Diamondlike carbon films and diamondlike carbon-metal composite films may provide increased component reliability, decreased fuel consumption, decreased noise/vibration/harshness (NVH), and decreased lubricant use in next generation automotive components. Raman spectra were obtained for diamondlike carbon, diamondlike carbon-platinum composite films, and diamondlike carbon-gold composite films, which were annealed to a temperature of 523 degrees C. The Raman spectra for these films were fitted using a two-Gaussian function. The variation of the G-peak position, the D-peak position, and the I-D/I-G ratio was examined as a function of temperature. The unalloyed diamondlike carbon film demonstrated greater thermal stability than the diamondlike carbon-noble metal composite films. These results suggest that the operating temperatures of the diamondlike carbon-coated automotive components must be kept under careful consideration. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.