IATF 16949

Who has to comply

Organizations that manufacture automotive products for automotive customers, where a customer requires it (most global OEMs do, and many tier 1 suppliers pass the requirement down). Since November 2025 the scope (1.1, 3.1) covers production parts and materials, accessory parts, and replacement parts, including service, aftermarket and remanufactured parts.

A site that makes only aftermarket replacement parts may certify, but it only has to if its customer requires it. Aftermarket parts made on the same production line as production or service parts must be in the audit scope, and relevant aftermarket parts must be in scope by January 1, 2028. Certification is site-based.

Remote support functions are not certified on their own and appear on the manufacturing site's certificate.

What the assessor asks to see

Quality manual, scope, and process map with owners and indicators; a document (such as a table, list or matrix) showing where each customer-specific requirement is addressed, and evidence of compliance; product safety process and responsibilities; contingency plans with periodic testing and a review at least once a year (6.1.2.3); control plans, PFMEAs, and process flow for each product family; PPAP or customer approval records; measurement system analysis and calibration; internal audit program covering QMS, manufacturing process, and product audits; supplier monitoring, second-party audits, and supplier development; total productive maintenance records; error-proofing verification; warranty and customer complaint analysis; customer scorecards and performance data; management review with the required inputs; corrective action records with problem-solving method; embedded software assessment where applicable; layered process audit records where required by customers.

Where the requirement sits: Inherited from ISO 9001 (7.5); product safety, a documented process (4.4.1.2); contingency plans, documented (6.1.2.3); internal auditor competence, a documented process (7.2.3); second-party auditor competence (7.2.4); change control, a documented process (8.5.6.1)

IATF Rules 6th edition

The Rules for achieving and maintaining IATF recognition, 6th edition, were published in April 2024, became effective January 1, 2025, and have been amended by sanctioned interpretations since (most recently June 2026, effective July 2026).

They govern how certification bodies audit, how audit days are calculated, remote auditing, nonconformity management, and certificate decisions. 41 certification bodies were under contract with the IATF worldwide on October 1, 2026 (check the IATF Global Oversight list for the current count). Only these bodies are authorized to conduct IATF 16949 certification.

Revision underway

The IATF started revising IATF 16949:2016 in October 2024. Its July 2026 update names five priorities: simplification and clarity, software quality, lower-tier supply chain management, launch management, and customer-specific requirements.

Publication of the 2nd edition is planned for mid-2027, with dates described as indicative, and the end of its transition is to be aligned with the end of the ISO 9001 transition. ISO 9001:2026 was published on September 16, 2026.