We've been working with a customer on/off for the past year, for a product made at our German mfg site. The customer's quality engineer is based in the US so I was asked to manage this PPAP.

We finally submitted the PSW two weeks ago and received interim approval b/c he had a problem with our detection rankings on our PFMEA (said they were too low).

Yesterday I received an email stating that the PFMEA needed to be in English not German. Note that they've seen this PFMEA several times since last year and not once was this requirement mentioned.

Are they within their rights to change requirements last minute?

There are a few issues here:
Where is the part produced- only in Germany?
If so then you are just shuffling paper which means that you are just the postmen?
Where were the PPAP requirements defined?
Are there any requirements as to which FMEA should be used AIAG or VDA?
If there is a callout to AIAG is the version called out?
Please give some more info.

In the end the customer can tell you to call black white and if you want to sell you will do it and smile about it.

Yep, I'm the postman! Customer was dealing with Germany directly but their engineer is such a PIA that Germany asked me to handle him... since at least I can speak English without the German accent ;)

I think you hit proverbial nail in the head. No requirements were GIVEN to me other than a list of documents needed for a PPAP Level 4, sent via email.

My beef was that he's just doing a last minute change. Sigh... I know, I know... I will need to smile and make him happy, thru gritted teeth if need be... and pray he's halfway reasonable.

Dear, hello !
If so then you can translated the PPAP file german to english language.

Dear, hello !
If so then you can translated the PPAP file german to english language.

The question is: Are they within their rights to change requirements last minute? (see post #1)

Question:

Customer Requirements versus requirements of VDA or Europe/ German.

If used on American cars or the big three, then they can tell you it has to be in English. There is no writing required, it can be verbal.

I work for a German Company for (12) and dealt with the big three and VW, Saab, BMW, Mercedes, Mazda, Toyota, Honda.

Question:

Customer Requirements verses requirements of VDAor Europe/ German.

If used on american cars or the big three then they can tell you it has to be in english. There is no writing required, it can be verbal.

I work for a German Company for (12) and delt with the big three and VW, Saab, BMW, Mercedes, Masda, Tyota, Honda.

It is all customer requirements, I have seen PPAP (AIAG) in a lot of different languages and ISR(VDA) in English etc
The language requirement is customer driven.