PPAP Submission Levels 1–5 Explained (with a Checklist)

The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is how an automotive supplier proves to a customer that it can make a part to spec, at volume, consistently. One thing that trips people up: PPAP isn't one fixed package — it has five submission levels that control how much of the evidence you actually send to the customer versus retain on site.

This is part of the broader IATF 16949 core tools system.

The 18 PPAP elements (what you produce)

Regardless of level, a full PPAP is built from the standard elements — including the design records, engineering change documents, DFMEA and PFMEA, process flow diagram, control plan, MSA studies, dimensional results, material/performance test results, initial process studies (SPC), qualified laboratory documentation, the Part Submission Warrant (PSW), and a sample part. You create these; the level determines what you submit.

The five submission levels

• Level 1 — Part Submission Warrant (PSW) only, sent to the customer.
• Level 2 — PSW with product samples and limited supporting data.
• Level 3 — PSW with product samples and complete supporting data. This is the default most OEMs expect.
• Level 4 — PSW and other requirements as specifically defined by the customer.
• Level 5 — PSW with product samples and complete supporting data reviewed at the supplier's location (the customer comes to you, or reviews on site).

The key insight: you do roughly the same work at every level — the level just sets how much is shipped to the customer versus kept in your records and available on request.

When each level applies

• New supplier or new part → expect Level 3.
• Established supplier, low-risk change → customer may accept Level 1 or 2.
• High-risk, safety-critical, or troubled part → Level 4 or 5.

Always confirm the required level with the customer's SQE before you submit — guessing wrong costs a resubmission.

A practical PPAP checklist

1. Confirm the submission level and due date with the customer.
2. Verify you're working from the current design record and revision.
3. Make sure the PFMEA, process flow, and control plan agree with each other.
4. Complete MSA (Gage R&R) on the gauges named in the control plan.
5. Run the initial process study and report Ppk/Cpk.
6. Capture full dimensional results against the ballooned print.
7. Attach material and performance test results.
8. Sign the PSW and submit at the required level.

Where it goes wrong — and the fix

PPAP packages fall apart when the underlying documents are disconnected: the control plan references an old FMEA, or the dimensional results are tied to a superseded print. When the customer or auditor spots the mismatch, the whole submission is suspect.

Running PPAP in a system where the FMEA, control plan, and revisions are linked to the same product data removes that risk — change once, and the package stays consistent. That's what GatesFlow PPAP software does: assemble submissions from connected quality data, at any level, with a full audit trail.

Get the level right, keep the elements in sync, and PPAP becomes a packaging exercise instead of a scramble.