What is the difference between the PPAP submission levels?

The levels differ only in what the supplier submits to the customer. Level 1 sends the Part Submission Warrant alone, Level 2 adds product samples and limited data, Level 3 sends samples plus the complete supporting package, Level 4 is a customer-defined subset or extra evidence, and Level 5 sends the full package with an on-site review of the retained records. All 18 elements are completed and retained at every level.

What is the default PPAP submission level?

Level 3 is the default. Unless a customer specifies otherwise, suppliers should assume Level 3, which requires the Part Submission Warrant, sample production parts, and the complete supporting data package. Most new production parts are submitted at Level 3.

What does PPAP Level 1 require?

Level 1 requires only the Part Submission Warrant to be submitted to the customer, plus an appearance approval report for parts with appearance requirements. All other elements are still completed and kept on the supplier's on-site PPAP file. Level 1 is typically used for bulk materials and standard catalog or commodity parts.

What is PPAP Level 5?

At Level 5 the supplier submits the Part Submission Warrant and makes the sample parts and the complete supporting data available for review at its own manufacturing location, rather than mailing the full package. The customer or their representative reviews the retained records on site. Level 5 is used for safety-critical parts, new suppliers, or suppliers recovering from a quality problem.

Does every PPAP level require all 18 elements?

Yes. All 18 elements must be completed and retained on the supplier's PPAP file at every level. The submission level only determines which completed records are physically sent to the customer and whether the rest are reviewed on site. A low level never means less work, only less paperwork sent.

Who decides the PPAP submission level?

The customer decides and states the level in the requirement or the APQP timing plan. The choice is based on part risk, complexity, and the supplier's history. Strong supplier performance can earn a lower level on routine parts, while a containment or repeat defect can push new work to a higher level until trust is restored.

What is a Part Submission Warrant in the context of levels?

The Part Submission Warrant (PSW) is the signed summary sheet that is submitted at every level, which is why it is the one constant across all five. It declares the part, change level, reason for submission, and results, and it carries the customer's disposition. The level decides what accompanies the PSW, but the PSW itself always goes.

The 5 PPAP Submission Levels

Every level completes all 18 elements. The level only decides how much of the file the customer sees.

The five PPAP submission levels set how much of the evidence package a supplier actually sends the customer versus keeps on file. All 18 elements are completed and retained at every level; the level only changes what is submitted, what is reviewed on site, and how much the customer wants to see up front.

Suppliers get tripped up because they read "Level 3" as "do more work" when it really means "submit more paperwork." The work of proving capability is the same at every level. What changes is the trust the customer is extending: a low level means "we trust your file, just warrant it," and a high level means "show us everything, or let us come look." This guide walks all five levels, what each sends, and when a customer picks each one.

What are the five PPAP submission levels?

The AIAG PPAP manual defines five levels of submission. Level 3 is the default and the one most customers assume unless they say otherwise. The others move up or down from there depending on risk, part history, and the supplier's track record.

Level	What the supplier submits	Typical use
Level 1	Part Submission Warrant only (plus appearance approval report for appearance items)	Low-risk bulk materials, catalog and standard commodity parts
Level 2	PSW with product samples and a limited set of supporting data	Lower-risk parts with an established supplier relationship
Level 3	PSW with product samples and the complete supporting data package	The default; most new production parts
Level 4	PSW plus other requirements defined by the customer	Customer wants a specific, tailored subset or extra evidence
Level 5	PSW with samples and complete data reviewed at the supplier's location	Safety-critical parts, new suppliers, or a history of problems

The five levels differ only in what leaves the building. Every element is still completed and retained on the supplier's PPAP file.

Notice the pattern. Level 1 sends the least, Level 3 sends the full package, and Level 5 sends the full package plus an on-site review. Level 4 is the odd one out: it is a custom list the customer writes, which can be lighter or heavier than Level 3. Read the customer requirement carefully rather than assuming Level 4 means less.

Submitted evidence grows with risk, with one exception: Level 4 is a custom list the customer writes, so its height depends entirely on what they ask for.

What stays on file versus what gets submitted?

This is the single most important thing to understand about PPAP levels: the level does not change how much work you do. Every one of the 18 elements is completed and kept in the supplier's on-site PPAP file at every level. The level only decides which of those completed records physically travel to the customer, and whether the customer reviews the rest on your floor.

The level draws the line between the submit bucket and the retain bucket. Nothing gets skipped; some of it just never leaves.

When does a customer ask for each level?

Customers choose a level based on risk and history, not on how much they like you. The logic is consistent:

Level 1 shows up for bulk material and standard catalog items where the characteristics are well understood and the risk of a surprise is low.
Level 2 fits a proven supplier making a lower-risk part, where the customer wants samples and a taste of the data but not the whole binder.
Level 3 is the safe default for a new production part, a new supplier on a normal part, or anything with meaningful complexity.
Level 4 appears when a customer has a specific concern and writes a tailored list, often adding evidence beyond the standard package for a particular characteristic.
Level 5 is reserved for safety-critical parts, brand-new suppliers, or a supplier working back from a quality escape, where the customer wants to walk the floor and see the retained records in place.

A supplier's supplier quality management standing moves the dial. Consistent performance can earn a step down from Level 3 to Level 2 on routine parts; a containment or a repeat defect can push new work up to Level 5 until trust is rebuilt.

How do you handle a submission level in practice?

Whatever level a customer specifies, the workflow is the same until the very end, where the level decides what you package. Here is the practical sequence.

Get the level in writing before you start. Confirm the submission level, the part revision, and any customer-specific requirements as part of the kickoff, not after the run.
Complete all 18 elements regardless of level. The retain-versus-submit split is a packaging decision at the end, so never let a low level tempt you into skipping the capability study or MSA.
Build the full file first. Assemble every element into your on-site PPAP file exactly as if it were a Level 3, because for your records it is.
Package only what the level submits. Pull the warrant plus the samples and data the specified level requires, and send that subset.
Prepare for on-site review if Level 5. Make sure the retained records are organized and available at the manufacturing location, because the customer or their representative will review them there rather than by mail.
Retain everything and track the change level. Keep the complete file for the required retention period, and re-open it the moment a change triggers a new submission.

A worked example: one bracket, three levels

Picture a stamped steel bracket you supply to three different customers off the same tool. The parts are identical. The submission levels are not, and the difference is entirely about trust and risk.

Customer A has bought this bracket from you for six years without a single reject. They ask for Level 2: send the warrant, a few sample parts, and the dimensional results, and keep the rest on file. They already trust your process; they just want a fresh sample and a spot-check of the numbers after your recent tooling refurbishment.

Customer B is launching a new vehicle and this bracket is new to them. They ask for Level 3: the full package, because they have no history with this part and need to see the capability study, the control plan, the PFMEA, and everything else before they commit their launch to it.

Customer C uses the bracket in a seat structure, which is a safety item, and you are a new supplier to them. They ask for Level 5: they want the full package, and they are sending an engineer to your plant to review the retained records, watch the process, and confirm the control plan is real. Same bracket, same tool, same 18 elements completed each time. Only the destination of the evidence, and whether someone comes to look, changes.

The lesson from the three-customer case is why seasoned suppliers build every PPAP file to Level 3 completeness by default. It costs almost nothing extra to package up for a lower level, but it is expensive and slow to reconstruct a full file when a customer unexpectedly escalates. Doing the work once and packaging to order is faster than doing the work to the level and getting caught short.

How do PPAP levels fit IATF 16949?

The submission levels live inside the broader PPAP requirement, and PPAP itself is mandated by the IATF 16949 quality management standard for automotive suppliers. The standard requires suppliers to conform to a customer-approved PPAP process; the customer's chosen level is simply how that requirement is dialed in for a given part. The same discipline shows up in adjacent controls like first article inspection and the APQP timing plan that schedules the submission in the first place. For the full picture of what a submission contains, start with the parent guide to the Production Part Approval Process.

The standard behind the levels

The levels are defined by the AIAG PPAP reference manual, which keeps them consistent across the industry.

The AIAG PPAP manual defines the five submission levels and states that all elements are completed and retained regardless of level, with the level determining what is submitted (AIAG, Production Part Approval Process).
PPAP conformance, including using the customer-referenced submission level, is a requirement of the IATF 16949 automotive quality management standard, which harmonizes with the core-tool references maintained by AIAG (AIAG, automotive core tools).

Where levels quietly go wrong

The failure mode is not picking the wrong level; it is treating a low level as permission to do less. A Level 1 or 2 submission still rests on a complete, retained file, and the day a customer escalates to Level 5 or audits your PPAP file, the gaps show. When the supporting records, from measurement checks to capability data, are captured digitally at the station instead of reconstructed from clipboards at submission time, the full file is always there whether the customer asked for it or not. That is what Harmony's quality intelligence and paperwork digitization is for: the retained package is a byproduct of running the process, not a scramble before a deadline. Suppliers who work that way rarely get pushed up a level, because the evidence is always in reach. See how that plays out on a real floor in our CLS case study.