An automotive Tier 2 machining supplier makes turned or milled parts for a Tier 1, and the Tier 1 holds it to the evidence that IATF 16949 and the vehicle manufacturer's customer-specific requirements ask for: a control plan, part approval, measurement system and capability data, and controlled changes. Those requirements follow the customer, not the country of the plant, so a supplier in Türkiye owes the same documents as one in Germany.
What do Tier 1 customers expect from a Tier 2 machining supplier?
IATF 16949:2016 is written for the Tier 1 organization, and its clause 8.4.2.3 makes that organization responsible for developing its suppliers' quality management systems. The IATF publishes a document for that step: the Minimum Automotive Quality Management System Requirements for Sub-Tier Suppliers (MAQMSR), second edition, September 2017. It selects the sections of IATF 16949:2016 that a certified organization may pass down, and it is the best public checklist of what a Tier 2 is asked to show.
Table 1. MAQMSR requirements relevant to a machining Tier 2, mapped to IATF 16949:2016
| MAQMSR requirement | IATF 16949:2016 section | What a machining supplier shows |
|---|---|---|
| Control plan | 8.5.1.1 | Control plan per part number: characteristics, method, sample size, reaction plan |
| Verification of job set-ups | 8.5.1.3 | Set-up approval records at job start and changeover |
| Identification and traceability | 8.5.2 | Material lot numbers linked to part lots |
| Product approval process | 8.3.4.4 | PPAP at the level the customer sets |
| Monitoring and measurement of manufacturing processes | 9.1.1.1 | Capability or stability studies on the control plan characteristics |
| Measurement system analysis | 7.1.5.1.1 | Gauge studies; a representative gauge may stand for a gauge family |
| Calibration and verification records | 7.1.5.2.1 | Calibration records for every gauge in use |
| Control of nonconforming product | 8.7.1.1 to 8.7.1.6 | Containment, customer notification, concession before shipping suspect parts |
| Problem solving | 10.2.3 | Documented method that ends in root cause and corrective action |
| Change control | 8.5.6.1 | Customer notification and approval before process, material or site changes |
| Internal audits | 9.2.2.2 to 9.2.2.4 | System, manufacturing process and product audits |
| Supplier monitoring | 8.4.2.4 | Performance records for the supplier's own subcontractors |
Source: IATF, MAQMSR 2nd edition (September 2017), Tables 1 to 6; IATF 16949:2016 FAQ 6 for the gauge family. The right-hand column is our reading of each section, not text from the document.
For a build-to-print machining shop, the heavy items are PPAP and the capability studies tied to the control plan. The PPAP guide covers the five submission levels and the 18 elements.
Does a Tier 2 machining supplier need an IATF 16949 certificate?
Not in every case. Ford's customer-specific requirements for IATF 16949:2016 (effective 2026-06-15) deal with sub-tier suppliers that are not third-party certified. Ford reserves the right to require the Tier 1 to ensure compliance with the MAQMSR, and the evidence of effectiveness has to rest on a defined process with measurement and monitoring. The same text says that a second-party assessment or a third-party certificate of the sub-tier supplier does not relieve the Tier 1 of full responsibility for the quality of the supplied product.
Other manufacturers write their own rules. The IATF site lists customer-specific requirements for BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Stellantis, Renault, General Motors and others, each with its own date. Read the document of the manufacturer at the end of the chain, not only the Tier 1's purchase terms.
Status as of 2026-10-30: IATF 16949:2016 is the current edition. The IATF's July 2026 communiqué plans Revision 2 for publication in mid-2027, with the end of the transition aligned to that of ISO 9001. One of its five priorities is Tier N supply chain management: a more consistent risk-based approach to lower-tier suppliers and better deployment of customer requirements. The communiqué marks all dates as indicative.
Which documents travel with automotive machined parts?
The customer's order and control plan decide the set. A typical package contains:
- the PPAP submission at the level the customer names, with the part submission warrant;
- a material certificate, usually an EN 10204 3.1 certificate, linked to the lot traceability in the table above;
- dimensional and capability results for the characteristics the control plan lists, measured with calibrated gauges that a measurement system study covers;
- material declarations for end-of-life vehicle rules, where Ford's section 8.4.2.2 names the European ELV requirements and points to its own standard for the reporting format;
- special process assessments where heat treatment, plating, coating or welding is subcontracted: AIAG publishes CQI-9 (heat treat), CQI-11 (plating), CQI-12 (coating) and CQI-15 (welding), and the customer's requirements say whether it asks for them.
Some customers audit processes to VDA 6.3. The VDA QMC states that the current edition is VDA 6.3:2023, that there is no official transition period, and that the parties agree through the customer-specific requirements which edition an audit follows. Certificates issued under VDA 6.3:2016 stay valid until they expire.
For the Tier 1 side, AIAG's CQI-19 gives a common method for managing Tier 2 and deeper suppliers. Ford encourages its Tier 1 suppliers to apply the principles of CQI-19 to all their sub-tier suppliers.
How large is Türkiye's automotive industry?
Türkiye produced 1,419,464 motor vehicles in 2025, 4 percent more than in 2024, according to OSD. The Ministry of Trade's 2026 sector report gives automotive exports of USD 41.5 billion for 2025, taken from TİM, with the 2025 supplier industry alone at USD 17.0 billion, up 8.05 percent on 2024 (TÜİK data in the same report).
Table 2. Largest destinations of Turkish automotive exports, 2025
| Destination | Exports 2025, USD bn | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 6.61 | 15.92% |
| France | 5.09 | 12.25% |
| United Kingdom | 4.22 | 10.16% |
| Spain | 3.42 | 8.23% |
| Italy | 3.29 | 7.93% |
| All destinations | 41.52 | 100% |
Source: TİM data, country table in the Ministry of Trade, Otomotiv Sektörü Raporu 2026 (OSD cites the same USD 41.5 billion).
Two limits apply. The figures cover vehicles and parts together, and the sources give no separate number for contract-machined parts. The Ministry's TÜİK table also sums main and supplier industry to USD 42.1 billion for 2025, against 41.5 billion from TİM, so the two sources use different definitions.
What changes when a part is made in Türkiye?
The quality requirements stay the same; four practical points differ.
Duty and paperwork: industrial goods in free circulation move between Türkiye and the EU at 0% customs duty with an A.TR movement certificate. Import VAT and customs formalities still apply. See the customs union guide for scope and limits.
Transit time: road transport from Bursa to central Europe takes 5 to 10 days as a typical range. Ford's requirements ask the Tier 1 to require 100% on-time delivery from sub-tier suppliers and to monitor premium freight cost caused by late deliveries, so a longer lane needs planned buffer stock.
Site change: a part number that moves to a new machining site changes the manufacturing process. Under Ford's requirements, process changes introduced by the organization need PPAP approval and functional trial approval, or a waiver, before production quantities ship. Agree the plan with the Tier 1 first.
Oversight: Ford requires its Tier 1 to repeat a financial assessment of the supply chain at least annually, alongside the annual audit programme, and to identify the controls for critical characteristics at sub-tier suppliers in the PPAP evidence. Expect questions on both.
Which automotive parts does our network suit?
Our network in Bursa works to ISO 2768-m as standard and to tighter tolerances where the drawing specifies them. We position it for low to medium quantities, fixtures and tooling, and commercial vehicle parts. We do not offer series safety parts, for which the requirements of the Tier 1 and the manufacturer for the producing site decide whether a supplier can be used at all.
When you request a quote, name the vehicle manufacturer and attach its customer-specific requirements, the PPAP level, the control plan with special characteristics, and the certificate type for the material. For overflow work and short-term capacity, see the extended workbench guide. The automotive and commercial vehicles page describes the part types we handle.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a Tier 2 machining supplier need IATF 16949 certification?
- It depends on the customer. Ford's customer-specific requirements, effective 2026-06-15, cover sub-tier suppliers that are not third-party certified to IATF 16949 and allow Ford to require compliance with the IATF's MAQMSR instead. The Tier 1 keeps full responsibility for the parts either way.
- What is the MAQMSR?
- The Minimum Automotive Quality Management System Requirements for Sub-Tier Suppliers, second edition, September 2017. The IATF publishes it as the sections of IATF 16949:2016 selected for supplier quality management system development under clause 8.4.2.3.
- How much did Türkiye export in automotive products in 2025?
- USD 41.5 billion according to TİM data cited by the Turkish automotive association OSD and by the Ministry of Trade. Germany was the largest destination at USD 6.6 billion, 15.9 percent of the total.
- Is IATF 16949:2016 still the current edition?
- Yes, as of 2026-10-30. The IATF's July 2026 communiqué plans a second edition for publication in mid-2027 and lists Tier N supply chain management among its five priorities. The dates are indicative.
- Does moving a part to a new machining site need a new PPAP?
- Treat it as a change the customer must approve. Ford's requirements say process changes introduced by the organization need PPAP approval and functional trial approval, or a waiver, before production quantities ship. Ask the Tier 1 before the move.
Sources
- Minimum Automotive Quality Management System Requirements for Sub-Tier Suppliers (MAQMSR), 2nd edition, September 2017 (IATF)
- Ford Customer-Specific Requirements for IATF 16949:2016, effective 2026-06-15, sections 8.3.4.4 and 8.4.1 to 8.4.2.4 (IATF Global Oversight)
- IATF Stakeholder Communiqué 005, IATF 16949 2nd edition update information, July 2026 (IATF Global Oversight)
- IATF 16949:2016 Frequently Asked Questions, June 2026, FAQ 6 (IATF Global Oversight)
- Customer-specific requirements of vehicle manufacturers (IATF Global Oversight)
- Otomotiv Sektörü Raporu 2026, 2025 export data from TİM and TÜİK (Ministry of Trade, Türkiye)
- OSD Özet Rapor, January 2026, 2025 production and export results (Automotive Manufacturers Association, Türkiye)
- Special Process Assessments CQI-9, CQI-11, CQI-12, CQI-15 (AIAG)
- CQI-19 Sub-Tier Supplier Management Process Guideline (AIAG)
- VDA 6.3 FAQ, edition 2023 (VDA QMC)
Questions on a drawing? sales@ertas.engineering