1987 Cadillac Allante problems & reliability
34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Cadillac Allante. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 25 | 74% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 7 | 21% |
| Power Train | 2 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
| Tires | 1 | 3% |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Tires · filed Jul 9, 2007
“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…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 7, 2006
“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”
Service Brakes, Air · filed Jan 16, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA99017 · opened Jun 30, 1999 · closed Dec 28, 2001
- BRAKING SYSTEM
Preliminary Evaluation PE99012 · opened Feb 5, 1999 · closed Jun 30, 1999
- BRAKING SYSTEM
Defect Petition DP99001 · opened Jan 6, 1999 · closed Feb 8, 1999
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Cadillac Allante in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Cadillac Allante?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.