Convert your FMEA risk assessments between RPN and AIAG-VDA Action Priority instantly. Free, no signup required.
Based on the AIAG-VDA FMEA Handbook, 1st Edition (2019)
This tool provides calculations for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional engineering, construction, or safety advice. Verify all results independently before use in design, construction, or compliance decisions. See our Terms of Service.
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For decades, quality engineers used the Risk Priority Number (RPN) to prioritize corrective actions in FMEA. RPN multiplies Severity × Occurrence × Detection, producing a score from 1 to 1,000. The problem: RPN weights all three axes equally, which means a low-severity, high-frequency failure can score the same as a safety-critical failure that rarely occurs.
The AIAG-VDA FMEA Handbook (1st Edition, 2019) introduced Action Priority (AP)to fix this. AP uses a lookup table that weights Severity first — any failure chain with Severity 9 or 10 is automatically flagged as High priority, regardless of Occurrence or Detection. This aligns risk assessment with regulatory and safety obligations.
RPN (Traditional)
10
10 × 1 × 1 = 10 — looks safe
Action Priority (AIAG-VDA)
High (H)
Severity 10 = safety-critical — always requires action
A Severity of 10 indicates a hazardous failure without warning — potential injury or regulatory noncompliance. RPN scores this at just 10 out of 1,000 because Occurrence and Detection are both 1. Under the traditional approach, this failure chain would be deprioritized. AP correctly flags it as High because safety-critical failures always require action under AIAG-VDA.
Ford Motor Company
Accepting AIAG-VDA FMEA format from suppliers since 2019
General Motors
Implementing AIAG-VDA across supply chain since 2023
Honda
Mandating AIAG-VDA FMEA format by January 2027
Last updated: March 2026
High (H)
Highest priority for action. The failure chain poses a safety or regulatory risk, or Severity is 9-10 regardless of other factors. Corrective action must be implemented and verified.
Medium (M)
Action should be taken to reduce risk. The failure chain has moderate impact and could escalate if not addressed. Review with the FMEA team.
Low (L)
Action is optional. The failure chain has low impact and is adequately controlled. Document the rationale for no further action.