Guarantees and product warranty

Caterpillar dealer performance guarantees

We have provided an indemnity to a third-party insurance company for potential losses related to performance bonds issued on behalf of Caterpillar dealers. The bonds have varying terms and are issued to insure governmental agencies against nonperformance by certain dealers. We also provided guarantees to third-parties related to the performance of contractual obligations by certain Caterpillar dealers. These guarantees have varying terms and cover potential financial losses incurred by the third-parties resulting from the dealers’ nonperformance.

In 2016, we provided a guarantee to an end user related to the performance of contractual obligations by a Caterpillar dealer. Under the guarantee, which expires in 2025, non-performance by the Caterpillar dealer could require Caterpillar to satisfy the contractual obligations by providing goods, services or financial compensation to the end user up to an annual designated cap.

Customer loan guarantees

We provide loan guarantees to third-party lenders for financing associated with machinery purchased by customers. These guarantees have varying terms and are secured by the machinery. In addition, Cat Financial participates in standby letters of credit issued to third parties on behalf of their customers. These standby letters of credit have varying terms and beneficiaries and are secured by customer assets.

Supplier consortium performance guarantees

We have provided guarantees to a customer in Brazil and a customer in Europe related to the performance of contractual obligations by supplier consortiums to which our Caterpillar subsidiaries are members. The guarantees cover potential damages incurred by the customers resulting from the supplier consortiums' non-performance. The damages are capped except for failure of the consortiums to meet certain obligations outlined in the contract in the normal course of business. The guarantees will expire when the supplier consortiums perform all their contractual obligations, which are expected to be completed in 2022 for the customer in Europe and 2025 for the customer in Brazil.

Third party logistics business lease guarantees

We have provided guarantees to third-party lessors for certain properties leased by a third party logistics business, formerly Caterpillar Logistics Services LCC, in which we sold our equity interest in 2015. The guarantees are for the possibility that the third party logistics business would default on real estate lease payments. The guarantees were granted at lease inception and generally will expire at the end of the lease terms.

We have dealer performance guarantees and third party performance guarantees that do not limit potential payment to end users related to indemnities and other commercial contractual obligations. In addition, we have entered into contracts involving industry standard indemnifications that do not limit potential payment. For these unlimited guarantees, we are unable to estimate a maximum potential amount of future payments that could result from claims made.

No significant loss has been experienced or is anticipated under any of these guarantees. At both December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related liability was $8 million. The maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted and without reduction for any amounts that may possibly be recovered under recourse or collateralized provisions) we could be required to make under the guarantees at December 31 are as follows:



(Millions of dollars)	2017		2016
Caterpillar dealer performance guarantees	$	1,313	$	1,384
Customer loan guarantees	40		51
Supplier consortium performance guarantees	565		278
Third party logistics business lease guarantees	69		87
Other guarantees	118		56
Total guarantees	$	2,105	$	1,856

Cat Financial provides guarantees to repurchase certain loans of Caterpillar dealers from a special-purpose corporation (SPC) that qualifies as a variable interest entity. The purpose of the SPC is to provide short-term working capital loans to Caterpillar dealers. This SPC issues commercial paper and uses the proceeds to fund its loan program. Cat Financial has a loan purchase agreement with the SPC that obligates Cat Financial to purchase certain loans that are not paid at maturity. Cat Financial receives a fee for providing this guarantee, which provides a source of liquidity for the SPC. Cat Financial is the primary beneficiary of the SPC as its guarantees result in Cat Financial having both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the SPC’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses, and therefore Cat Financial has consolidated the financial statements of the SPC. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the SPC’s assets of $1,107 million and $1,088 million, respectively, were primarily comprised of loans to dealers, and the SPC’s liabilities of $1,106 million and $1,087 million, respectively, were primarily comprised of commercial paper. The assets of the SPC are not available to pay Cat Financial's creditors. Cat Financial may be obligated to perform under the guarantee if the SPC experiences losses. No loss has been experienced or is anticipated under this loan purchase agreement.

Cat Financial is party to agreements in the normal course of business with selected customers and Caterpillar dealers in which they commit to provide a set dollar amount of financing on a pre-approved basis. They also provide lines of credit to certain customers and Caterpillar dealers, of which a portion remains unused as of the end of the period. Commitments and lines of credit generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses. It has been Cat Financial's experience that not all commitments and lines of credit will be used. Management applies the same credit policies when making commitments and granting lines of credit as it does for any other financing.

Cat Financial does not require collateral for these commitments/lines, but if credit is extended, collateral may be required upon funding. The amount of the unused commitments and lines of credit for dealers as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $10,993 million and $12,775 million, respectively. The amount of the unused commitments and lines of credit for customers as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $3,092 million and $3,340 million, respectively.

Our product warranty liability is determined by applying historical claim rate experience to the current field population and dealer inventory. Generally, historical claim rates are based on actual warranty experience for each product by machine model/engine size by customer or dealer location (inside or outside North America). Specific rates are developed for each product shipment month and are updated monthly based on actual warranty claim experience.



(Millions of dollars)	2017			2016
Warranty liability, January 1	$	1,258		$	1,354
Reduction in liability (payments)	(860		)	(909		)
Increase in liability (new warranties)	1,021			813
Warranty liability, December 31	$	1,419		$	1,258