Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Contingencies

In 2006, the Company completed the spin-offs of its Realogy and Wyndham subsidiaries. The Company does not believe that the impact of any resolution of pre-existing contingent liabilities in connection with the spin-offs should result in a material liability to the Company in relation to its consolidated financial position or liquidity, as Realogy and Wyndham each have agreed to assume responsibility for these liabilities. The Company is also named in litigation that is primarily related to the businesses of its former subsidiaries, including Realogy and Wyndham. The Company is entitled to indemnification from such entities for any liability resulting from such litigation.

In first quarter 2017, following a state court trial in Georgia, a jury found the Company liable for damages in cases brought by plaintiffs who were injured in a vehicle accident allegedly caused by an employee of an independent contractor of the Company who was acting outside of the scope of employment. In fourth quarter 2019, the Company appealed both verdicts resulting in a reversal of the opinions rendered. The plaintiffs filed a petition to have the Georgia Supreme Court review the state appellate court’s reversal of opinion. The Company has recognized a liability related to these cases, net of recoverable insurance proceeds, of approximately $12 million.

The Company is involved in claims, legal proceedings and governmental inquiries that are incidental to its vehicle rental and car sharing operations, including, among others, contract and licensee disputes, competition matters, employment and wage-and-hour claims, insurance and liability claims, intellectual property claims, business practice disputes and other regulatory, environmental, commercial and tax matters. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and, although the Company believes that its accruals are adequate and/or that it has valid defenses in these matters, unfavorable resolutions could occur. The Company estimates that the potential exposure resulting from adverse outcomes of legal proceedings in which it is reasonably possible that a loss may be incurred could, in the aggregate, be up to approximately $30 million in excess of amounts accrued as of December 31, 2019; however, the Company does not believe that the impact should result in a material liability to the Company in relation to its consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

Commitments to Purchase Vehicles

The Company maintains agreements with vehicle manufacturers under which the Company has agreed to purchase approximately $7.7 billion of vehicles from manufacturers over the next 12 months financed primarily through the issuance of vehicle-backed debt and cash received upon the disposition of vehicles. Certain of these commitments are subject to the vehicle manufacturers satisfying their obligations under their respective repurchase and guaranteed depreciation agreements.

Other Purchase Commitments

In the normal course of business, the Company makes various commitments to purchase other goods or services from specific suppliers, including those related to marketing, advertising, computer services and capital expenditures. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had approximately $136 million of purchase obligations, which extend through 2025.

Concentrations

Concentrations of credit risk at December 31, 2019, include (i) risks related to the Company’s repurchase and guaranteed depreciation agreements with domestic and foreign car manufacturers, including Ford, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors, and primarily with respect to receivables for program cars that have been disposed but for which the Company has not yet received payment from the manufacturers and (ii) risks related to Realogy and Wyndham, including receivables of $24 million and $14 million, respectively, related to certain contingent, income tax and other corporate liabilities assumed by Realogy and Wyndham in connection with their disposition.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company maintains a liability for asset retirement obligations. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation to perform certain activities in connection with the retirement, disposal or abandonment of assets. The Company’s asset retirement obligations, which are measured at discounted fair values, are primarily related to the removal of underground gasoline storage tanks at its rental facilities. The liability accrued for asset retirement obligations was $27 million and $22 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Standard Guarantees/Indemnifications

In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into numerous agreements that contain standard guarantees and indemnities whereby the Company agrees to indemnify another party, among other things, for performance under contracts and any breaches of representations and warranties thereunder. In addition, many of these parties are also indemnified against any third-party claim resulting from the transaction that is contemplated in the underlying agreement. Such guarantees or indemnifications are granted under various agreements, including those governing (i) purchases, sales or outsourcing of assets, businesses or activities, (ii) leases of real estate, (iii) licensing of trademarks, (iv) access to credit facilities and use of derivatives and (v) issuances of debt or equity securities. The guarantees or indemnifications issued are for the benefit of the (i) buyers in sale agreements and sellers in purchase agreements, (ii) landlords in lease contracts, (iii) licensees under licensing agreements, (iv) financial institutions in credit facility arrangements and derivative contracts and (v) underwriters and placement agents in debt or equity security issuances. While some of these guarantees extend only for the duration of the underlying agreement, many may survive the expiration of the term of the agreement or extend into perpetuity (unless subject to a legal statute of limitations). There are no specific limitations on the maximum potential amount of future payments that the Company could be required to make under these guarantees, nor is the Company able to develop an estimate of the maximum potential amount of future payments to be made under these guarantees as the triggering events are not subject to predictability. With respect to certain of the aforementioned guarantees, such as indemnifications provided to landlords against third-party claims for the use of real estate property leased by the Company, the Company maintains insurance coverage that mitigates its potential exposure.