The end of the line for QS-9000 is near. The Big Three released a joint letter officially stating that QS-9000 expires on December 14, 2006, and ISO/TS 16949: 2002 will replace the standard.
Just prior to the release of the letter from the Big Three, DaimlerChryler issued its own letter stating that the company will require its suppliers to register to ISO/TS 16949 by July 1, 2004. The letter, distributed by Gary C. Valade, executive vice president, global procurement and supply, states, "DaimlerChrysler is a global supplier of vehicles to the world. It only makes common sense that DaimlerChrysler should require its suppliers to adhere to a global management system requirement. There are no plans to rewrite VDA 6.1 and QS-9000 to adjust global changes in quality requirements."