Cadillac VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

Decode any 17-character Cadillac VIN to see year, model, engine, and build plant, instantly, free, no signup.

Enter a 17-character Cadillac VIN

For full vehicle history (title brands, salvage, recalls, market value), get the report for $9.99

Cadillac VINs almost always begin with 1G6 (U.S.-built cars) or 1GY (U.S.-built SUVs like the Escalade, XT5, and Lyriq); 3GY marks Mexico-built SRX models and W06 the German-built Catera. Decoding the 17-character VIN is free, but it will not reveal title brands, theft, or accident history.

Example: decoding a Cadillac VIN

Sample pattern: 1GYS4DKL•R•••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	1GY	Cadillac truck/SUV, USA
4–8	S4DKL	Escalade 4WD platform; trim/engine (6.2L V8)
9	•	Check digit
10	•	Model year
11	R	Arlington, TX plant, verify via live decode
12–17	••••••	Serial number

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Cadillac WMI codes: where your Cadillac was built

WMI	Country	Detail
1G6	USA	Cadillac cars, CT4/CT5 (Lansing Grand River), CTS, DeVille
1GY	USA	Cadillac SUVs, Escalade (Arlington TX), XT5/XT6 & Lyriq (Spring Hill TN), XT4 (Fairfax KS)
3GY	Mexico	SRX (Ramos Arizpe, 2010–2016)
W06	Germany	Catera (Opel-built, 1997–2001)

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of a Cadillac VIN

Positions 1–3, WMI: World Manufacturer Identifier. Identifies the maker and country of origin.
Positions 4–8, VDS: Vehicle Descriptor Section. Encodes body style, engine, restraint system, and model line.
Position 9, Check digit: Math-derived validator. A failed check digit can indicate a typo or a cloned VIN.
Position 10, Model year: Single character; see the table below.
Position 11, Assembly plant: Manufacturer-specific code for the factory.
Positions 12–17, Sequence: Sequential production number unique to that car.

Model-year code table (position 10)

Code	Year	Code	Year
A	1980 / 2010	S	1995 / 2025
B	1981 / 2011	T	1996 / 2026
C	1982 / 2012	V	1997 / 2027
D	1983 / 2013	W	1998 / 2028
E	1984 / 2014	X	1999 / 2029
F	1985 / 2015	Y	2000 / 2030
G	1986 / 2016	1	2001 / 2031
H	1987 / 2017	2	2002 / 2032
J	1988 / 2018	3	2003 / 2033
K	1989 / 2019	4	2004 / 2034
L	1990 / 2020	5	2005 / 2035
M	1991 / 2021	6	2006 / 2036
N	1992 / 2022	7	2007 / 2037
P	1993 / 2023	8	2008 / 2038
R	1994 / 2024	9	2009 / 2039

The position-7 rule: year codes repeat every 30 years. If position 7 is a letter the vehicle is 2010 or newer; if a digit it's 2009 or older. Letters I, O, Q, U, Z are never year codes.

Plant codes vary by model line, the decoder above returns the registered plant for your exact VIN.

Where to find the VIN on a Cadillac

On a metal plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side (visible from outside).
On a sticker on the driver's door jamb.
Stamped on the engine block or firewall on many models.
On the title, registration, and insurance card, always confirm the paperwork matches the physical VIN. Mismatches are a serious red flag.

Cadillac title & history red flags to check before you buy

Decoding a VIN tells you how a vehicle was built. To see what happened to it, you need a full vehicle history report, which surfaces title brands, odometer readings, theft records, and more.

Escalade theft legacy

The Escalade topped HLDI most-stolen lists from 2002 into the early 2010s, with up to ~10.8 theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicles, older Escalades deserve a theft-record check, and cloning of stolen luxury SUVs remains a known scheme.

Takata exposure on 2007–2014 Escalades

GM's 2021 Takata recall, NHTSA-ordered after the agency denied GM's petition for an inconsequentiality exemption, covered 5.9 million U.S. full-size trucks/SUVs including the Cadillac Escalade.

Heavy depreciation → rebuilt titles

Industry depreciation studies repeatedly place the Escalade and Escalade ESV among the worst-depreciating large luxury SUVs, totaled examples are economically attractive to rebuilders, so title brands matter.

Odometer fraud on older luxury sedans

Older DeVilles/DTS models marketed as "low-mile garage cars" are classic rollback targets; NHTSA pegs odometer fraud at 450,000+ vehicles yearly.

Cadillac recalls: check before you buy

GM Takata inflator recall (2021, 5.9M U.S. trucks/SUVs incl. Escalade 2007–2014); ARC-inflator related GM campaigns; Cadillac Lyriq ABS software recall (2024, NHTSA 24V-589, 21,469 vehicles), fixed via over-the-air update.

Run a free Cadillac recall check →

Recall counts shown by the free tool are model-level context for this model year, not a VIN-specific verdict. VIN-specific recall completion status is in the $9.99 report.

Buying an electric Cadillac?

The Lyriq (built Spring Hill, TN; 1GY WMI) is Cadillac's volume EV. Its 2024 ABS-software recall (21,469 units) was repaired over-the-air, which means no dealer service record may exist, a VIN-level recall check is the reliable way to confirm completion. ELR and CT6 Plug-In hybrids have battery histories worth reviewing.

What to check on a used Cadillac

A used Cadillac can be an excellent buy, but the condition you can see during a test drive is only part of the picture. Two vehicles with the same year, mileage, and asking price can have completely different histories, and the difference usually lives in the paperwork rather than under the hood.

Start with maintenance evidence. Ask for service records covering oil changes, cooling system work, brakes, tires, and any major repair, and be skeptical of a seller who offers a single recent receipt instead of a history. Inspect for mismatched paint, uneven panel gaps, replacement lights, and fresh undercoating, since all of them can mask prior collision repair. Look for rust on the frame, rocker panels, and brake lines if the vehicle spent time in a salt state.

Flood damage is the pattern buyers miss most often. Storm-damaged vehicles are frequently repaired, moved to another state, and retitled, so check for musty odors, silt under the carpet and in the spare tire well, corroded seat rails and bolts, and moisture inside light housings. A car that smells strongly of air freshener deserves a closer look.

Before money changes hands, verify the four items a visual inspection cannot answer: whether the title carries a brand such as salvage, junk, rebuilt, or flood, whether the recorded odometer readings move forward consistently over time, whether the vehicle was ever declared a total loss or reported stolen, and whether a lien is still open against it. Recall completion on the exact VIN belongs on that list too.

See the history on this exact Cadillac before you pay for it.

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Looking at safety campaigns? Read Cadillac recalls: how to check open safety recalls, or run a VIN through the free recall check.

Free VIN decode vs. full vehicle history report

What you learn	TitlePull Report, $9.99 one-time	Free decoder	Other providers
Year, make, model, engine specs	✓	✓	✓ (free)
Title history	✓	No	Varies by provider
Title brands (salvage, flood, lemon)	✓	No	Varies by provider
Odometer readings over time	✓	No	Varies by provider
Theft & total-loss records	✓	No	Varies by provider
Recalls	✓ VIN-specific completion status	Model-level list (free tool)	Varies
Black Book® valuation	✓	No	Often extra
AI summary	✓	No	Rare
Subscription required	Never	Never	Often

Checked the specs? Now check the history.

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Cadillac VIN decoder: frequently asked questions

1GY is the World Manufacturer Identifier for Cadillac trucks and SUVs built in the U.S., Escalade (Arlington, Texas), XT5, XT6 and Lyriq (Spring Hill, Tennessee), and XT4 (Kansas). Cadillac cars use 1G6.

Yes, decoding year, plant, engine, and trim is free. It won't show whether the car was salvaged, stolen, flooded, or rolled back. TitlePull's $9.99 report adds NMVTIS title history, brands, odometer records, theft data, recalls, and a Black Book value, no subscription.

Historically, yes, the Escalade led national theft-claim rankings for roughly a decade, peaking around 10.8 claims per 1,000 insured vehicles. Newer models rank lower, but theft and recovery records on any used Escalade are worth checking before purchase.

If it's a 2007–2014 model, possibly, GM recalled 5.9 million U.S. full-size trucks and SUVs, including Escalades, for Takata inflators in 2021. A VIN-specific recall check shows whether the replacement was completed.

Run the VIN. The 2023–2024 Lyriq AWD had a 21,469-vehicle ABS software recall fixed over-the-air, so there may be no paper trail at a dealer. A report's recall section confirms open campaigns against NHTSA data.

Large luxury vehicles depreciate fastest, the Escalade ESV sheds about 58.5% in five years. That makes used Cadillacs appealing, but it also lowers the insurer's total-loss threshold, putting more salvage and rebuilt titles into circulation.

Position 10. For example, P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025. Position 11 identifies the assembly plant, and the last six characters are the production serial number.

A decode can't, but an NMVTIS-backed report can. It shows the title chain across states, brands like salvage, flood, or rebuilt, junk/insurance total-loss records, and odometer readings. That's exactly what a $9.99 TitlePull report covers.

By the TitlePull Team · Published June 7, 2026 · Last updated July 29, 2026 · Fact-checked against NHTSA vPIC

Sources: NHTSA vPIC & 49 CFR Part 565 · NHTSA recall database · NICB theft data · HLDI (Highway Loss Data Institute) · Mitchell · NMVTIS (U.S. Department of Justice).