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Every automotive brand brought a unique concept of industrial development that lives on today, along with its unique history, and Cadillac is no exception. Henry Leland founded Cadillac in 1902 from the remains of the Henry Ford Company and was kicked out of the company within ten years; General Motors bought the automaker in 1909. Cadillac helped lay the groundwork for mass-producing automobiles and the idea of interchangeable parts.

Cadillac continued to innovate in the industry. In 1910, it offered the first car with an enclosed passenger cabin. Two years later, it introduced the first vehicle without a hand crank for starting. The Cadillac Model Thirty featured an electronic starter, ignition, and lighting.

Cadillac VIN Decoder

Cadillac VIN Decoder

A VIN decoder is a tool that takes the unique 17-digit alphanumeric code and identifies basic information about a vehicle. After inputting the 17 characters into the GoodCar VIN decoder, the tool queries a massive database and returns a basic profile, such as the make, model, engine, and transmission type, and where the vehicle was assembled.

Deciphering an Cadillac VIN

Cadillac stamps a VIN on every vehicle at its manufacturing plant, providing an easy way to authenticate every automobile.

The first three characters of the Cadillac VIN are the World Manufacturing Identifier section. The WMI is the first of three sets of characters that ensure the VIN's uniqueness.

Manufacture Identifier
  • 1
Country
  • F
Manufacture
  • T
Type
Vehicle descriptor section
  • 8
  • W
Body Style
  • 3
  • D
Model Types
  • T
Restraint Systems
  • 8
checksum digit
 
  • 5
model year
 
  • 5
manufacturing plant
Vehicle identifier section
  • c
  • 3
  • 8
  • 8
  • 9
  • 9
serial number
VIN Digit
Meaning
1st
Character one of the Cadillac VIN is the manufacturing country, the global area of origination, or the final point of assembly. Some European countries use this position to identify their headquarters.
2nd
The second position is used to describe the manufacturer or the global region where the vehicle was produced.
3rd
Position three of the VIN is the model of the vehicle or the internal manufacturing division. Cadillacs usually have either a six or Y in this position.
4th - 8th
Positions four through eight are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS). Service centers and Cadillac mechanics use this section to help identify an automaker's specific drivetrain systems.
4th & 5th
Cadillac uses the fourth and fifth characters to describe the model and trim level. The company uses a combination of letters and numbers to describe the same car with a different drive system.
6th
The sixth character in the Cadillac VIN is the body type, which includes a coupe, two-door sedan, or four-door hatchback.
7th
Character seven provides the safety equipment installed on a specific vehicle. These safety systems include seat belts only, front airbags, side-curtain airbags, and passenger occupancy sensors.
8th
The eighth character of the VIN offers common Cadillac engine types. These include 3.0L V6 Turbo (LGW) or 6.2L V8 (LT4), 2.5L L4 (LCV), 6.0L V8 (LS2), or a 2.0L Turbo (LTG).
9th
Character nine is the checksum digit. The character is a complex mathematical formula, using the other 16 digits to verify the validity of the VIN. The NHTSA determines the equation with various assigned values to letters and numbers.
10th
The tenth position indicates the model year of a specific vehicle. VINs do not include the letters I (i), O (o), and Q (q) to avoid confusion with similar characters. The tenth position is recycled every thirty years.
11th
Position eleven provides the exact manufacturing plant where the vehicle was assembled. The majority of Cadillacs are produced in six manufacturing locations in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Kansas.
12th - 17th
Characters twelve through seventeen are the specific production serial number for a vehicle. The Vehicle Identifier Section is extremely useful to vintage parts suppliers and collectors.

Popular Cadillac Models

Cadillac CT5

Cadillac CT5

Midsize luxury sedans are a growing trend in the automotive industry, and Cadillac is well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity. The CT5, at $47,595, has been a global bestseller for the brand for several years. The low-slung sedan is equipped with a powerful turbocharged 3.0L V6 with 335hp and next-level electronics. A 33” LED diagonal screen brings your favorite entertainment in stunning detail. An AKG super audio system brings a full range of immersive listening to the cabin. Leather seats, heat, and massage are ultra comfortable or a little bit distracting. Cadillac’s CT5, with all its options, is a great package, although a bit expensive.

Cadillac IQ

Cadillac IQ

The all-new Cadillac IQ, starting at $127,700, is beyond luxurious and powerful. Using Cadillac’s VelocityMax technology, the all-electric IQ produces 750hp with 785 lb. ft of torque, propelling this beast to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. Four-wheel steering and five separate driving modes let the driver choose how they want to tackle the road. The Cadillac IQ is built from the ground up to accommodate electric propulsion. A pillar-to-pillar display delivers unbelievable experiences to the IQ. Choose from two separate luxury and sports packages for complete customization. 5G Wi-Fi from all seven seats with built-in compatibility for hundreds of apps and systems. Right now, there is nothing close to the IQ’s technology and performance statistics.

The Cadillac VIN Checks

The earliest Cadillac VINs were nothing more than a sequence of numbers assigned to individual models as they came off the production line. On the earliest models, VINs were generally five to seven characters long. In the 50s and 60s, the company started expanding its production numbers to include engine displacement and model types. Cadillac followed other manufacturers until they adopted the NHTSA mandate in 1981.

A VIN lookup is a way for prospective buyers, owners, insurance personnel, fleet managers, and others to find detailed information on a vehicle using the 17-digit alphanumeric code. Each character in a VIN is encoded with specific information manufacturers use to describe a vehicle and its components. Using a quality service such as the GoodCar VIN Check tool, prospective buyers can query the VIN lookup and find every historical piece of information available for a vehicle.

The GoodCar service digs for information from hundreds of public and private databases to provide up-to-date and historical data on a vast majority of vehicles from around the globe. The service pulls from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). Input the 17-digit code into the spaces provided, and you instantly have access to a vehicle’s full history.

GoodCar Cadillac VIN Checks

Odometer Reading

Use the GoodCar service to look over a complete timeline of a specific Cadillac car or SUV. Examine the title status and know if a vehicle can transfer ownership quickly. Know if the vehicle has a salvage or rebuilt title, meaning the insurance company has deemed the vehicle a total loss or no value. Know if the vehicle has a water-damaged title.

Salvaged title

GoodCar reports provide an odometer reading whenever possible, so prospective buyers know instantly if there may be odometer fraud. Know instantly if the vehicle has ever been stolen, has secondary liens, or is part of a warranty claim.

TSB

  • Cadillac TSB N222379510, 9/2022, Models 2023 LYRIQ. The instrument panel may go blank. This blank-screen condition will normally reset if the vehicle is turned off and turned back on. Suppose this condition occurs, and the driver operates the vehicle with the video display blank. In that case, the vehicle's instrument panel and other FMVSS-regulated features will not be available, increasing the risk of a crash. GM will update the vehicles' video display control module software.

  • TSB 23-NA-074, June 2023. Cadillac models XT5 and XT6. Console lights will turn on and off intermittently • Service Engine Soon(SES) • Reduced Power • Service Brake • ReducedSteering • Stabilitrak.

Recalls

  • Cadillac was part of the Takata Air Bag Disaster. In 2021, General Motors (GM) recalled over 2.6 million vehicles, including the Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT. The recall was due to defective Takata airbags that could explode and send shrapnel into the passenger compartment. Worldwide, the recall affected over 64 million vehicles.

  • August 2024, General Motors, Recall Notice:24V589000LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Cadillac LYRIQ all-wheel drive vehicles. The anti-lock brake system (ABS) may activate unexpectedly and release brake pressure in the vehicle's service brake system. The electronic brake control module software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge.

  • Cadillac CT4 and CT5 models 34,157, 2020-2022 Cadillac CT4 and CT5 vehicles. The roof rail side-curtain airbags may not have been installed correctly, which could result in an improper airbag deployment during a crash. Airbags that do not deploy properly can increase the risk of injury in a crash. Dealers will inspect both left- and right-side roof rail airbags and reinstall them as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006.