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Product Warranties
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Product Warranties [Abstract] 
Product Warranty Disclosure [Text Block]
PRODUCT WARRANTIES

We record a liability for estimated warranty obligations at the date our products are sold.  These estimates are established using sales volumes and internal and external warranty data where there is no payment history and historical information about the average cost of warranty claims for customers with prior claims.  We adjust the liability as necessary.

As part of the 2009 Settlement and Commercial Agreement, AAM agreed to expanded warranty cost sharing with GM starting on January 1, 2011.

The following table provides a reconciliation of changes in the product warranty liability:

 
 
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
 
September 30,
 
September 30,
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2011
 
2010
 
 
(in millions)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning balance
 
$
8.1

 
$
2.0

 
$
2.3

 
$
2.1

     Accruals
 
3.0

 
0.3

 
9.2

 
0.8

     Settlements
 
(0.1
)
 
(0.2
)
 
(0.6
)
 
(0.4
)
     Adjustment to prior period accruals
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(0.3
)
     Foreign currency translation and other
 
(0.2
)
 
0.1

 
(0.1
)
 
—

Ending balance
 
$
10.8

 
$
2.2

 
$
10.8

 
$
2.2