Decode Your VIN
Enter your vehicle's VIN code to discover all technical specifications. The VIN consists of 17 alphanumeric characters.
Cadillac CT5 VIN Decoder
Decode any Cadillac CT5 VIN free in under three seconds. Type the 17-character vehicle identification number into the decoder above and pull the model year, trim, engine, drivetrain, plant of origin, and any open NHTSA recalls. No account, no credit card, no email gate.
This page is the dedicated Cadillac CT5 hub. Below you’ll find the verified engine and trim lineup the CT5 has carried since launch, the single World Manufacturer Identifier every genuine CT5 shares, a position-by-position guide built from real decoded VINs rather than a guessed template, and the spots on the car where the VIN is stamped.
About the Cadillac CT5
The Cadillac CT5 launched for model year 2020 as the replacement for the CTS, part of Cadillac’s “CT” naming rationalization that also produced the smaller CT4. It is built exclusively at GM’s Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan. Every CT5 built to date, from the base sedan through the 668-horsepower Blackwing, has come off the same assembly line.
Trim and engine availability by year, verified against NHTSA-decoded VINs and Cadillac’s own published specs:
| Trim | Model years | Engine | Output | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury | 2020-2024 | 2.0L Turbo I4 (LSY) | 237 hp / 258 lb-ft | RWD or AWD |
| Premium Luxury | 2020-present | 2.0L Turbo I4 (LSY) standard; 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 (LGY) optional through MY2025 | 237 hp / 258 lb-ft (I4); 335 hp / 405 lb-ft (V6) | RWD or AWD |
| Sport | 2020-present | 2.0L Turbo I4 (LSY) | 237 hp / 258 lb-ft | RWD or AWD |
| CT5-V | 2020-present | 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 (LGY) | 360 hp / 405 lb-ft | RWD |
| CT5-V Blackwing | 2022-present | 6.2L Supercharged V8 (LT4) | 668 hp / 659 lb-ft | RWD, 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic |
One running change worth flagging: the Premium Luxury’s optional V6 was orderable from launch through the 2025 model year, then dropped for 2026, leaving the 2.0L turbo as that trim’s only engine. The CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing both kept their V6 and supercharged V8 respectively. MY2026 is confirmed as the final model year of this first-generation CT5. GM has stated a second-generation, gas-powered CT5 will be built at the same Lansing Grand River plant starting with the 2027 model year.
Cadillac CT5 WMI codes (positions 1 to 3)
The first three characters of a VIN form the World Manufacturer Identifier, assigned by SAE on behalf of ISO. Unlike nameplates built at multiple global plants, every Cadillac CT5 ever produced shares one WMI, because Lansing Grand River is the only factory that has ever built one:
| WMI | Country | Manufacturer | Plant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1G6 | United States | General Motors LLC (Cadillac) | Lansing Grand River, Lansing, Michigan |
We decoded more than a dozen real CT5 VINs, covering Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, CT5-V, and CT5-V Blackwing across model years 2020 through 2026, through NHTSA’s vPIC API to confirm this. Every one came back 1G6. If a VIN offered to you as a Cadillac CT5 starts with anything else, treat it as suspect and decode it with the tool above before trusting the listing.
How to read a Cadillac CT5 VIN: position by position
Every CT5 built since 2020 uses the 17-character ISO 3779 standard. That standard covers vehicles built from 1981 onward; if you’re working with an older Cadillac, the classic car VIN decoder guide explains the pre-1981 numbering formats instead.
Positions 1 to 3: World Manufacturer Identifier
See the table above. 1 is the country of build (United States), G is General Motors, and 6 narrows it to Cadillac passenger cars. This block only tells you the factory and the brand, not the specific model, which is why positions 4 through 8 matter more for identifying a CT5.
Positions 4 to 8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)
This is where the manufacturer encodes the vehicle itself, and it’s also where honesty matters most. Across every VIN we decoded, position 4 read D, and positions 6 and 7 read 5 and R, regardless of trim, model year, or engine, because the CT5 has only ever had one body style (a four-door sedan) and one restraint-system configuration. Position 5 carries a trim and drivetrain sub-code, but it isn’t a clean, stable lookup: the same CT5-V Blackwing with a manual transmission carried Y at position 5 in a 2023 VIN and 2 in a 2026 VIN we decoded. GM evidently reassigns these characters across production runs, so we aren’t publishing a position-5 decode table that would mislead you. The tool above pulls trim from GM’s own VIN-pattern registration with NHTSA, the authoritative source, rather than a hand-built guess at what each letter means.
Position 8, the engine code, is the one part of the VDS block that held up as a clean, stable pattern across every model year we checked, 2020 through 2026:
| Char | Engine | Output | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | 2.0L Turbo I4 (LSY) | 237 hp / 258 lb-ft | Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport |
| W | 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 (LGY) | 335 to 360 hp / 405 lb-ft | Premium Luxury (optional, through MY2025), CT5-V |
| 6 | 6.2L Supercharged V8 (LT4) | 668 hp / 659 lb-ft | CT5-V Blackwing |
One caveat: the LGY V6 carries the same W engine code whether it’s making 335 hp in an optional-engine Premium Luxury or 360 hp in a CT5-V. The VIN identifies the engine family, not the state of tune, so a decoder (including ours) reports “LGY 3.0L twin-turbo V6” either way. The horsepower difference comes down to trim-specific calibration not spelled out in the 17 characters.
Position 9: Check digit
The check digit catches typos. It’s calculated from the other 16 characters using a fixed weighting table and modulo-11 math, and the result is a single digit 0 through 9, or the letter X standing in for 10. Every VIN we decoded for this page passed NHTSA’s check-digit validation. Mistype one character anywhere in a CT5 VIN and the math stops matching, so a compliant decoder rejects a bad VIN outright instead of guessing.
Position 10: Model year
The 10th character maps to model year on the ISO 3779 30-year cycle. Since the CT5 didn’t exist before 2020, here’s the complete range that applies to it, with real examples confirming each letter through 2026:
| Char | Year | Confirmed by a real decoded VIN? |
|---|---|---|
| L | 2020 | Yes, Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport VINs |
| M | 2021 | Yes, CT5-V VINs |
| N | 2022 | Yes, Premium Luxury and Blackwing VINs |
| P | 2023 | Yes, Blackwing VIN |
| R | 2024 | Yes, Blackwing and Premium Luxury VINs |
| S | 2025 | Yes, Blackwing VINs |
| T | 2026 | Yes, Sport and Blackwing VINs |
| V | 2027 | Next-generation CT5, not yet in production |
| W | 2028 | Reserved, not yet in production |
| X | 2029 | Reserved, not yet in production |
The letters I, O, and Q are never used anywhere in a VIN because they’re too easily mistaken for 1 and 0. We stopped verifying past 2026 because that is the final model year of the current-generation CT5. GM has confirmed a redesigned, gas-powered second-generation CT5 for 2027 at the same Lansing plant, but no VINs for it exist yet to decode.
Position 11: Assembly plant
A single character identifies the specific factory. Every CT5 VIN we decoded, across every trim and every model year, carried the same character at position 11: 0. That is consistent with the CT5 having exactly one home, Lansing Grand River, for its entire production run so far. If you ever see a CT5 VIN with a different character here, double-check the rest of the VIN carefully; it may not decode as a CT5 at all.
Positions 12 to 17: Serial number
The final six characters are the production sequence stamped on your specific CT5 as it left the line. Combined with the previous 11 characters, this makes every CT5 VIN globally unique. Two Blackwings built the same week with the same transmission still differ here.
Where to find the VIN on a Cadillac CT5
Four locations on every CT5, plus the paperwork:
- Lower-left corner of the windshield, visible from outside the car through the glass
- Driver’s side door jamb sticker (open the door and look at the B-pillar or door edge)
- Infotainment system, under the vehicle information menu
- Vehicle title, registration, insurance card, and the myCadillac app
The windshield and door jamb are the easiest to check on a used-car lot without touching the car. If you’re buying a CT5-V Blackwing specifically, cross-reference the VIN against the window sticker or Monroney label. Blackwing production is comparatively low-volume, and mismatched paperwork is a red flag worth chasing down before you commit to a purchase.
Check Cadillac CT5 recalls and safety information
The CT5 has been the subject of several NHTSA recall campaigns since launch, most of them shared with its CT4 sibling since the two ride on a related platform and share the same 10-speed transmission and body-control software:
- Campaign 20V588000 (2020 model year): Contamination in the electronic brake boost sensor connection could interrupt communication, requiring increased pedal effort to stop the car.
- Campaign 21V611000 (2020-2022 model years): Roof rail side-curtain airbags that may not have been installed correctly, risking improper deployment in a crash.
- Campaign 22V903000 (2020-2023 model years): Daytime running lights that failed to deactivate when the headlights were on, creating a glare hazard. GM addressed this with an over-the-air software update on eligible vehicles.
- Campaign 25V148000 (2020-2021 model years): 10-speed transmissions that could suffer internal damage and lock the wheels. The remedy adds transmission control module monitoring software.
To check your specific CT5:
- Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the exact model year and configuration
- Cross-reference the 17-character VIN with NHTSA’s recall database or Cadillac’s own recall lookup
- Contact your nearest Cadillac dealer for any open campaign repair
Recall repairs are free regardless of the car’s age, mileage, or ownership history.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode a Cadillac CT5 VIN?
Type the 17-character VIN from the windshield, door jamb, or title into the decoder at the top of this page. Results return in under three seconds and include model year, trim, engine, drivetrain, plant, and any open NHTSA recalls. No sign-up required.
Where is the VIN on a Cadillac CT5?
The two easiest spots are the lower-left corner of the windshield, readable from outside the car, and the driver-side door jamb sticker. Both are required by federal labeling regulation. The infotainment system’s vehicle information screen shows the same number and is a fast way to confirm it without opening the door.
What does a Cadillac CT5 VIN starting with 1G6 mean?
1G6 is the WMI for General Motors passenger cars built in the United States, and on a CT5 specifically it always traces back to the Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan, the only factory that has ever built one. Every genuine CT5 VIN we decoded for this page, across six model years, started with 1G6.
How do I tell the engine in my CT5 from the VIN?
Look at position 8. K is the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder used in Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport. W is the 3.0L twin-turbo V6 used in the Premium Luxury’s former V6 option and the CT5-V. 6 is the supercharged 6.2L V8 exclusive to the CT5-V Blackwing. The VIN identifies the engine family, not the exact horsepower calibration, so a W could be either the 335 hp or 360 hp version of the V6.
Is the Cadillac CT5 still in production?
Yes. As of this writing, the 2026 model year is in production and orderable, and it is the final year of the first-generation CT5. GM has confirmed a redesigned, gas-powered second-generation CT5 for the 2027 model year, built at the same Lansing Grand River plant.
Is the Cadillac CT5 VIN decoder really free?
Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every Cadillac CT5 VIN free of charge with no sign-up. The basic decode covers everything the factory stamped into the VIN. A full vehicle history report (accident records, odometer history, prior ownership, salvage status) is available as a paid upgrade if you need it.
Can a Cadillac CT5 VIN be faked?
The 17 characters can be retyped onto a counterfeit plate or title, but the check digit at position 9 catches most single-character changes through math, and the VIN is also stamped on the vehicle’s structure, not just printed on removable labels. If the windshield and door-jamb VINs match each other but something about the history still feels off, the guide on how to check if a car is stolen by VIN walks through the next steps, and a full vehicle history report can surface title-washing or salvage history that a basic VIN decode does not cover.
Decode any Cadillac CT5 VIN free
Type your 17-character CT5 VIN into the decoder at the top of this page for an instant breakdown. To go deeper into VIN structure or check other Cadillac models:
- Cadillac VIN decoder hub for the brand-wide guide
- How to read a VIN number for the general standard
- What every character in a VIN means for a position-by-position reference
- VIN decoder vs. vehicle history report for what a decode covers vs. what it doesn’t
- How the VIN check digit works for verifying a VIN was not mistyped or altered
- VIN formats by country and manufacturer for what the first three characters tell you
