Cadillac›Allante›1987›Overview/cadillac/allante/1987/base/

1987 Cadillac Allante

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Allante.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1987 Cadillac Allante entered the market as a Cadillac personal luxury car, paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission and EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 city, 22 highway, and 17 combined mpg, while its engine requires 6.5 quarts of oil at 10W-30 or 5W-30 viscosity. The platform's tracked reliability record runs from 1990 through 1995 and totals 42 owner complaints against a single recall, with the service brake hydraulic system standing as the most-cited trouble area, a pattern that surfaces almost entirely in 1990 with 41 of the 42 filings before collapsing to a single complaint by 1995. For researchers, that means the 1987 model year sits immediately ahead of the documented complaint curve, which begins at its absolute peak and decays steeply over the subsequent half-decade.

Model year1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30OEM · verified

EPA fuel economy15/22/17 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory fuel filter and front wiper blades are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731179
Engine air filter	08994941
Fuel filter	25171792 discontinued
Spark plug	19354416
Front wiper blades	22093877 discontinued · alt 88890862
Serpentine belt	03531941
Thermostat	03522676

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	178.7 in
Overall width	73.2 in
Overall height	52.4 in
Wheelbase	99.6 in
Curb weight	3494 lb

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 22 / 17 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Allante of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

9.3 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.30 sec — 1987 Convertible

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1987	Convertible 4.1L V8	9.30 sec	17.30 sec	170 hp	FWD
1988	Convertible 4.1L V8	9.30 sec	17.10 sec	170 hp	FWD
1989	Convertible 4.5L V8	7.80 sec	16.40 sec	200 hp	FWD
1993	Convertible 4.6L V8	6.20 sec	14.80 sec	295 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.5 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	4.3 qt
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	6.5 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1050017 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Air Injection System Air Pump Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1987 Cadillac Allante, as the inaugural model year, sits at the front of a clear downward trend in federal complaints across the generation. While no direct 1987 data is provided, the record shows complaints peaking at 41 in 1990—when 1987 models were just three years old—then steadily declining to a single complaint by 1995. The target year's own complaint profile is dominated by hydraulic service brakes (24 reports), with additional air brake, power train, and engine cooling issues, plus one crash and one fire incident. This concentration of early brake-related problems aligns with the broader pattern of elevated early-generation complaints, though the data does not specify root causes. Given that the 1987 model year likely fueled the initial complaint surge and lacks the refinement seen in later years, it represents a riskier purchase compared to a later Allante.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

1 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’95

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 42 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic24

Service Brakes, Air7

Power Train3

Engine & Engine Cooling2

Tires1

Service Brakes, Hydraulic,Electrical System1

Seats1

Structure1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06E043000Fuel System, GasolineReported 19/05/2006

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Allante. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Vehicles taking 6.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731179 Engine air filter 08994941 Fuel filter 25171792 Spark plug 19354416

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1987 Allante take?

6.5 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 0 degrees F: 10W-30, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 1987 Allante have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Allante get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 22 highway / 17 combined mpg.