When NHTSA investigates a recall, the Tier 1's AI-assisted quality decision is part of the evidence chain.
Tier 1 suppliers deploy AI for engineering change request drafting, supplier audit preparation, IATF 16949 compliance narratives, and supply chain risk reporting. OEM-specific quality requirements (Toyota SQ manual, VW Formel Q, etc.) apply to AI-generated quality documentation. NHTSA TREAD Act reporting obligations flow down to suppliers. When an AI-assisted quality decision contributes to a safety recall, the NHTSA investigation examines the entire supply chain — including the Tier 1's AI-generated engineering documentation and quality records.
What Ontic Does Here
Ontic's Refinery enforces IATF 16949 compliance narrative accuracy and supply chain risk reporting governance as deterministic guardrails. The Clean Room produces safety recall root-cause narratives and OEM evidence bundles with full provenance. The supplier's existing quality management system extends to AI outputs with evidence that satisfies both OEM audit and NHTSA investigation requirements.
Recommended Deployment
Studio
Assists judgment
- •Engineering change request drafting
- •Supplier audit preparation
Refinery
Enforces authority
★ Start here
- •IATF 16949 compliance narratives
- •Supply-chain risk reporting
Clean Room
Enforces defensibility
- •Safety recall root-cause narratives
- •OEM evidence bundles
Expansion path: refinery -> clean_room
Regulatory Context
IATF 16949 quality management requirements apply to AI-generated quality documentation. NHTSA TREAD Act reporting obligations flow to suppliers for safety-related defects. FMVSS (49 CFR 571) standards apply to components with AI-assisted design or quality decisions. REACH/RoHS applies to EU supply chain AI outputs. OEM-specific quality requirements add manufacturer-specific standards on top of IATF.
Applicable Frameworks
Common Objections
"Our quality system is IATF 16949 certified. AI outputs go through the same QMS."
IATF certification covers the system. AI outputs must meet the documentation standard within the system — including traceability of the AI's contribution to any quality decision. An IATF-certified QMS that cannot trace an AI- generated engineering change recommendation fails the traceability requirement. Ontic adds the traceability layer.
Evidence
- →Automotive AI market projected from $33.9B (2024) to $107B by early 2030s
- →NHTSA recall investigations examine the full supply chain evidence
- →OEM supplier qualification increasingly includes AI governance
- →IATF 16949 traceability requirements are absolute
Questions to Consider
- ?Do AI tools contribute to engineering change requests, quality documentation, or PPAP submissions?
- ?If NHTSA investigated a recall, could the supplier trace an AI-generated quality decision through the QMS?
- ?Have OEM customers asked about AI governance during supplier qualification?
Primary Buyer
VP Quality / VP Engineering / Director of IATF Compliance
Deal Size
Mid-Market ($25K–$150K ACV)
Implementation
Medium — Weeks with integration
Start With
Refinery
Ready to see how Ontic works for tier 1 supplier?