Employee Separation and Exit and Disposal Activities (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

EMPLOYEE SEPARATION ACTIONS AND EXIT AND DISPOSAL ACTIVITIES

We record costs associated with voluntary separations at the time of employee acceptance, unless the acceptance requires explicit approval by the Company. We record costs associated with involuntary separation programs when management has approved the plan for separation, the affected employees are identified, and it is unlikely that actions required to complete the separation plan will change significantly. Costs associated with benefits that are contingent on the employee continuing to provide service are accrued over the required service period.

Company Excluding Ford Credit

Global Redesign and Other Actions

Employee separation actions and exit and disposal activities include employee separation costs, facility and other asset-related charges (e.g., impairment, accelerated depreciation), dealer and supplier payments, other statutory and contractual obligations, and other expenses, which are recorded in Cost of sales and Selling, administrative, and other expenses. Below are actions we have initiated, primarily related to the global redesign of our business.

Brazil. In February 2019, Ford Motor Company Brasil Ltda. (“Ford Brazil”), our subsidiary in Brazil, committed to a plan to exit the commercial heavy truck business in South America. As a result, Ford Brazil ceased production at the São Bernardo do Campo plant in Brazil during 2019. Ford Brazil completed a sale of the plant machinery and equipment in the third quarter of 2020 and the land and buildings in the fourth quarter of 2020.

In December 2020, Ford Brazil committed to a plan to exit manufacturing operations in Brazil, which resulted in the closure of facilities in Camaçari, Taubaté, and Troller in 2021. These actions will not result in Ford Brazil being substantially liquidated, as it will continue imported vehicle sales and customer support operations, and maintain the product development center in Bahia, the proving grounds in Tatuí, São Paulo, and the regional headquarters in São Paulo.

Russia. In March 2019, Ford Sollers Netherlands B.V. (“Ford Sollers”), a joint venture between Ford and Sollers PJSC (“Sollers”) in which Ford had control, announced its plan to restructure its business in Russia to focus exclusively on commercial vehicles and to exit the passenger car segment. As a result of these actions, Ford acquired 100% ownership of Ford Sollers and ceased production at the Naberezhnye Chelny and St. Petersburg vehicle assembly plants and the Elabuga engine plant during the second quarter of 2019.

Subsequent to completion of the restructuring actions, in July 2019, Ford sold a 51% controlling interest in the restructured entity to Sollers, which resulted in deconsolidation of the Ford Sollers subsidiary. Our continued involvement in Ford Sollers is accounted for as an equity method investment.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, we also completed a sale of certain manufacturing assets.

United Kingdom. In June 2019, Ford of Britain announced its plan to exit the Ford Bridgend plant in South Wales in 2020. Ford of Britain ceased production at the Bridgend plant and the facility was closed in September 2020.

India. In the third quarter of 2019, Ford committed to a plan to sell specific net assets in our India Automotive operations as part of a plan to establish a joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra Limited (“Mahindra”). In December 2020, Ford and Mahindra mutually determined that we would not complete the joint venture (see Note 22). Subsequently, in September 2021, Ford India Private Limited (“Ford India”), our subsidiary in India, announced its plans to exit the engine and vehicle manufacturing operations at its facilities in Chennai and its vehicle manufacturing operation at its facility in Sanand. Ford India ceased vehicle manufacturing in Sanand in fourth quarter 2021 and plans to cease engine and vehicle manufacturing in Chennai by second quarter 2022. These actions will not result in Ford India being substantially liquidated, as it will continue with its powertrain operations at its engine plant in Sanand to support certain products, including those manufactured by our affiliate in Thailand, and it will continue its imported vehicle sales and customer support operations.

NOTE 21. EMPLOYEE SEPARATION ACTIONS AND EXIT AND DISPOSAL ACTIVITIES (Continued)

Other Global Redesign Actions. In 2018, we announced our plan to end production at the Ford Aquitaine Industries plant in Bordeaux, France. We ceased production and closed the facility in July 2019. In March 2019, we announced our plan to phase-out the production of the C-Max at the Saarlouis Body and Assembly Plant in Germany. We ceased production of the C-Max in June 2019. In March 2021, we announced our plan to phase-out the production of the Mondeo at the Valencia Plant in Spain.

In addition, we are continuing to reduce our global workforce and take other restructuring actions.

The following table summarizes the activities for the years ended December 31, which are recorded in Other liabilities and deferred revenue (in millions):


	2020		2021
Beginning balance	$	734	$	1,732
Changes in accruals (a)	1,598		1,150
Payments	(631)		(1,883)
Foreign currency translation	31		(49)
Ending balance	$	1,732	$	950

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(a) Excludes pension costs of $268 million and $156 million in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

We recorded $1.4 billion of non-cash charges in 2019 for the impairment of our India Automotive operations, accelerated depreciation, and other items. In 2020, we recorded $1.4 billion of non-cash charges related to the write-off of certain tax and other assets in South America, accelerated depreciation, and other items. In addition, we recognized a pre-tax net gain on sale of assets in Brazil and Russia of $39 million, with cash proceeds of $128 million. In 2021, we recorded $739 million for accelerated depreciation and other non-cash items.

We estimate that we will incur about $2 billion in total charges in 2022 related to the actions above, primarily attributable to employee separations and dealer and supplier settlements. We continue to review our global businesses and may take additional restructuring actions in markets where a path to sustained profitability is not feasible when considering the capital allocation required for those markets.

United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (“UAW”) Voluntary Separation Packages

As agreed in the collective bargaining agreement ratified in November 2019, during the first quarter of 2020, we offered voluntary separation packages to our UAW hourly workforce who were eligible for normal or early retirement, and recorded associated costs of $201 million in Cost of sales. All separations occurred during 2020.

Ford Credit

In June 2021, Ford Credit announced the plan of its subsidiaries in Brazil and Argentina to cease originating receivables by the end of 2021 and begin the process of selling or otherwise winding down their operations in those markets. We recorded approximately $11 million related to employee separation costs in Ford Credit interest, operating, and other expenses, the majority of which was paid in 2021.

Accumulated foreign currency translation losses included in Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) at December 31, 2021 of $379 million are associated with Ford Credit’s investments in Brazil and Argentina that it no longer plans to operate. We expect to reclassify these losses to income upon sale, transfer, or substantially complete liquidation of Ford Credit’s investments, which may occur over multiple reporting periods. In the fourth quarter of 2021, we recognized a $14 million gain on the liquidation of an entity in Brazil. The timing for the completion of the remaining actions is uncertain, as they may be subject to regulatory approval. We expect the majority of losses to be recognized in 2022.