PlainCars

CADILLAC ALLANTE · model year

1989 CADILLAC ALLANTE

43 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989CADILLACALLANTE carries 43 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 1989 ALLANTE is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 31 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder (4) and unknown or other (2). 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 1989 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.

43
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

43 filings

Crashes Reported

0 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 SLIP31
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1

Recent Complaints

20050216SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THEN, DRIVER PUMPED THE BRAKES THREE TIMES TO STOP. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, AND DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, BUT A SOLUTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK

20021106SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

THE BRAKES WILL NOT WORK. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESED THE VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP, ALSO THE ABS LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. *JG

20021106SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THE BRAKES WILL NOT WORK. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESED THE VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP, ALSO THE ABS LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. *JG

20021106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

THE HORN IS INOPERATIVE. *JG

20021106POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN FOR INSPECTION BECAUSE OF A DELAY IN SHIFTING. *JG

20021101SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

EVERY ALLANTE OWNER SEEMS TO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. DT

20020912SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHEN TRYING TO APPLY BRAKES BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

20020404SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, NO BRAKES, THEN THE ABS PUMP STARTED AND BRAKES RETURNED. THE BRAKE SYSTEMS HAS BECOME UNRELIABLE. REAR BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONAL (CALIPERS FROZEN), AND ACCUMULATOR REPLACEMENT RETURNED NORMAL FUNCTION FOR LESS THAN 12 HOURS.*AK

20020221SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING 70 AND APPLYING BRAKES, THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE ACCUMULATOR, BUT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *YH

20011130SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT ABOUT 25 MPH APPLIED BRAKES AND HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND.THEN, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. HE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD, GOT OUT, AND NOTICED BRAKE FLIUD ON THE GOUND. MECHANIC DETERMINED BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

20010820SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

UNDERSTAND YOU ARE REVIEWING ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILURE ON THIS CAR. I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM AND UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY FAILURES ,18 INJURIES AND ONE DEATH FROM THIS PROBLEM. IS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS SYSTEM.*AK

20010419SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

EBCM FAILED, ANTILOCK SYSTEM INACTIVE, POOR BRAKING ABILITY AS ANTILOCK SYSTEM GOES NUTS FOR THE FIRST FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING,WENT TO DEALER TO REPLACE EBCM, PART NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE FROM GMC. MY CAR IS NOW A SAFETY HAZARD. GM SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUCH A VITAL PART RELATED TO THE SAFTEY OF THE CAR.*AK

20010419ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

EBCM FAILED, ANTILOCK SYSTEM INACTIVE, POOR BRAKING ABILITY AS ANTILOCK SYSTEM GOES NUTS FOR THE FIRST FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING,WENT TO DEALER TO REPLACE EBCM, PART NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE FROM GMC. MY CAR IS NOW A SAFETY HAZARD. GM SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUCH A VITAL PART RELATED TO THE SAFTEY OF THE CAR.*AK

20000822SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

OUR 1989 & 1990 HAVE THE SAME DANGEROUS PROBLEM OUTLINED WITHIN 70% OF THE COMPLAINTS ON YOUR DEFECTS INVESTIGATION DATABASE. WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF YOUR INVESTIGATIONS THERIEN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

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

CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE SYSTEM LEAD TO COMPLETE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. GM NEEDS TO RECALL THESE BOSCH III ABS BRAKE SYTEMS. ODI ACTION NUMBER EA99-017. *AK

20000323SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL AT 55 MPH ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. UPON APPLYING BRAKES, DRIVER HAD TO PUSH ON THE PEDAL REALLY HARD, AND PULL UP STEERING BEFORE VEHICLE WOULD STOP. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERHIP, WHERE THE ABS PUMP AND RELAY WERE REPLACED. *AK *ML

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

ABS ARNING LIGHT AND COMPUTER FEEDBACK CONTINUOUS TO FAIL. VERY POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND GMC SHOULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

20000208SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

MASTER CYLINDER FAILED, NO PRESSURE, REQUIRED TOTAL REPLACEMENT. *AK

19991229SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THIS IS A INTERMITTENT ABS FAILURE. BRAKES STILL STOP CAR, BUT, NO ABS. *AK

19991126SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.

Compare 1989CADILLACALLANTE to Similar Vehicles

ALLANTE vs FORDF-150 → ALLANTE vs FORDEXPLORER → ALLANTE vs JEEPGRAND CHEROKEE → ALLANTE vs FORDESCAPE →

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

PE24011Preliminary EvaluationOpen

Electronic Brake Module Component Failure

PE22006Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Rear-View Camera Failure

PE19001Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Roof Skin Separation While Driving

EQ11001EQClosed

IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats

EA07017Engineering AnalysisClosed

REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 CADILLAC ALLANTE have?▼
The 1989 CADILLAC ALLANTE has 43 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 CADILLAC ALLANTE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 CADILLAC ALLANTE is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 31 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1989 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

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

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.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.