XML 36 R23.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

3 Months Ended

Jan. 29, 2023

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

(16) Commitments and Contingencies

The Company determines its total warranty liability by applying historical claims rate experience to the estimated amount of equipment that has been sold and is still under warranty based on dealer inventories and retail sales. The historical claims rate is determined by a review of five-year claims costs and current quality developments.

The premiums for extended warranties are recognized in Other income in the statements of consolidated income in proportion to the costs expected to be incurred over the contract period. The unamortized extended warranty premiums (deferred revenue) included in the following table totaled $901 million and $781 million at January 29, 2023 and January 30, 2022, respectively.

A reconciliation of the changes in the warranty liability and unearned premiums in millions of dollars follows:


		Three Months Ended
		January 29			January 30
		2023			2022
Beginning of period balance		$	2,293		$	2,086
Payments			(263)			(193)
Amortization of premiums received			(83)			(66)
Accruals for warranties			255			181
Premiums received			106			83
Foreign exchange			37			(27)
End of period balance		$	2,345		$	2,064

At January 29, 2023, the Company had $235 million of guarantees issued to banks outside the U.S. and Canada related to third-party receivables for the retail financing of John Deere equipment. The Company may recover a portion of any required payments incurred under these agreements from repossession of the equipment collateralizing the receivables. At January 29, 2023, the accrued losses under these agreements were not material. The maximum remaining term of the receivables guaranteed at January 29, 2023 was about seven years.

At January 29, 2023, the Company had commitments of $467 million for the construction and acquisition of property and equipment. Also, at January 29, 2023, the Company had restricted assets of $269 million, classified as “Other assets.”

The Company also had other miscellaneous contingent liabilities and guarantees totaling approximately $90 million at January 29, 2023. The accrued liability for these contingencies was not material at January 29, 2023.

The Company is subject to various unresolved legal actions which arise in the normal course of its business, the most prevalent of which relate to product liability (including asbestos-related liability), retail credit, employment, patent, trademark, and antitrust matters. The Company believes the reasonably possible range of losses for these unresolved legal actions would not have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.