Guarantees and product warranty

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

We have provided various guarantees that have varying terms and limit potential payment. Under the guarantees, non-performance by the third parties could require Caterpillar to satisfy the contractual obligation by providing goods, services or financial compensation. The maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted and without reduction for any amounts possibly recoverable) that we could be required to make under the guarantees was $368 million and $353 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

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.

Cat Financial provides guarantees to purchase certain loans of Caterpillar dealers from a special-purpose corporation (SPC) that qualifies as a variable interest entity. Cat Financial receives a fee for providing this guarantee. 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 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, 2024 and 2023, the SPC’s assets of $1.14 billion and $1.35 billion, respectively, were primarily comprised of loans to dealers, and the SPC’s liabilities of $1.14 billion and $1.35 billion, 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 has commitments to extend credit to customers through lines of credit and other pre-approved credit arrangements. Cat Financial applies the same credit policies and approval process for these commitments as we do for other financing. Collateral is not required, but if credit is extended, collateral is generally required upon funding. The unused commitments to extend credit to customers that are not unconditionally cancellable was $843 million at December 31, 2024. Cat Financial also has pre-approved lines of credit and other credit arrangements with Caterpillar dealers; however, we generally have the right to unconditionally cancel, alter, or amend the terms at any time.

We determine our product warranty liability by applying historical claim rate experience to the current field population and dealer inventory. Generally, we base historical claim rates on actual warranty experience for each product by machine model/engine size by customer or dealer location (inside or outside North America). We develop specific rates for each product shipment month and update them monthly based on actual warranty claim experience.

The reconciliation of the change in our product warranty liability balances for the years ended December 31, was as follows:


(Millions of dollars)	2024		2023
Warranty liability, beginning of period	$	1,894	$	1,761
Reduction in liability (payments)	(824)		(835)
Increase in liability (new warranties)	630		968
Warranty liability, end of period	$	1,700	$	1,894