VW 91101 Compliance Software | GADSL, IMDS & Supplement 1 Automation | Certivo - Certivo

VW 91101

Customer & Industry Requirements

Environmental Standard for Products — Material Suitability (Avoidance of Hazardous Substances)

Volkswagen Rejects Non-Compliant IMDS Submissions Automatically. Can Your Substance Data Survive OEM Scrutiny?

VW 91101 compliance requires substance-level material declarations across your entire supply chain—validated against the GADSL, REACH SVHCs, and Volkswagen Group-specific bans. IMDS submissions must be accurate to CAS number level. Non-compliant Material Data Sheets trigger automatic rejection. VW 91101 Supplement 1 adds proprietary restrictions beyond global regulations and is updated regularly without advance notice.

Certivo automates substance tracking from supplier declaration to OEM-ready IMDS validation.

94+

Substance entries tracked under GADSL (2026)

0.1%

Declaration threshold by weight of homogeneous material

100%

IMDS material disclosure required for every part supplied

Regulation Overview

Jurisdiction
Global (Volkswagen Group — applied across all sales markets and supplier tiers)
Regulatory Body
Volkswagen AG, Standards Department
Regulation Number
VW 91101 (Group Standard / Konzernnorm)
Effective Date
April 2024 (previous issues: 1993, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2015)
Official Source
Available via VW Group Supply Portal ( www.vwgroupsupply.com)
Key Threshold
0.1% w/w substance concentration in homogeneous materials

What Is VW 91101?

VW 91101 is Volkswagen Group's environmental standard governing the avoidance of hazardous substances in vehicle parts, materials, and operating fluids. It is the cornerstone of VW 91101 compliance for every supplier in the Volkswagen supply chain—spanning VW, Audi, Porsche, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Lamborghini, and all affiliated brands. The standard mandates compliance with global chemical regulations, including EU REACH, the EU End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, and the CLP Regulation, while imposing additional Volkswagen Group-specific substance bans that exceed regulatory minimums.

VW 91101 compliance requires substance-level material data—CAS numbers, concentrations, and VDA material classifications—for every part entering the Volkswagen supply chain. The standard references the GADSL as the baseline for declarable and prohibited substances and requires all substance data to be submitted through the International Material Data System (IMDS).

Key Components / Sub-Frameworks

Obligation
Declare all D-classified substances; eliminate all P-classified substances
GADSL Reference
Global Automotive Declarable Substance List — baseline substance list
Obligation
Full compliance with proprietary restrictions; updated regularly
VW 91101 Supplement 1
VW Group-specific bans exceeding GADSL and global regulations
Obligation
100% substance disclosure at CAS number level for every supplied part
IMDS Reporting
International Material Data System for material declarations
Obligation
Mandatory notification of any chemical composition change
VW 01155
Approval of first supply and changes
Obligation
Full chemical composition and safety data sheet required
VW 50156
Process materials and operating fluids disclosure
Obligation
VOC and fogging limits for passenger compartment components
Interior Emissions
VW 50180 / VW 96043 emission behavior standards

Key Compliance Requirements

Who Must Comply

• Direct (Tier 1) suppliers to any Volkswagen Group brand worldwide
• Sub-tier suppliers whose materials or substances remain in the finished vehicle
• Suppliers of operating fluids, coolants, lubricants, and process materials
• Suppliers of aftermarket and replacement parts for VW Group vehicles
• Contract manufacturers producing components under VW specifications
• Any supplier whose parts are exported to EU, China, or other regulated markets

Key Thresholds

0.1% w/w
Declaration threshold for GADSL substances in homogeneous materials
P-classified
Prohibited substances — zero intentional use permitted in any application
D-classified
Declarable substances — must be reported in IMDS above threshold
100% disclosure
All materials in every supplied part must be declared in IMDS

Core Obligations

1. IMDS Submission
   Complete Material Data Sheet with substance-level disclosure for every part
   DEADLINE
   Prior to PPAP / first sample approval
2. GADSL Screening
   All materials screened against current GADSL for P, D, and D/P classifications
   DEADLINE
   Ongoing — within 12 months of each GADSL update
3. Supplement 1 Compliance
   Verify conformance with VW Group-specific bans beyond GADSL
   DEADLINE
   At time of supply and upon each Supplement 1 revision
4. Composition Change Notification
   Inform VW Procurement and Design Engineering of any substance changes per VW 01155
   DEADLINE
   Immediately upon identification
5. Operating Fluid Disclosure
   Provide full chemical composition and SDS per VW 50156
   DEADLINE
   At time of supply

Frequently Asked Questions

What products and companies are subject to VW 91101 compliance obligations?

Any company supplying parts, materials, or operating fluids to a Volkswagen Group brand—including VW, Audi, Porsche, ŠKODA, SEAT, Bentley, and Lamborghini—must comply with VW 91101. The standard applies to all substances in vehicle components, aftermarket parts, and process materials. Compliance requires 100% substance disclosure through IMDS at CAS number level, validated against GADSL and VW 91101 Supplement 1. Certivo automates this entire validation workflow.

What happens if a supplier fails VW 91101 compliance?

Volkswagen auto-rejects non-compliant IMDS submissions under IMDS 14.3 validation rules enforced per VW 91101. Rejected Material Data Sheets block PPAP approval, delay production launches, and can result in supplier scorecarding downgrades. Repeated non-compliance risks disqualification from future VW Group programs. CORA's pre-submission validation catches errors before they reach Volkswagen.

How does Certivo track updates to GADSL and VW 91101 Supplement 1?

Certivo maintains continuous sync with the GADSL, incorporating substance reclassifications within days of the annual March update and any interim revisions. When substances are reclassified or VW 91101 Supplement 1 is revised, CORA reassesses your entire portfolio and alerts you to affected parts—triggering the appropriate IMDS revision and customer notification workflows automatically.

What declaration formats does Certivo accept from suppliers for VW 91101?

Certivo accepts any format: PDF declarations, Excel spreadsheets, IMDS exports, IPC-1752, XML files, and freeform responses. CORA extracts substance data regardless of format or language through AI document parsing and certificate validation, eliminating the need to standardize inputs across your multi-tier supply chain. This format-agnostic approach is critical for managing multi-tier supply chain transparency.

Does Certivo validate against VW 91101 alongside REACH, RoHS, and PFAS regulations?

Yes. Certivo validates a single supplier submission against VW 91101, GADSL, EU REACH SVHCs, RoHS heavy metals, TSCA, Prop 65, and emerging PFAS restrictions simultaneously. This eliminates duplicate collection campaigns and provides a centralized compliance data backbone across all applicable frameworks—giving compliance teams a single source of truth for OEM qualification and regulatory readiness.