Cadillac VIN Decoder
Enter any 17-character Cadillac VIN. Free US-market Cadillac VIN decoder backed by the official NHTSA VPIC database — engine code, assembly plant, model year, body class, and every open recall, in about 30 seconds.
How to read a Cadillac VIN
A Cadillac VIN, like any modern road-vehicle VIN, is 17 characters split into three blocks: the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) in positions 1–3, the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) in positions 4–9, and the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) in positions 10–17. Here's a real Cadillac VIN broken down position by position.
112G3Y4K5N6D7R8S9310L11Z122133144155166177
| Position | Chars | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Country of origin 1 = United States. Cadillac sedans are built in Lansing, Michigan and SUVs in Arlington, Texas and Spring Hill, Tennessee. The older SRX was built in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico (VIN starts with 3). |
| 2-3 | GY | Manufacturer (WMI) GY = General Motors, Cadillac SUV division (1GY — Escalade, XT4/XT5/XT6). Other Cadillac WMIs include 1G6 (sedans — CT4/CT5, ATS/CTS, XTS). Sibling GM divisions use their own WMIs: Chevrolet is 1G1/1GC, GMC is 1GT — all share GM's VIN structure. |
| 4-8 | KNDRS | Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) Encodes the platform, body style, restraint system, and engine. GM does not publish a public VDS-to-trim table, so CheckMyVIN reports what NHTSA VPIC returns directly (Model, Trim, Body Class, Engine Model) rather than guessing what the individual characters mean. |
| 9 | 3 | Check digit A mod-11 checksum computed from the other 16 positions. NHTSA uses it to reject typos before returning a decode — if the check digit is wrong, VPIC returns an error and CheckMyVIN treats the VIN as unreadable. |
| 10 | L | Model year L = 2020. The full year code table is below. The 30-year cycle skips I, O, Q, U, Z and 0 to avoid being confused with similar-looking digits. |
| 11 | Z | Assembly plant For this VIN, position 11 maps to GM's Spring Hill, Tennessee plant (XT5/XT6 and the Lyriq). CheckMyVIN reads Plant City and Plant Country directly from the VPIC record rather than inferring the plant from this character — position 11 is brand-internal. |
| 12-17 | 234567 | Production sequence A 6-digit serial number that increments through the model year at that plant. Not useful on its own, but combined with year and plant it confirms the VIN is internally consistent. |
VIN year codes (position 10)
The 10th character of every modern VIN encodes the model year. The cycle skips the letters I, O, Q, U and Z, and the digit 0, to avoid being confused with similar digits. This table covers every model year currently on US roads.
| Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2010 | H | 2017 | R | 2024 |
| B | 2011 | J | 2018 | S | 2025 |
| C | 2012 | K | 2019 | T | 2026 |
| D | 2013 | L | 2020 | V | 2027 |
| E | 2014 | M | 2021 | W | 2028 |
| F | 2015 | N | 2022 | X | 2029 |
| G | 2016 | P | 2023 | Y | 2030 |
Cadillac WMI codes (positions 1–3)
The first three characters of the VIN identify the manufacturer and country of assembly. Cadillac uses several WMI codes depending on plant and model line.
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1G6 | Cadillac sedan (CT4, CT5, ATS, CTS, XTS) — USA (Lansing) |
| 1GY | Cadillac SUV (Escalade, XT4, XT5, XT6) — USA (Arlington / Spring Hill) |
| 3GY | Cadillac SUV (older SRX) — Mexico (Ramos Arizpe) |
Cadillac build sheet & options
A full Cadillac build sheet — the original RPO (Regular Production Option) codes, paint code, package contents (e.g. the Platinum or V-Series group), and dealer-installed extras — is not part of the federal NHTSA VPIC dataset. CheckMyVIN can confirm engine family (2.0T, 3.6L V6, 6.2L V8, supercharged Blackwing, Lyriq EV), assembly plant, model year, body class, and recall history pulled live from NHTSA, but it cannot return the original option list or paint code. For those, the RPO label (a sticker in the glovebox or console listing the three-character option codes) is the fastest source, and a Cadillac dealer can print the full build sheet from the VIN through GM's service system. CheckMyVIN never claims options data it cannot verify against the NHTSA record.
Cadillac VIN decoder FAQ
Is the Cadillac VIN decoder free?
Yes — every Cadillac VIN lookup on CheckMyVIN is free, with no signup, no email gate, and no usage cap on individual users. Data comes from the public NHTSA VPIC API. The optional "full vehicle history report" link at the bottom of each report is an affiliate to a paid third-party history service; you can ignore it. Whether you search "Cadillac VIN decoder", "Cadillac VIN number", or "Cadillac VIN breakdown", this is the same free tool.
How do I read a Cadillac VIN (Escalade, CT5, XT5)?
A Cadillac VIN is 17 characters: position 1 is the country (1 = USA, 3 = Mexico for the older SRX), positions 2-3 are the Cadillac WMI (1G6 sedans, 1GY SUVs), position 10 is the model year (L = 2020, see the year table on this page), and position 11 is the assembly plant. Enter the VIN above and CheckMyVIN reads every field via the official NHTSA database — it covers the Cadillac lineup including Escalade, CT4, CT5, XT4, XT5, XT6, the Lyriq EV, and the legacy ATS, CTS, SRX, and DTS.
Where is the VIN located on a Cadillac?
Three places on every modern Cadillac: the dash plate at the base of the windshield (visible from outside, driver side), the driver-door jamb certification sticker, and on the title / registration. On a classic Cadillac the VIN location and format differ — see the old-VIN question below.
How do I find my Cadillac engine or RPO code from the VIN?
The engine family appears in the VPIC "Engine Model" field (e.g. the 2.0L turbo, 3.6L V6, the 6.2L L87 V8 in the Escalade, or the supercharged LT4 in the Blackwing) — enter the VIN above and read the Vehicle Specifications block. The full list of three-character GM RPO codes (every factory option, axle ratio, and paint code) is NOT encoded in the VIN: it lives on the RPO label in the glovebox or console. A decoder that claims to expand all RPO codes "from the VIN" is guessing.
Can I find my Cadillac paint code from the VIN?
No — paint code is not part of the federal NHTSA VPIC dataset, and it is not encoded in the 17 VIN characters. The right place to look is the RPO label (glovebox or console): the paint code is a U-series RPO. A Cadillac dealer can also pull it from the VIN. CheckMyVIN will never invent a paint code from VIN characters — the field simply isn't there.
Is the Cadillac Lyriq covered as an EV?
Yes. The Lyriq — and Cadillac's other EVs (Optiq, the Escalade IQ) — decode as electric vehicles, and the report switches to the EV view: battery details where NHTSA returns them, no oil or spark-plug rows, and EV-specific maintenance. The VIN confirms model year and trim for these newer electric Cadillacs.
Can I check Cadillac recalls with the VIN?
Yes. CheckMyVIN automatically queries the NHTSA recall API alongside the decode and shows every open campaign for the year/model/make combination. Worked examples — including a 2017 XT5 front-brake-caliper campaign and a 2021 Escalade fuel-pump-module campaign — appear on the /cadillac/recall page with the official NHTSA campaign numbers and links to the NHTSA recall portal so you can verify.
Is this a GM VIN decoder too?
Effectively, yes — Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and Buick are all General Motors divisions and share GM's WMI and VIN structure, so the same decode logic applies to any of them. Enter your VIN above and CheckMyVIN reads the same NHTSA VPIC fields regardless of which GM division built the vehicle; select your specific GM division for model-specific details. There is no single "GM" decoder page because GM is the parent company, not a vehicle marque — the WMI in positions 1-3 identifies which division (1G6/1GY Cadillac, 1GC Chevrolet truck, 1GT GMC) built it.
Can you decode an old or classic Cadillac VIN (pre-1981 Eldorado, DeVille)?
Only partially. Federal law standardized VINs at 17 characters in 1981; classic Cadillacs — the Eldorado, DeVille, Fleetwood, and Series 62 — used shorter VINs with a different structure (no standardized check digit, no global WMI registry), and NHTSA's VPIC database has limited coverage of them. CheckMyVIN will not invent fields it cannot verify. For a classic Cadillac, the body/cowl data tag and marque registries (and clubs) are the authoritative decode sources. Be skeptical of any tool that claims to fully "decode" a pre-1981 Cadillac VIN.