What is the difference between IATF 16949 and ISO 9001?

IATF 16949:2016 is a supplement to ISO 9001:2015, not a replacement and not a combined text. The IATF FAQ 1 explains that ISO and the IATF did not reach a licensing agreement for an integrated document, so the standard is published as a separate manual and ISO 9001:2015 must be bought and applied alongside it. Certification to IATF 16949 means meeting ISO 9001:2015, the IATF 16949 additions and the applicable customer-specific requirements, which the foreword (as revised by SI 27) names together as the fundamental requirements.

Who can be certified to IATF 16949?

Under section 1.0 of the Rules 6th Edition (effective 1 January 2025), only organizations that manufacture and, where applicable, design and develop automotive products are eligible. Automotive products are production parts and processed materials, accessory parts, and replacement parts including aftermarket and remanufactured parts, for homologated vehicles intended to be driven on public roads (cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and others). Organizations that only design, test, sort, pack or warehouse, or that outsource all manufacturing, are not eligible on their own; design or support locations are covered as standalone remote support locations of a certified manufacturing site.

Are aftermarket and EV charging manufacturers eligible?

Yes for both. Aftermarket replacement parts became eligible through Rules 5th Edition SIs in November 2023 and are part of the Rules 6th Edition definition. IATF 16949 FAQ 31 (revised June 2026) says that aftermarket parts made on the same line as production or service parts must be in the audit scope, and that relevant aftermarket parts must be in the certification scope by 1 January 2028. Stakeholder Communique 2024-004 made EV charging systems and their components eligible as accessory parts; the electrical supply itself is not eligible.

What are Customer-Specific Requirements (CSRs)?

CSRs are the requirements that an automotive customer adds to IATF 16949 and ISO 9001. The IATF site publishes the CSRs of its member OEMs (for example Ford effective 15 June 2026, General Motors effective 30 October 2025, Renault Group April 2026, Volvo Group 28 February 2025). Suppliers apply the CSRs of their own customers. Improving how CSRs are identified, and moving common CSRs into the standard where possible, is one of the five priorities of IATF 16949 Revision 2.

What happens after a major nonconformity under the Rules 6th Edition?

The client has 15 calendar days to respond to a major nonconformity (60 days for a minor). The certification body verifies the systemic corrective actions in a one-time on-site special audit within 90 calendar days of the closing meeting. Since SI 24 (effective July 2026), a certificate shall be suspended when the decertification process starts from an audit with one or more major nonconformities confirmed by the technical reviewer. The suspension decision is due within 15 days, and an unsuccessful special audit leads to withdrawal.

Is IATF 16949 being revised?

Yes. The IATF started Revision 2 in October 2024 (Stakeholder Communique 2024-006). Communique 2026-005 of July 2026 lists five priorities (simplification, embedded software quality, Tier N supply chain, launch management, CSRs), working drafts and external feedback in 2026, and planned publication in mid-2027, dates described as indicative. The end of the transition is to be aligned with the end of the ISO 9001 transition.

Which core tools does an IATF 16949 supplier use?

The usual set is APQP, Control Plan, FMEA, PPAP, MSA and SPC. AIAG now lists the Control Plan as a core tool in its own right: APQP 3rd edition and Control Plan 1st edition were published in March 2024. Two manuals are now joint AIAG and VDA documents: the FMEA Handbook (2019) and the SPC Manual (July 2026). On the VDA side, Volume 2 (PPA) reached its 7th revised edition in January 2026. The customer, often through its CSRs, says which method applies.

Does my sub-tier supplier need IATF 16949 certification?

Not at first. Clause 8.4.2.3, as revised by SI 8, makes ISO 9001 certification by a body accredited by an IAF MLA member the initial minimum level, unless the customer authorizes otherwise, and sets a progression from ISO 9001 compliance through second-party audits up to IATF 16949 certification by an IATF-recognized body. The organization defines, with a risk-based model, a minimum and a target level for each supplier.

IATF 16949: automotive quality management

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 15 min read

IATF 16949:2016 is the automotive quality management system standard published by the International Automotive Task Force. It is not a stand-alone standard: the IATF describes it as a supplement to ISO 9001:2015, to be used together with ISO 9001 and the customer-specific requirements of each automotive customer. What makes a certificate valid is a second document, the Rules for achieving and maintaining IATF recognition, whose 6th Edition has applied since 1 January 2025. This guide is built from the IATF texts themselves: the Rules 6th Edition question and answer document, the Sanctioned Interpretations (SIs) and FAQs up to June 2026, the stakeholder communiqués, and the July 2026 status of the Revision 2 planned for 2027.

Where IATF 16949 stands in October 2026

Item	Current state	Source
Standard	IATF 16949:2016, 1st Edition, 1 October 2016	IATF Publications
Sanctioned Interpretations (standard)	SI 1 to SI 30, last batch (SI 27 to 30) issued and effective November 2025	IATF 16949 SIs
FAQs (standard)	FAQ 1 to FAQ 31, FAQ 31 revised June 2026	IATF 16949 FAQs
Certification scheme	Rules 6th Edition, published April 2024, effective 1 January 2025	SC-2024-002, Rules SIs
Rules SIs	SI 1 to SI 27, SI 22 to 27 issued June 2026, effective July 2026	Rules 6th SIs
Auditor Guide	5th Edition, January 2025	IATF Publications
Next edition	Revision 2, publication planned mid-2027 (indicative)	SC-2026-005
IATF legal form	IATF AISBL, a Belgian international non-profit association (March 2026)	SC-2026-001

The IATF members listed on its site are BMW Group, BYD Group, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, IVECO Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz Group, Renault Group, Stellantis, Volkswagen AG, Volvo Group and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, with the national associations AIAG (United States), ANFIA (Italy), FIEV (France), SMMT (United Kingdom) and VDA (Germany). Chery joined in June 2026 (Stakeholder Communique 2026-003). In its March 2026 communiqué the IATF puts the scheme at nearly 105,000 certified organizations in more than 100 countries.

From ISO/TS 16949 to IATF 16949

ISO/TS 16949 was created in 1999 by the IATF to harmonize the different assessment and certification systems of the automotive supply chain, with a 2nd edition in 2002 and a 3rd in 2009. The joint ISO and IATF press release of 9 August 2016 announced that IATF 16949:2016 would be published by the IATF, not by ISO, and would supersede ISO/TS 16949. The standard is dated 1 October 2016.

The IATF transition strategy set two hard dates: after 1 October 2017 no audit of any type could be conducted to ISO/TS 16949:2009, and ISO/TS 16949:2009 certificates were no longer valid after 14 September 2018.

The text of the standard has not been reissued since 2016. It changes through numbered SIs, which modify requirements, and FAQs, which explain existing ones. Both carry their own issue and effective dates.

A supplement, not a combined text

IATF 16949 follows the clause numbering of ISO 9001:2015 and only contains the automotive additions. ISO 9001 is a separate ISO publication. IATF FAQ 1 gives the reason: ISO and the IATF could not reach a licensing agreement for an integrated document, so the IATF published in a two-manual format. The foreword, as revised by SI 27, states that IATF 16949, the applicable customer-specific requirements, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 9000:2015 together define the fundamental requirements.

Layer	Document	Published by	How it is checked
Generic QMS	ISO 9001:2015	ISO	Within the IATF 16949 audit
Automotive additions	IATF 16949:2016 with its SIs	IATF	IATF-recognized certification body
Customer layer	Customer-specific requirements (CSRs)	Each automotive customer	Within the IATF 16949 audit, and by the customer

Clauses changed or explained since 2016

The SIs and FAQs show where the text has moved. This table lists, by clause, the main SIs and FAQs in the current editions of both documents.

Clause	Subject	SI	FAQ
Foreword	Supplement to ISO 9001, CSRs	27	1, 2, 3
1.1	Scope (aligned with Rules 6th)	28	30, 31
3.1	Definitions (accessory, aftermarket, replacement parts)	1, 15, 29
4.4.1.1	Conformance of products and processes	23
4.4.1.2	Product safety	2	4, 13
5.1.1.2	Process effectiveness and efficiency	12
6.1.2.1	Risk analysis	21
6.1.2.3	Contingency plans (cyber-attacks, pandemics, periodic testing)	3, 17	29
7.1.3.1	Plant, facility and equipment planning	18
7.1.5.1.1	Measurement system analysis		6
7.1.5.3.2	External laboratory	10	7, 14
7.2.1, 7.2.3	Competence, internal auditor competency	22, 4
7.5.1.1	QMS documentation	5	8
8.3.2.3	Products with embedded software		15
8.3.3.3	Special characteristics	6
8.3.5.1	Design and development outputs	30
8.4.2.1 to 8.4.2.4	Supplier control, QMS development, monitoring	7, 8, 19	9, 16, 24
8.5.6.1.1	Temporary change of process controls	11	17
8.7.1.1	Customer authorization for concession	9
9.2.2.2 to 9.2.2.4	QMS, manufacturing process and product audits	14	19, 20, 22, 28
9.3.2.1	Management review inputs	13, 16
10.2.3	Problem solving	20
Annex A	Control plan	24, 25

Contingency plans (6.1.2.3) are a good example. The revised SI 3 requires plans for, among others, key equipment failures, natural disasters, pandemics, utility interruptions and cyber-attacks on IT systems, periodic testing (for cybersecurity, for example a simulated attack), and a review at least once a year by a multidisciplinary team including top management.

Who can be certified: Rules 6th Edition, section 1.0

Section 1.0 of the Rules 6th Edition reserves certification to "organizations that manufacture and, where applicable, design and develop automotive products". The December 2024 Q&A document works through each paragraph.

Question	Rules 6th answer	Source
Which vehicles?	Homologated vehicles intended to be driven on public roads: cars, trucks, buses, heavy trucks, motorcycles, recreational vehicles and certain special-purpose vehicles; in some countries trailers, scooters or auto rickshaws	Q&A, section 1.0
Off-highway vehicles?	Not eligible if the vehicle cannot be driven on a public road	Q&A, section 1.0
Which products?	Production parts and processed materials, accessory parts, replacement parts including service, aftermarket and remanufactured	Section 1.0 paragraph 3, SI 29
What counts as manufacturing?	At least one value-added activity that transforms the input into a semi-complete or complete state (assembly, casting, machining, moulding, plating, painting, soldering and similar)	Section 1.0 paragraph 4
Sorting, kitting, testing, inspection, packaging, warehousing only	Not eligible	Q&A, section 1.0
Organization that holds the contract but outsources all manufacturing	Not eligible	Q&A, section 1.0
Raw material extraction	Not eligible; raw material is not a processed material	Q&A, section 1.0
Aftermarket-only manufacturer	Eligible; certification optional unless a customer requires it	FAQ 30
Aftermarket parts in a plant that also makes production or service parts	Same line: in the audit scope; relevant aftermarket parts in the certification scope by 1 January 2028	FAQ 31 (June 2026)
EV charging units and cables	Eligible as accessory parts; the electrical supply is not	SC-2024-004, Q&A
Which customers in the audit scope?	If one customer requires IATF 16949, all automotive customers of the site are in scope	Section 1.0 paragraph 8
How many certification bodies per site?	One per manufacturing site and per standalone remote support location during the certification period	Section 1.0 paragraph 11

Standalone remote support locations

A location that supports manufacturing without manufacturing itself (for example design) cannot hold its own certificate. Under the Rules 6th Edition it is a standalone remote support location (SA-RSL), and a certification body cannot have a contract with an SA-RSL without also having one with at least one manufacturing site it supports. Where an organization carries out manufacturing activities at a customer location, that location is treated as an SA-RSL with the function "servicing" on the manufacturing site certificate. Rework and repair can be "servicing"; warehousing, sequencing and segregation cannot.

An extended manufacturing site (EMS) can share a certificate with the main site only within the same legal entity: different legal entities with the same owner need separate certification.

The audit cycle and its deadlines

The Rules 6th Edition set calendar-day deadlines that both the client and the certification body have to meet. The table collects those stated in the Q&A document and the current Rules SIs.

Step	Deadline	Reference
Audit date confirmed with the client (surveillance, recertification, transfer)	At least 90 calendar days before the due date	Rules 5.7
Client sends audit planning information	At least 30 calendar days before the audit	Rules 5.7.1
Certification body issues the audit plan	At least 14 calendar days before the audit	Rules 5.7.2
Stage 1 readiness assessment to stage 2 audit	At least 20 calendar days; a full stage 1 is on-site, only a limited repeat stage 1 may be remote	Rules 6.2.8, 6.2.9
Client response to a major nonconformity	15 calendar days	Rules 5.11.1, SI 22
Client response to a minor nonconformity	60 calendar days	SI 22
Client response to a performance complaint	20 calendar days	SI 22
On-site special audit to verify a major nonconformity	Within 90 calendar days of the closing meeting	Rules 5.11.4, SI 9
Minor nonconformity verified on-site	At the next regular audit	Rules 5.11.5
Special audit when IATF OEM scorecard targets are missed and time cannot be added	Within 60 calendar days of the closing meeting	Rules 5.2 q, SI 5
Suspension decision after the decertification process starts	Within 15 calendar days	Rules 8.3, SI 24
Special audit after the decertification process starts	Within 90 calendar days	Rules 8.4, SI 25
"100% resolved" exception, latest special audit	180 calendar days	Rules 5.11.3.1, SI 22
Client notified of a withdrawal	Within 7 calendar days of the decision	SI 22

The cycle runs over three years. The worked example in the Q&A document places a stage 2 audit in February 2023 and the recertification audit in February 2026. Under the Rules 5th Edition some clients had 6-month or 9-month surveillance intervals, and the Q&A explains how a certification body moves them to a 12-month interval (target date plus or minus 3 months) while keeping the total surveillance days equal to the initial audit days.

Audit duration is set by section 5.2. SI 5 adds a rule worth knowing: when a site misses the quality or delivery targets in its IATF OEM scorecards, the certification body adds audit time to verify the systemic corrective actions, unless the client already has evidence that they work.

Since SI 24 (effective July 2026), suspension is no longer only a judgement call: the certificate shall be suspended when the decertification process starts from an audit with one or more major nonconformities confirmed by the technical reviewer. A client that hides a previous withdrawal from a new certification body is in breach of contract, and the result is withdrawal or a negative decision (Rules 6.1.1).

Certification bodies and auditors

Only certification bodies under contract with the IATF can issue IATF 16949 certificates; the IATF site keeps the list, along with the bodies whose contract was terminated. Auditors are managed through the IATF Auditor Development Process (ADP). For the Rules 6th Edition, every auditor had to complete an online training module and a Test of Understanding with a pass mark of 80% and at most four attempts; auditors who had not passed could not audit after 1 January 2025. The same pass mark and four-attempt limit applied to the mandatory AIAG and VDA FMEA training module introduced in December 2022.

Customer-specific requirements

The IATF site publishes the CSRs of its member OEMs. The dates below are those shown on the directory in October 2026.

Customer	Current CSR document
BMW Group	April 2021
BYD Group	Under development
Ford Motor Company	IATF 16949 CSR and PPAP CSR, effective 15 June 2026
Geely Group	June 2025
General Motors	Effective 30 October 2025
IVECO Group	24 November 2025
Jaguar Land Rover	Under development
Mercedes-Benz	February 2022
Renault Group	April 2026
Stellantis	CSR v1 June 2025, summary July 2026
Volkswagen Group	March 2022
Volvo Group	28 February 2025

Ford and General Motors also point to the "Minimum Automotive Quality Management System Requirements for Sub-Tier Suppliers" (September 2017), which SI 8 cites as an example of a customer-defined level in the sub-tier progression. The June 2026 Ford update, for example, added a software industrialization appendix to the PPAP CSR.

Revision 2 treats CSRs as a priority: the July 2026 communiqué states that stakeholders consistently identify them as a significant challenge, and that one goal is to identify common CSRs that could be moved into the standard.

Sub-tier suppliers: clause 8.4.2.3

SI 8 rewrote the supplier QMS development clause. Unless the customer authorizes otherwise, ISO 9001 certification is the initial minimum level, issued by a certification body bearing the accreditation mark of an IAF MLA member (in France, for example, COFRAC). The organization then defines, with a risk-based model, a minimum and a target level for each supplier, along this progression:

ISO 9001 compliance through second-party audits;
ISO 9001 certification through third-party audits;
ISO 9001 certification plus customer-defined requirements (such as the sub-tier minimum requirements) through second-party audits;
ISO 9001 certification plus IATF 16949 compliance through second-party audits;
IATF 16949 certification by an IATF-recognized certification body.

Suppliers that are not eligible for IATF 16949 (the SI gives scrap metal suppliers and trucking companies as examples) are not expected to reach the last step.

Core tools: what changed in 2024 to 2026

Tool	AIAG reference	VDA or joint reference	Recent change
APQP	APQP 3rd edition, March 2024		Control Plan split out as its own manual
Control Plan	Control Plan 1st edition, March 2024		New stand-alone core tool
FMEA	AIAG and VDA FMEA Handbook (joint, released 2019)	Same	Mandatory ADP training for IATF auditors since December 2022
PPAP	PPAP 4th edition	VDA Volume 2, PPA, 7th revised edition, January 2026	VDA 2 moves to a risk-based scope of deliverables
MSA	AIAG MSA manual	VDA Volume 5
SPC	AIAG and VDA SPC Manual, July 2026	Same	Second harmonized AIAG and VDA manual after FMEA

The customer decides which reference applies, usually through its CSRs.

IATF 16949 next to ISO 26262 and ISO/SAE 21434

IATF 16949 is a quality management standard. Clause 4.4.1.2 requires documented processes for product-safety related products and processes, and FAQ 4 explains that it covers characteristics that affect the safety performance of the final assembly, including those defined by the customer rather than by regulation. It does not set a functional safety method: for electrical and electronic systems that is ISO 26262, and cybersecurity engineering is ISO/SAE 21434, with UN Regulation No 155 for vehicle type approval. Both have their own guides: ISO 26262 and ISO/SAE 21434 and UN R155.

Embedded software is a growing part of the IATF scheme itself: 8.3.2.3 and 8.4.2.3.1 cover products with embedded software, SI 29 includes parts with embedded software in the definition of automotive products, and software quality assurance is priority 2 of Revision 2.

Revision 2: the published plan

Phase	Planned timing (SC-2026-005)
Revision started	October 2024 (SC-2024-006)
Working draft development	2026
External feedback	2026
Final validation	2027
Translation and supporting documents	2027
Publication	Mid-2027, planned
End of transition	Aligned with the end of the ISO 9001 transition

The five priorities are simplification and clarity without duplicating ISO 9001, embedded software quality, Tier N supply chain management, launch management, and CSRs. The IATF states that the dates are indicative and may change.

Dated timeline

Date	Event
1999	ISO/TS 16949 1st edition, created by the IATF
2002, 2009	ISO/TS 16949 2nd and 3rd editions
9 August 2016	ISO and IATF announce IATF 16949 as a separate IATF publication
1 October 2016	IATF 16949:2016 1st Edition
1 October 2017	No more audits to ISO/TS 16949:2009
14 September 2018	ISO/TS 16949:2009 certificates no longer valid
November 2023	Rules 5th Edition SIs open eligibility to aftermarket manufacturers
4 December 2023	IATF approves the Rules 6th Edition
March 2024	EV charging systems declared eligible (SC-2024-004); AIAG APQP 3rd and Control Plan 1st editions
April 2024	Rules 6th Edition published
October 2024	IATF 16949 Revision 2 started
1 January 2025	Rules 6th Edition fully effective; Rules 5th Edition and its SIs and FAQs obsolete
November 2025	IATF 16949 SIs 27 to 30 and FAQs 30 and 31
January 2026	VDA Volume 2, 7th revised edition
March 2026	IATF AISBL formed; BYD Group joins
June 2026	Chery joins; FAQ 31 revised; Rules SIs 22 to 27 issued (effective July 2026)
July 2026	AIAG and VDA SPC Manual; Revision 2 status communiqué
1 January 2028	Deadline to bring relevant aftermarket parts into the certification scope (FAQ 31)
Mid-2027 (planned)	IATF 16949 Revision 2 publication

Claims the texts contradict

Common claim	What the texts say
"The official text is a combined edition presenting ISO 9001 and the IATF additions side by side." (made by the earlier version of this page)	FAQ 1: ISO and IATF found no licensing agreement for an integrated document; IATF 16949 is published separately and ISO 9001:2015 is a separate ISO standard.
"Aftermarket parts manufacturers are excluded from IATF 16949." (earlier version of this page)	Aftermarket replacement parts are eligible since the November 2023 Rules 5th SIs and the Rules 6th Edition; FAQ 31 sets 1 January 2028 to bring relevant aftermarket parts into scope.
"Heavy commercial vehicle parts are outside the IATF scope." (earlier version of this page)	The Rules 6th Q&A lists trucks, heavy trucks, buses and motorcycles as eligible when homologated for public roads.
"A major nonconformity leads to a suspension of typically 90 days." (earlier version of this page)	No such duration. The suspension decision is due within 15 days of the start of decertification, and the special audit within 90 days; failure leads to withdrawal.
"There are five core tools."	AIAG now lists six manuals, with the Control Plan as a stand-alone core tool since March 2024.
"FMEA is the only harmonized AIAG and VDA manual."	The AIAG and VDA SPC Manual was published in July 2026.
"The IATF is an ad hoc group."	Since March 2026 it is IATF AISBL, a Belgian international non-profit association (SC-2026-001).
"A design centre can be certified on its own."	Not eligible for stand-alone certification; it is an SA-RSL tied to at least one certified manufacturing site.
"Sorting or inspection service providers can get IATF 16949."	Organizations that only sort, kit, test, inspect, pack or warehouse are not eligible.
"IATF 16949 has not changed since 2016."	The text is still the 2016 edition, but 30 SIs and 31 FAQs have modified or explained it, and Revision 2 is planned for mid-2027.

Frequent pitfalls

Buying only one manual. IATF 16949 cannot be implemented without ISO 9001:2015 and the CSRs of each customer; the audit covers all three.

Assuming the scope is chosen. Once one customer requires IATF 16949, all automotive customers of the site, including aftermarket buyers, enter the audit scope.

Missing the 15-day window. A major nonconformity needs a response within 15 calendar days and an effective systemic corrective action verified on-site within 90 days; since July 2026 the certificate is suspended in the meantime when the decertification process is triggered by that audit.

Ignoring the scorecards. Missed IATF OEM quality or delivery targets add audit time or a special audit within 60 days.

Treating contingency plans as paperwork. SI 3 requires periodic testing, including cyber-attack scenarios proportionate to the risk, and an annual review with top management.

Declaring a design office late. An SA-RSL must be under the same certification body contract as at least one manufacturing site it supports, and relocations of support functions trigger information gathering by the certification body within 30 days.

Key takeaways

IATF 16949:2016 is a supplement to ISO 9001:2015, published separately, applied with the customer CSRs.
The Rules 6th Edition apply since 1 January 2025; they widened eligibility to aftermarket parts and to all homologated road vehicles.
Deadlines are short: 15 days to answer a major nonconformity, 90 days to verify it on-site.
30 SIs and 31 FAQs have reshaped the 2016 text; Revision 2 is planned for mid-2027.
Core tools now include a stand-alone Control Plan, and SPC joins FMEA as a joint AIAG and VDA manual.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between IATF 16949 and ISO 9001?: IATF 16949:2016 is a supplement to ISO 9001:2015, not a replacement and not a combined text. The IATF FAQ 1 explains that ISO and the IATF did not reach a licensing agreement for an integrated document, so the standard is published as a separate manual and ISO 9001:2015 must be bought and applied alongside it. Certification to IATF 16949 means meeting ISO 9001:2015, the IATF 16949 additions and the applicable customer-specific requirements, which the foreword (as revised by SI 27) names together as the fundamental requirements.
Who can be certified to IATF 16949?: Under section 1.0 of the Rules 6th Edition (effective 1 January 2025), only organizations that manufacture and, where applicable, design and develop automotive products are eligible. Automotive products are production parts and processed materials, accessory parts, and replacement parts including aftermarket and remanufactured parts, for homologated vehicles intended to be driven on public roads (cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and others). Organizations that only design, test, sort, pack or warehouse, or that outsource all manufacturing, are not eligible on their own; design or support locations are covered as standalone remote support locations of a certified manufacturing site.
Are aftermarket and EV charging manufacturers eligible?: Yes for both. Aftermarket replacement parts became eligible through Rules 5th Edition SIs in November 2023 and are part of the Rules 6th Edition definition. IATF 16949 FAQ 31 (revised June 2026) says that aftermarket parts made on the same line as production or service parts must be in the audit scope, and that relevant aftermarket parts must be in the certification scope by 1 January 2028. Stakeholder Communique 2024-004 made EV charging systems and their components eligible as accessory parts; the electrical supply itself is not eligible.
What are Customer-Specific Requirements (CSRs)?: CSRs are the requirements that an automotive customer adds to IATF 16949 and ISO 9001. The IATF site publishes the CSRs of its member OEMs (for example Ford effective 15 June 2026, General Motors effective 30 October 2025, Renault Group April 2026, Volvo Group 28 February 2025). Suppliers apply the CSRs of their own customers. Improving how CSRs are identified, and moving common CSRs into the standard where possible, is one of the five priorities of IATF 16949 Revision 2.
What happens after a major nonconformity under the Rules 6th Edition?: The client has 15 calendar days to respond to a major nonconformity (60 days for a minor). The certification body verifies the systemic corrective actions in a one-time on-site special audit within 90 calendar days of the closing meeting. Since SI 24 (effective July 2026), a certificate shall be suspended when the decertification process starts from an audit with one or more major nonconformities confirmed by the technical reviewer. The suspension decision is due within 15 days, and an unsuccessful special audit leads to withdrawal.
Is IATF 16949 being revised?: Yes. The IATF started Revision 2 in October 2024 (Stakeholder Communique 2024-006). Communique 2026-005 of July 2026 lists five priorities (simplification, embedded software quality, Tier N supply chain, launch management, CSRs), working drafts and external feedback in 2026, and planned publication in mid-2027, dates described as indicative. The end of the transition is to be aligned with the end of the ISO 9001 transition.
Which core tools does an IATF 16949 supplier use?: The usual set is APQP, Control Plan, FMEA, PPAP, MSA and SPC. AIAG now lists the Control Plan as a core tool in its own right: APQP 3rd edition and Control Plan 1st edition were published in March 2024. Two manuals are now joint AIAG and VDA documents: the FMEA Handbook (2019) and the SPC Manual (July 2026). On the VDA side, Volume 2 (PPA) reached its 7th revised edition in January 2026. The customer, often through its CSRs, says which method applies.
Does my sub-tier supplier need IATF 16949 certification?: Not at first. Clause 8.4.2.3, as revised by SI 8, makes ISO 9001 certification by a body accredited by an IAF MLA member the initial minimum level, unless the customer authorizes otherwise, and sets a progression from ISO 9001 compliance through second-party audits up to IATF 16949 certification by an IATF-recognized body. The organization defines, with a risk-based model, a minimum and a target level for each supplier.