This SAE Recommended Practice was jointly developed by chrysler, Ford and General Motors under the sponsorship of the United States council for automotive Research (USCAR). This document introduces the topic of potential Failure Mode and effects Analysis (FMEA) and gives general guidance in the application of the technique. An FMEA can be described as a systemized group of activities intended to: (a) recognize and evaluate the potential failure of a product/process and its effects, (b) identify actions which could eliminate or reduce the chance of the potential failure occurring, and (c) document the process. It is complementary to the design process of defining positively what a design must do to satisfy the customer.