5 Why root cause analysis template online
Run a 5 Why analysis online the way automotive customers expect it: one chain for why the problem occurred and a second chain for why it was not detected, each ending in a root cause and a corrective action, plus the evidence that verifies the root cause.
Send the result directly to D4 of your 8D report with one click, or export it as a PDF for a problem-solving meeting.
How the 5 Why Analysis works
Describe the problem in facts, then answer "why?" step by step; each answer becomes the next question. Add or remove steps as needed, because the right depth is the first cause you can act on, not always exactly five. Do the same for detection, then write how the root cause was proven.
The analysis is saved in your browser, so you can come back to it during the investigation.
When to use it
Use 5 Why for customer complaints, internal defects, near misses and audit findings, and inside every 8D report. It is quick enough for the shop floor and structured enough for a customer report. For complex problems with many possible causes, start with a fishbone diagram and run the 5 Why on the most likely branch.
A good 5 Why ends at a process or system cause, such as a missing standard or a weak control, rather than at a person.
PDF report in one click
Export the 5 Why analysis as a PDF with your header (reference, part, team), the problem, both why chains with root causes and actions and the verification.
Private: everything runs in your browser
Your analysis is stored only in your browser; nothing is uploaded, and no account is needed.
How to run a good 5 Why
- State the problem in facts, not opinions.
- Ask why and answer with something you can check; each answer becomes the next question.
- Stop at an actionable cause, usually a missing or weak standard, not a person.
- Do the same for detection: why did the controls not catch it?
- Verify and define one action per root cause.
For complex problems, list possible causes first with the fishbone diagram, then run the 5 Why on the most likely branch.
Frequently asked questions
›Do I always need exactly five whys?
No. Five is a rule of thumb. Stop when the answer is a cause you can act on and that, if removed, prevents the problem. Sometimes that takes three steps, sometimes seven.
›Why two chains?
Automotive customers expect two root causes in an 8D: why the defect occurred and why it was not detected before reaching the customer. Fixing only the occurrence leaves the detection gap open.
›How do I verify a root cause?
Show that the problem appears when the cause is present and disappears when it is removed, with a trial or with data. Record the evidence in the verification field.