The management of fluidic cooling circuits in modern cars is known as thermal management. So called thermostat valves play a central role in that matter. Basically all fluids such as, fuel, oil and, also, air have to be transported and/or redirected in order for the car’s internal systems to function efficiently. Two types of valves are used, “active” and “passive” valves. Where active valves can be opened and closed with electric motors or solenoids upon a signal, passive valves react immediately on the temperature of the fluid. This can be solved either with a wax element, or with a temperature-sensitive functional material such as a thermal shape memory alloy (SMA). SMA systems, where a SMA actuator is fully immersed in the fluid, have been replacing conventional, wax-element-valves or systems more and more in the past years. The fundament of this success is that compared to the wax elements, SMA actuators are lighter, faster, more reliable and even win the economical comparison. However, the task to develop a SMA component for different working points and to reliably produce these components under automotive industrial standards is not trivial. In this contribution, we present an approach of combining material’s development with the design of the SMA thermostat element. It also allows us to realize a functionality in SMA actuators based on quaternary NiTiXY-SMAs with an unprecedented precision in working points and functional stability over the lifetime of the car. The reproducibility in mass-scale production for automotive serial products is assured, too. Our approach requires a comprehensive understanding of the requirements of automotive valve components, their assembly and fluid dynamics, but also of the crystallographic compatibility and hystereses design of our SMA components.