COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

Jul. 30, 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 $999 million and $839 million at July 30, 2023 and July 31, 2022, respectively.

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

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	July 30		July 31		July 30		July 31
	2023		2022		2023		2022
Beginning of period balance	$	2,511	$	2,095	$	2,293	$	2,086
Payments		(314)		(240)		(851)		(657)
Amortization of premiums received		(75)		(70)		(221)		(200)
Accruals for warranties		363		358		1,010		762
Premiums received		123		103		338		277
Foreign exchange		10		(10)		49		(32)
End of period balance	$	2,618	$	2,236	$	2,618	$	2,236

At July 30, 2023, the Company had $201 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 July 30, 2023, the accrued losses under these agreements were not material.

At July 30, 2023, the Company had commitments of $649 million for the construction and acquisition of property and equipment. Also, at July 30, 2023, the Company had restricted assets of $270 million, classified as Other assets.

The Company also had other miscellaneous contingent liabilities and guarantees totaling approximately $115 million at July 30, 2023. The accrued liability for these contingencies was not material at July 30, 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.