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Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees | Commitments and Contingencies Guarantees and Indemnification Obligations In accordance with the terms of our operating lease agreements, our dealership subsidiaries, acting as lessees, generally agree to indemnify the lessor from certain exposure arising as a result of the use of the leased premises, including environmental exposure and repairs to leased property upon termination of the lease. In addition, we have generally agreed to indemnify the lessor in the event of a breach of the lease by the lessee. In connection with dealership dispositions and facility relocations, certain of our subsidiaries have assigned or sublet to the buyer their interests in real property leases associated with such dealerships. In general, the subsidiaries retain responsibility for the performance of certain obligations under such leases, including rent payments and repairs to leased property upon termination of the lease, to the extent that the assignee or the sublessee does not perform. In the event an assignee or a sublessee does not perform its obligations, Sonic remains liable for such obligations. In accordance with the terms of agreements entered into for the sale of our dealerships, we generally agree to indemnify the buyer from certain liabilities and costs arising subsequent to the date of sale, including environmental exposure and exposure resulting from the breach of representations or warranties made in accordance with the agreements. While our exposure with respect to environmental remediation is difficult to quantify, our maximum exposure associated with these general indemnifications was approximately $8.0 million as of September 30, 2023 and there was not any material exposure with respect to these indemnifications at December 31, 2022. These indemnifications typically expire within a period of one to three years following the date of sale. The estimated fair value of these indemnifications was not material and the amount recorded for this contingency was not significant at September 30, 2023. We also guarantee the floor plan commitments of our 50%-owned joint venture, and the amount of such guarantee at both September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was approximately $4.3 million. Legal Matters Sonic is involved, and expects to continue to be involved, in various legal and administrative proceedings arising out of the conduct of its business, including regulatory investigations and private civil actions brought by plaintiffs purporting to represent a potential class or for which a class has been certified. Although Sonic is unable to predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any litigation, regulatory investigation or inquiry, in the opinion of management, Sonic does not believe it is reasonably possible that its current and threatened legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on Sonic’s business, financial position or consolidated results of operations. Given the inherent unpredictability of these types of proceedings, however, it is possible that future adverse outcomes could have a material effect on Sonic’s financial results. There were no significant liabilities recorded related to legal matters as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

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