At a glance
- Cadillac WMIs in vPIC
- 10, including 1GY SUVs and 1G6 cars
- Escalade plant (2026)
- R = Arlington, Texas
- ESV in the VIN
- Positions 5 and 6, such as 9J to 9S
- EV plants (2027)
- Z Spring Hill, S Ramos Arizpe, U Factory Zero
On this page
How to read a Cadillac VIN
Cadillac uses General Motors' VIN standard, with Y in position 3 for its SUVs and 6 for its cars. This chart reads a real 2026 Escalade with GM's 2026 Escalade page.
| Position | Cadillac meaning | 1GYS9GKL0TR437442 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Region: 1 United States | 1 |
| 2 | General Motors | G |
| 3 | Brand and type: Y Cadillac MPV, 6 Cadillac car, E incomplete | Y |
| 4 | GVWR, brakes, body: S is Class F (7,001 to 8,000 lb), four-door cab/utility | S |
| 5 | Chassis: 8 is 2WD, 9 is 4WD | 9 |
| 6 | Series | G: Platinum Sport |
| 7 | Restraints: K is the ASD package | K |
| 8 | Engine: L is the 6.2L V8 (L87), 9 the supercharged 6.2L (LT4) | L |
| 9 | Check digit | 0 |
| 10 | Model year | T: 2026 |
| 11 | Plant | R: Arlington, Texas |
| 12 | Serial position 1 | 4 |
| 13 | Serial position 2 | 3 |
| 14 | Serial position 3 | 7 |
| 15 | Serial position 4 | 4 |
| 16 | Serial position 5 | 4 |
| 17 | Serial position 6 | 2 |
The long-wheelbase ESV shares positions 1 to 4 with the Escalade. Positions 5 and 6 tell them apart: on a 2026 4WD, 9A to 9H are Escalade trims (9H is the V-Series) and 9J to 9S are ESV trims.
Escalade VIN decoded: a 2026 Platinum Sport
This is NHTSA's vPIC result for that VIN:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2026 Cadillac Escalade |
| Trim | Platinum Sport |
| Body and drive | SUV, 4WD |
| Engine | 6.2L V8, GM code L87 |
| Plant | Arlington, Texas |
| GVWR | Class 2F: 7,001 to 8,000 lb |
| Restraints | ASD: front, front-side and front-inboard airbags plus roof-side airbags |
| Standard driver aids | Adaptive driving beam, blind spot intervention, lane centering |
Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq and Escalade IQ VINs
Cadillac's EVs use the same layout, with a drive-unit code in position 8 instead of an engine. GM's 2027 standard gives these typical starts and plants:
| 2027 model | First five characters | Plant code |
|---|---|---|
| Lyriq | 1GYKP | Z: Spring Hill, Tennessee |
| Vistiq | 1GYC3 | Z: Spring Hill, Tennessee |
| Optiq | 3GYK3 | S: Ramos Arizpe, Mexico |
| Escalade IQ | 1GYTE | U: Factory Zero (A: Artisan Center, Warren) |
| Celestiq | 1G6MF | U: Artisan Center |
Notice U: on the 2027 Celestiq page it is the Artisan Center, on the Escalade IQ page it is Factory Zero. Plant letters are defined per model, which is why the decoder needs the whole VIN. A real 2024 Lyriq VIN, 1GYKPWRL6RZ114138, decodes as a Sport-3 AWD battery-electric SUV from Spring Hill.
Cadillac models in NHTSA's database
vPIC has 37 Cadillac model names, including coachbuilt entries like the Funeral Coach and Stretch Limousine. For 2025 and 2026 it lists:
- Cars: CT4, CT5, Celestiq.
- SUVs: Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL (2026), Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq (2026), XT4 (2025), XT5, XT6 (2025).
Other General Motors brands decode on their own pages, such as the Buick VIN decoder, or all together on the GM VIN decoder.
Where is the VIN on a Cadillac?
The dash plate at the base of the windshield, driver's side, readable from outside, is the first place to look; federal rules require it on cars and SUVs (49 CFR 565.13). The certification label on the driver's door edge or latch post carries it too, with the month of manufacture and the GVWR. On paper, check the title and registration.
What a Cadillac VIN can't tell you
Packages, paint, wheels and price are not in the VIN. The decode gives you the model, trim, engine or drive unit, restraints and plant. For the color, see where to find the paint code.
For recent model years, the Cadillac window sticker lookup pulls the original sticker with options and MSRP.