Contingent Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Legal Proceedings

Various claims, lawsuits and proceedings are pending or threatened against the Company, covering a range of matters that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities with respect to commercial, product liability and other matters. Litigation is subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of any litigation cannot be assured. After discussions with counsel, it is the opinion of management that the various legal proceedings and investigations to which the Company currently is a party will not have a material adverse impact on the condensed consolidated financial position of Veoneer, but the Company cannot provide assurance that Veoneer will not experience material litigation, product liability or other losses in the future.

Product Warranty, Recalls, and Intellectual Property

Veoneer is exposed to various claims for damages and compensation if its products fail to perform as expected. Such claims can be made, and result in costs and other losses to the Company, even where the product is eventually found to have functioned

properly. Where a product (actually or allegedly) fails to perform as expected or is defective, the Company may face warranty and recall claims. Where such (actual or alleged) failure or defect results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury and/or property damage, the Company may also face product liability and other claims. There can be no assurance that the Company will not experience material warranty, recall or product (or other) liability claims or losses in the future, or that the Company will not incur significant costs to defend against such claims. The Company may be required to participate in a recall involving its products. Each vehicle manufacturer has its own practices regarding product recalls and other product liability actions relating to its suppliers. As suppliers become more integrally involved in the vehicle design process and assume more of the vehicle assembly functions, vehicle manufacturers are increasingly looking to their suppliers for contribution when faced with recalls and product liability claims. Government safety regulators may also play a role in warranty and recall practices. A warranty, recall or product-liability claim brought against the Company in excess of its insurance may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. Vehicle manufacturers are also increasingly requiring their outside suppliers to guarantee or warrant their products and bear the costs of repair and replacement of such products under new vehicle warranties. A vehicle manufacturer may attempt to hold the Company responsible for some, or all, of the repair or replacement costs of products when the product supplied did not perform as represented by the Company or expected by the customer. Accordingly, the future costs of warranty claims by customers may be material. However, the Company believes its established reserves are adequate. Veoneer’s warranty reserves are based upon the Company’s best estimates of amounts necessary to settle future and existing claims. The Company regularly evaluates the adequacy of these reserves, and adjusts them when appropriate. However, the final amounts actually due related to these matters could differ materially from the Company’s recorded estimates.

In addition, as vehicle manufacturers increasingly use global platforms and procedures, quality performance evaluations are also conducted on a global basis. Any one or more quality, warranty or other recall issue(s) (including those affecting few units and/or having a small financial impact) may cause a vehicle manufacturer to implement measures such as a temporary or prolonged suspension of new orders, which may have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations.

The Company carries insurance for potential recall and product liability claims at coverage levels based on the Company’s prior claims experience. Veoneer cannot assure that the level of coverage will be sufficient to cover every possible claim that can arise in the Company’s businesses, now or in the future, or that such coverage always will be available should the Company, now or in the future, wish to extend, increase or otherwise adjust the Company’s insurance.

In its products, the Company utilizes technologies which may be subject to intellectual property rights of third parties. While the Company does seek to procure the necessary rights to utilize intellectual property rights associated with its products, it may fail to do so. Where the Company so fails, the Company may be exposed to material claims from the owners of such rights. Where the Company has sold products which infringe upon such rights, its customers may be entitled to be indemnified by the Company for the claims they suffer as a result thereof. Such claims could be material.

Product Related Liabilities

The Company records liabilities for product related risks when probable claims are identified and when it is possible to reasonably estimate costs. Provisions for warranty claims are estimated based on prior experience, likely changes in performance of newer products, and volume of the products sold. The provisions are recorded on an accrual basis.

The table below summarizes the change in product related liabilities in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.


	Three Months Ended March 31
(Dollars in millions)	2021		2020
Reserve at beginning of the period	$	19	$	15
Change in reserve	—		6
Cash payments	(1)		(3)


Reserve at end of the period	$	18	$	18

For the three month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, cash paid primarily relates to warranty related issues. Agreements entered into between Autoliv and Veoneer in connection with the Spin-Off provide for Autoliv to indemnify Veoneer for certain liabilities related to electronics products manufactured before April 1, 2018. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, $9 million for both periods of product related liabilities were indemnifiable losses subject to indemnification by Autoliv and an indemnification asset is included in Other current assets.