The Origin and Development of FMEAs in the North American Automotive Industry: A History Review

The concept of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis has been around for almost three-quarters of a century, yet many authors give contradictory dates for the origin of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and different dates for the spread of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis in the automotive industry. This paper seeks to establish a timeline for the development of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis usage in the North American automotive industry. This paper uses a historical review. Literature was identified and reviewed to document the development of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis in the North American automotive industry using primary sources. The first standard for the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis was MIL-P-1629 in 1949. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis were used in the aerospace industry in the 1950s and the usage of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis at Ford Motor Company in 1972 and Toyota in 1975 has been confirmed. Automotive companies mandated use of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis in the 1980s and automotive industry-specific standards were released in the 1990s and revised over the years. This paper contributes a timeline of key Failure Modes and Effects Analysis related events that is supported by documented evidence.