKES RATTLE NUEISENCE BUT BRAKES ALWAYS SEEM TO WORK. FOUND YOUR NOTICE ON THE ALLANTE.WEB

19990416SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THIS PROBLEM CAUSES THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH TO COME ON WHENEVER I TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ANTILOCK IS DISABLED BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE LIGHT, AND AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS, THE PRESSURE IN THE SYSTEM WILL BUILD TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL, AND THE ANTILOCK WILL PERFORM A SELF CHECK AND START WORKING. THE SELF CHECK CAUSES THE PEDAL TO CHATTER, AND ALL THE BRAKES TO MOMENTARILY RELEASE. THIS CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD WHEN YOU EXPECT IT TO BE SLOWING DOWN... -- THE PARTS ASSOCIATED ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE - $350 FOR THE ACCUMULATOR, AND $1600 FOR THE SENSOR BLOCK.

19990402SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

19990303SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK

NO SUMMARY

Compare 1988CADILLACALLANTE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1988 CADILLAC ALLANTE have?
The 1988 CADILLAC ALLANTE has 22 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 CADILLAC ALLANTE?
The most-complained component for the 1988 CADILLAC ALLANTE is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 16 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER.
Is the 1988 CADILLAC ALLANTE safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.