Dauch Corp: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2021

As used in this report, except as otherwise indicated in information incorporated by reference, references to “our Company,” "we," "our," "us" or “AAM” mean American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (Holdings) and its subsidiaries and predecessors, collectively.

General Development of Business

Holdings, a Delaware corporation, is a successor to American Axle & Manufacturing of Michigan, Inc., a Michigan corporation, pursuant to a migratory merger between these entities in 1999. In 2017, we acquired Metaldyne Performance Group, Inc. (MPG), with MPG becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Holdings.

Narrative Description of Business

Company Overview

As a leading global tier 1 automotive and mobility supplier, AAM designs, engineers and manufactures Driveline and Metal Forming technologies to support electric, hybrid and internal combustion vehicles. Headquartered in Detroit with nearly 80 facilities in 17 countries, AAM is bringing the future faster for a safer and more sustainable future.

Major Customers

We are a primary supplier of driveline components to General Motors Company (GM) for its full-size rear-wheel drive (RWD) light trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUV), and crossover vehicles manufactured in North America, supplying a significant portion of GM's rear axle and four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive (4WD/AWD) axle requirements for these vehicle platforms. We also supply GM with various products from our Metal Forming segment. Sales to GM were approximately 37% of our consolidated net sales in 2021, 39% in 2020, and 37% in 2019.

We also supply driveline system products to Stellantis N.V. (Stellantis) for programs including the heavy-duty Ram full-size pickup trucks and its derivatives, the AWD Chrysler Pacifica and the AWD Jeep Cherokee. In addition, we sell various products to Stellantis from our Metal Forming segment. Sales to Stellantis were approximately 19% of our consolidated net sales in both 2021 and 2020, and 17% in 2019.

We are also a supplier to Ford Motor Company (Ford) for driveline system products on certain vehicle programs including the Ford Bronco Sport, Ford Edge, Ford Escape and Lincoln Nautilus, and we sell various products to Ford from our Metal Forming segment. Sales to Ford were approximately 12% of our consolidated net sales in both 2021 and 2020, and 9% in 2019.

No other customer represented 10% or more of consolidated net sales during these periods.

Business Strategy

We have aligned our business strategy to build value for our key stakeholders. We accomplish our strategic objectives by capitalizing on our competitive strengths and continuing to diversify our customer, product and geographic sales mix, while providing exceptional value to our customers. We are focused on securing our core business of internal combustion engine (ICE) programs by delivering operational excellence and quality products to our customers, while growing our electrification business, as vehicle electrification is expected to be the foundation of the future of the automotive industry.

Competitive Strengths

We achieve our strategic objectives by emphasizing a commitment to:

Sustaining our operational excellence and focus on cost management.

• In 2021, AAM received the 2020 GM Overdrive Award, which is awarded to suppliers who display outstanding achievement within GM's Global Purchasing and Supply Chain organization's key focus areas, including sustainable value streams, total enterprise cost and profitability, launch excellence, accelerating innovation and nurturing relationships.
• We deliver operational excellence by leveraging our global standards, policies and best practices across all disciplines through the use of the AAM Operating System. We use this system to focus on customer satisfaction, lean production and efficient cost management, which allows us to improve quality, eliminate waste, and reduce lead time and total costs globally. In 2021, we launched E4 (E-to-the-fourth) as part of AAM's Operating System, which is AAM’s energy and environmental sustainability program to drive continuous improvement in our operations by reducing energy consumption, green house gas (GHG) emissions and water use while minimizing waste and lessening the environmental impact of our production operations. Additionally, throughout 2021 we have continued our emphasis on cost management in order to mitigate the financial impact of the significant disruptions in the supply chain that the automotive industry experienced, and continues to experience, including a shortage of semiconductor chips used by our customers, increased metal and commodity costs and labor shortages which have led to volatility in our production schedules, higher inventory levels and increased labor costs.
• We have established a cost competitive, operationally flexible global manufacturing, engineering and sourcing footprint to compete in global growth markets, support global product development initiatives and maintain regional cost competitiveness.
• Our business is vertically integrated to reduce cost and mitigate risk. Our Metal Forming segment, in addition to supplying component parts to many external customers, is a key supplier to our Driveline segment, helping to ensure continuity of supply for certain parts to our largest manufacturing facilities.
• During 2021, we launched four programs across our business units for existing customers. In 2022, we expect to launch approximately 25 new and replacement programs for a variety of customers across our business units, including GM, Stellantis and Ford in our core business, as well as NIO Inc. (NIO), a leading Chinese vehicle original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and multiple variants of a high-performance hybrid-electric system with a premium European OEM.

Maintaining our high quality standards, which are the foundation of our product durability and reliability.

• AAM has a robust internal quality assurance system that drives continuous improvement to meet and exceed the growing expectations of our OEM customers.
• In 2021, nine of our global facilities received the GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award for outstanding quality performance during the 2020 performance year. Our Changshu Manufacturing Facility in China earned this award for the seventh consecutive year.
• Also in 2021, our Oxford Forge facility in Michigan was awarded the Hino Excellence in Quality Award for zero defective parts per million (PPM) in the 2020 performance year and Hino Special Award for Excellence in Cooperation for product, quality and cost-savings achievements in the 2020 performance year.
• AAM was also recognized in 2021 for quality in the 2020 performance year by several other customers, including the Ford Zero Defects Award at our Litchfield, Michigan facility, the Ford Q1 Quality Award at our Ramos, Mexico facility, the Paccar 10 PPM Quality Award at our Glasgow, United Kingdom (U.K.) facility, the Daimler Zero Defect Award at our Chennai, India facility and the Daimler Master of Quality Award at our El Carmen, Mexico facility.

Achieving technology leadership by delivering innovative products that enhance our product portfolio while increasing our total global served market. We are focused on securing our core business, as the cash flows generated from our existing programs and products contribute to our research and development (R&D) investments in electrification technology that are expected to bring the future of the automotive industry faster.

Securing Our Core Business

• During 2021, AAM was named the sole supplier of front and rear pickup axles for production at GM's re-opened Oshawa, Canada facility. We also secured multiple next-generation full-size truck front and rear axle programs with multiple global OEM customers. These awards are expected to generate revenues from mid-decade to beyond 2030.
• AAM has established a high-efficiency product portfolio that is designed to improve axle efficiency and fuel economy through innovative product design technologies. As our customers focus on reducing weight through the use of aluminum and other lightweighting alternatives, AAM is well positioned to offer innovative, industry leading solutions. Our portfolio includes high-efficiency axles, aluminum axles and AWD applications. AAM's lightweight axle technology features a revolutionary design, which offers significant mass reduction and increased fuel economy and efficiency that is scalable across multiple applications without the loss of performance or power.
• Our Metal Forming segment provides engine, transmission, driveline and safety-critical components for light, commercial and industrial vehicles. We have developed advanced forging and machining process technologies to manufacture lightweight and power-dense products. Our forged axle tubes deliver significant weight and cost reductions as compared to the traditional welded axle tubes.
• AAM's Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at our Detroit campus, allows us to accelerate technological advancements. This state-of-the-art facility is our center for technology benchmarking, prototype development, advanced technology development, supplier collaboration, customer showcasing and associate training on our future products, processes, and systems. Our Rochester Hills Technical Center (RHTC) works with the ATDC to test and validate new and advanced technologies focused on lightweighting, efficiency and vehicle performance using enhanced diagnostic and hardware assessment capabilities. Also, in 2021 we launched our European Headquarters and Engineering Center (EHEC) in Langen, Germany, which is a center of excellence for research and development, product testing and prototype development.

Bringing the Future Faster

• AAM's investment in R&D has resulted in the development of advanced technology products designed to assist our customers in meeting the market demands for vehicle electrification; advanced and sophisticated electronic controls; lower emissions; enhanced power density; improved ride and handling performance; and enhanced reliability and durability.
• AAM's Electric Drive (e-drive) Technology is designed, engineered and manufactured to provide a diverse and scalable product portfolio of hybrid and electric driveline systems to our customers that range from low-cost value-oriented offerings to high-performance solutions. These hybrid and electric driveline systems leverage AAM's experience in power density, torque transfer, noise-vibration-harshness reduction, heat management and systems integration, and are designed to improve fuel efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions and provide AWD capability. AAM has also begun development of the next generation scalable and modular e-drive systems which are expected to support numerous vehicle applications while optimizing capital and development cost. The performance of these next generation e-drive systems exceeds widely recognized industry benchmarks for efficiency, packaging, mass and price.
• In 2021, AAM's next generation e-drive was awarded the Altair Enlighten Award, which honors achievements in lightweighting and sustainability, including technology advancements that reduce the automotive industry's carbon footprint and mitigate water and energy consumption. AAM's next generation e-drive technology was recognized in the Future of Lightweighting category.
• Through our relationship with Suzhou Inovance Automotive Ltd. (Inovance), a leading provider of automotive power electronics and powertrain systems in China, we have launched a scalable, 3-in-1 e-drive system, which integrates an inverter, electric motor and gearbox. We are currently exploring additional opportunities to leverage this technology with customers in China and Europe. During 2021, AAM received a Best Collaboration Award from Inovance for the 3-in-1 e-drive system project, and multiple programs have been awarded for future launches.
• During 2021, we also entered into a joint development agreement with REE Automotive Ltd. (REE), a leader in e-mobility, to develop a new electric propulsion system for e-mobility which will incorporate AAM's next generation e-drive systems. AAM will supply high-performance e-drive units in a modular platform to REE that can support multiple customer vehicle programs.
• To date, our hybrid and electric driveline systems have been awarded multiple contracts, including the front and rear e-drive units featured on the Jaguar I-PACE AWD crossover vehicle. We expect to launch several additional programs for hybrid and electric vehicles, including the AAM TracRite® EL electronic locking front differential on the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, multiple variants of a high-performance hybrid-electric system with a premium European OEM and electric vehicle components to NIO, to support a next-generation e-powertrain program.

Diversification of Customer, Product and Geographic Sales Mix

Another element of building value for our key stakeholders is the diversification of our business through the growth of new and existing customer relationships and expansion of our product portfolio.

• In addition to maintaining and building upon our longstanding relationships with GM, Stellantis and Ford, we are focused on generating profitable growth with new and existing global customers, including REE and NIO.
• Electrification is a growing portion of our new and incremental business backlog, as well as our quoted and emerging new business opportunities, and is a significant element of our future growth strategy.
• We continue to evaluate and consider strategic opportunities that will complement our core strengths and supplement our diversification strategies while providing future, profitable growth prospects.

We are focused on increasing our presence in global markets to support our customers' platforms.

• As our customers design their products for global markets, they will continue to require global support from their suppliers. For this reason, it is critical that we maintain a global presence in these markets in order to remain competitive for new contracts. To expand our global capabilities, we launched our EHEC in 2021, AAM's European center for excellence in research and development, product testing and prototype development. Establishing our EHEC is a critical step in furthering our relationships with European OEM customers.
• We are a partner in a joint venture (JV) with Liuzhou Wuling Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. (Liuzhou AAM), a subsidiary of Guangxi Automotive Group Co., Ltd, which manufactures independent rear axles and driveheads to be used on crossovers, including SUVs, minivans and multi-purpose vehicles. An electric drive unit developed by our Liuzhou AAM JV has been featured on the all-electric Baojun E300 Plus vehicle from SAIC-GM-Wuling. We are also a partner in a JV with Hefei Automobile Axle Co., Ltd. (HAAC), a subsidiary of the JAC Group (Anhui Jianghuai Automotive Group Co., Ltd.), which includes 100% of HAAC's light commercial axle business. HAAC supplies front and rear beam axles to several leading Chinese light truck manufacturers, including JAC and Foton (Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd.). These joint ventures continue to serve as a strong advantage in building relationships with leading Chinese manufacturers.

Competition

We compete with a variety of independent suppliers and distributors, as well as with the in-house operations of certain vertically integrated OEMs. Technology, design, quality, delivery and cost are the primary elements of competition in our industry segments. In addition to traditional competitors in the automotive sector, the trend toward electrification and advanced electronic integration has increased the level of new market entrants. Further, some traditional automotive industry participants are developing strategic partnerships with technology companies as each party seeks to leverage the existing customer relationships and technical knowledge of the partner, and expedite the development and commercialization of new technology.

Industry Trends

See Item 7, “Management's Discussion and Analysis - Industry Trends.”

Productive Materials

We believe that we have adequate sources of supply of productive materials and components for our manufacturing needs, including steel, aluminum and other metallic materials, and resources used for vehicle electrification and electronic integration. Most raw materials (such as steel) and semi-processed or finished items are available within the geographical regions of our operating facilities from qualified sources in quantities sufficient for our needs. We currently have contracts with our steel suppliers that ensure continuity of supply to our principal operating facilities. We also have validation and testing capabilities that enable us to strategically qualify steel sources on a global basis. As we continue to expand our global manufacturing footprint, we may need to rely on suppliers in local markets that have not yet proven their ability to meet our requirements.

During 2021, the automotive industry experienced, and continues to experience, significant disruptions in the supply chain, including a shortage of semiconductor chips used by our customers and increased metal and commodity costs. We continue to work with customers and suppliers in our effort to protect continuity of supply as we expect these challenges to continue into 2022.

Patents and Trademarks

We maintain and have pending various United States (U.S.) and foreign patents, trademarks and other rights to intellectual property relating to our business, which we believe are appropriate to protect our interest in existing products, new inventions, manufacturing processes and product developments. We do not believe that any single patent or trademark is material to our business, nor would expiration or invalidity of any patent or trademark have a material adverse effect on our business or our ability to compete.

Cyclicality and Seasonality

Our operations are cyclical because they are directly related to worldwide automotive production, which is itself cyclical and dependent on general economic conditions and other factors. Typically, our business is moderately seasonal as our major OEM customers historically have an extended shutdown of operations (typically 1-2 weeks) in conjunction with their model year changeover and an approximate one-week shutdown in December. Our major OEM customers also occasionally have longer shutdowns of operations (up to 6 weeks) for program changeovers. Accordingly, our quarterly results may reflect these trends.

Litigation and Environmental Matters

We are involved in, or potentially subject to, various legal proceedings or claims incidental to our business. These include, but are not limited to, matters arising out of product warranties, contractual matters, and environmental obligations. Although the outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, at this time we do not believe that any of these matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

We file U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns, as well as foreign income tax returns in jurisdictions throughout the world. We are also subject to examinations of these tax returns by the relevant tax authorities. Negative or unexpected outcomes of these examinations and audits, and any related litigation, could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

We are subject to various federal, state, local and foreign environmental and occupational safety and health laws, regulations and ordinances, including those regulating air emissions, water discharge, waste management and environmental cleanup. We will continue to closely monitor our environmental conditions to ensure that we are in compliance with all laws, regulations and ordinances. We have made, and anticipate continuing to make, capital and other expenditures (including recurring administrative costs) to comply with environmental requirements at our current and former facilities. Such expenditures were not significant in 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Human Capital Management

Our ability to sustain and grow our business requires us to attract, retain and develop a highly skilled and diverse workforce. We employ approximately 18,000 associates on a global basis (including our joint venture affiliates) of which 6,000 are employed in the U.S. and 12,000 are employed at our non-U.S. locations. Approximately 4,500 are salaried associates and approximately 13,500 are hourly associates. Of the 13,500 hourly associates, approximately 71% are covered under collective bargaining agreements with various labor unions.

Creating a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Culture

At AAM, we believe diversity drives creativity. We believe an equitable and inclusive culture encourages, supports and celebrates the unique voices of our global workforce. AAM is committed to listening, learning and taking action that will move our company and our communities forward, together. Embracing diversity promotes innovation and helps AAM to attract and retain the best talent everywhere we do business.

AAM is committed to initiatives that will foster a culture of inclusion and develop a more diverse workforce. In 2021, AAM demonstrated this commitment by joining other companies in signing the CEO Action Pledge on Diversity and Inclusion. This pledge is a commitment to drive measurable action and meaningful change in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

To drive progress in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and cultivate a more inclusive culture, AAM's senior leadership, with active oversight from our Board of Directors and input from our DEI Steering Committee, selected five key areas of focus: enhancing DEI skills, maintaining a safe and inclusive environment, providing equitable talent management and inclusive benefits and policies, supporting stakeholder engagement and reinforcing leadership ownership and accountability.

In 2021, the highlights of our DEI actions included:

• Establishing AAM's DEI Mutual Respect Statement;
• Conducting DEI in the Workplace training for all U.S. associates, including unconscious bias training;
• Establishing Associate Resource Group guidelines, and the formation of a Veteran’s resource group;
• Implementing a professional development program focused on early career and mid-level women leaders; and
• Organizing events and activities to recognize National Diversity Week and Hispanic Heritage Month.

Attracting and Retaining Associates

Our AAM360 program serves as the foundation for our recruitment and retention strategy. Its four components are designed to enhance our associates’ experience at AAM and includes associate health and safety, professional development, competitive compensation and benefits and the global community. These programs offer resources, tools and events that are designed to empower associates in their work and personal lives. Empowerment of our associates is essential to continuously improving our quality performance, technology leadership and operational excellence and enabling our associates to grow professionally into the leaders that will guide AAM into the future.

Our AAM360 program assists management in developing and implementing standards for recruitment and selection of a knowledgeable and diverse workforce, promoting learning and growth and driving effective performance while fostering an environment of open communication with AAM leadership in a variety of formats, including townhall-style meetings. AAM associates can also raise issues and concerns to the attention of management through the use of associate surveys and our 24/7 ethics hotline. Through our AAM360 program, AAM management monitors workforce demographics and attrition, associate performance data, succession and development plans and feedback from associates to ensure that our associates’ experience is meeting these objectives.

During 2021, the automotive industry experienced, and continues to experience, significant disruptions in the supply chain, including labor shortages in a variety of positions and experience levels, primarily driven by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are taking measures to address these labor issues across our global operations to mitigate the impact to AAM, including actively managing production schedules and reviewing our compensation and benefit programs to ensure that they are competitive with the market, including working with the union organizations that represent certain associates.

Developing Associates

We have established sustainable and adaptable talent management programs focused on the training and development of our associates. These programs are designed to help associates realize their full potential by understanding the expectations of their current role and setting goals for future growth and learning, which contributes to the overall success of AAM.

Health and Wellness Programs

At AAM, the health of our associates is very important to us. We maintain a comprehensive, interactive and personalized wellness program to make it easy for our associates and their families to live a healthier lifestyle and help achieve personal wellness goals.

S4 (S-to-the-Fourth) Safety System

At AAM, our first responsibility every day, in every facility, is the safety of our approximately 18,000 global associates. AAM’s S4 safety system is focused on developing, engaging, monitoring, and continuously educating our associates on standardized procedures that are the basis of our safety culture and safety policy.

The primary goal of S4 is to achieve compliance with all internal and external requirements and regulations while driving behavioral changes to maintain a safe and environmentally friendly workplace. At AAM, we believe safety performance is a journey where each facility strives to achieve S4 by moving from a reactive safety environment to an interdependent safety environment.

We are focused on continuous improvement of the S4 system and in our total recordable incident rate (TRIR) in every facility. AAM’s leaders continuously monitor our facilities progress in the S4 Safety System. In 2021, our TRIR was 0.9 – a reduction of approximately 57% in recordable injuries since the S4 program began in 2015.

Partnering with our Global Communities

AAM believes that we have a responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live and work. AAM has long-standing relationships with charitable organizations to support local families, youth outreach, education, wellness, and social equality. We support global organizations with both donations and volunteer hours, and AAM associates across the globe regularly participate in charitable and community events that allow our team to contribute to causes important to them.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

David C. Dauch, age 57, has been AAM's Chief Executive Officer since September 2012. Mr. Dauch has served on AAM's Board of Directors since April 2009 and was appointed Chairman of the Board in August 2013. From September 2012 through August 2015, Mr. Dauch served as AAM’s President & CEO. Prior to that, Mr. Dauch served as President & Chief Operating Officer (2008 - 2012) and held several other positions of increasing responsibility from the time he joined AAM in 1995. Presently, he serves on the boards of Business Leaders for Michigan, the Detroit Economic Club, the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Great Lakes Council Boy Scouts of America, the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Michigan, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), Amerisure Mutual Holdings, Inc. and the Amerisure Companies (since December 2014). Mr. Dauch also serves on the Miami University Business Advisory Council and the General Motors Supplier Council.

Michael K. Simonte, age 58, has been President since August 2015. Mr. Simonte previously served as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (since February 2009); Group Vice President - Finance & Chief Financial Officer (since December 2007); Vice President - Finance & Chief Financial Officer (since January 2006); Vice President & Treasurer (since May 2004); and Treasurer (since September 2002). Mr. Simonte joined AAM in December 1998 as Director, Corporate Finance. Prior to joining AAM, Mr. Simonte served as Senior Manager at the Detroit office of Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Simonte is a certified public accountant.

David E. Barnes, age 63, has been General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since joining AAM in 2012, and became a Vice President in 2017. In addition to his responsibilities as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, he also serves as the Chief Compliance Officer of AAM. Prior to joining AAM, Mr. Barnes served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Atlas Oil Company. He has held various positions during his career at Ford Motor Company, Dykema Gossett and Venture Holdings LLC, after beginning his career at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn. Mr. Barnes holds a juris doctor degree.

Terri M. Kemp, age 56, has been Vice President - Human Resources since September 2012. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director - Human Resources & Labor Relations (since November 2010), Executive Director - Human Resources (since September 2009), Director - Human Resources Operations (since October 2008), and served in various plant and program management roles since joining AAM in July 1996. Prior to joining AAM, Mrs. Kemp served for nine years at Corning Incorporated, where she progressed through a series of manufacturing positions with increasing responsibility, including Industrial Engineer, Department Head and Operations Manager.

Michael J. Lynch, age 57, has been President - Driveline since November 2021. Prior to that, he served as Vice President - Finance & Controller (since February 2017), Vice President - Driveline Business Performance & Cost Management (since May 2015); Vice President - Finance & Controller (since September 2012); Executive Director & Controller (since October 2008); Director - Commercial Analysis (since July 2006); Director - Finance, Driveline Americas (since March 2006); Director - Investment & Commercial Analysis (since November 2005); Director - Finance, Driveline (since October 2005); Director - Finance Operations, U.S. (since April 2005); Manager - Finance (since June 2003); Manager - Finance, Forging Division (since September 2001); Finance Manager - Albion Automotive (since October 1998); Supervisor - Cost Estimating (since February 1998) and Financial Analyst at the Detroit Manufacturing Facility since joining AAM in September 1996. Prior to joining AAM, Mr. Lynch served at Stellar Engineering for nine years in various capacities.

Christopher J. May, age 52, has been Vice President & Chief Financial Officer since August 2015. Prior to that, he served as Treasurer (since December 2011); Assistant Treasurer (since September 2008); Director of Internal Audit (since September 2005); Divisional Finance Manager - Metal Formed Products (since June 2003); Finance Manager - Three Rivers Manufacturing Facility (since August 2000); Manager, Financial Reporting (since November 1998) and Financial Analyst since joining AAM in 1994. Prior to joining AAM, Mr. May served as a Senior Accountant for Ernst & Young. Mr. May is a certified public accountant.

Norman Willemse, age 65, has been President - Metal Forming since August 2015. Prior to that, he served as Vice President - Metal Formed Product Business Unit (since December 2011); Vice President - Global Metal Formed Product Business Unit (since October 2008); Vice President - Global Metal Formed Product Operations (since December 2007); General Manager - Metal Formed Products Division (since July 2006) and Managing Director - Albion Automotive (since joining AAM in August 2001). Prior to joining AAM, Mr. Willemse served at AS Transmissions & Steering (ASTAS) for seven years as Executive Director Engineering Group Manager Projects and Engineering and John Deere for over 17 years in various engineering positions of increasing responsibility. Mr. Willemse is a professional certified mechanical engineer.

Internet Website Access to Reports

The website for American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. is www.aam.com (http://www.aam.com). Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The information contained in the Company's website is not included, or incorporated by reference, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be considered as our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be materially adversely affected if any of the following risks occur.

Risks Related to Our Operations

Our business and financial condition have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by the impact of COVID-19.

Our business and financial condition have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19. Near the end of March 2020, COVID-19 began to disrupt global economic markets and led to significant reductions in global automotive production volumes. In an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many governmental and public health agencies in locations in which we operate implemented shelter-in-place orders or similar measures. As a result, we temporarily suspended production, or experienced a significant reduction in production volumes, in substantially all of our manufacturing facilities at various times during 2020. In 2021, we did not experience significant manufacturing downtime as a direct result of COVID-19.

The ultimate extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our business and financial condition will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, such as the number of COVID-19 cases reported, vaccine effectiveness, the reimposition of shelter-in-place orders or similar measures and its impact on: consumers and sales of the vehicles we support, and our customers production levels, which are outside of our control. Our supply chain also may be disrupted due to supplier closures or bankruptcies. Our operations may also be impacted by interruptions due to the direct impact of, or precautionary measures associated with, COVID-19 at our locations or those of our customers or suppliers.

Further, COVID-19, and its indirect impact on the automotive industry, could exacerbate certain other risk factors below including, but not limited to, dependency on certain customers, dependency on certain global automotive market segments, risks and uncertainties associated with our company’s global operations, dependency on certain key manufacturing facilities, cyclicality in the automotive industry, disruptions in our supply chain and our customers’ supply chain, and our liquidity and compliance with debt covenants.

Our business has been, and could continue to be, adversely affected by disruptions in our supply chain and our customers' supply chain.

We depend on a limited number of suppliers for certain key components and materials needed for our products. We rely upon, and expect to continue to rely upon, certain suppliers for critical components and materials that are not readily available in sufficient volume from other sources. As we continue to expand our global manufacturing footprint, we may need to rely on suppliers in local markets that have not yet proven their ability to meet our requirements. These supply chain characteristics make us susceptible to supply shortages and price increases. If production volumes increase rapidly, there can be no assurance that the suppliers of critical components and materials will be able or willing to meet our future needs on a timely basis. A significant disruption in the supply of components or materials could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our supply chain, as well as our customers' supply chain, is also at risk of unanticipated events such as pandemic or epidemic illness, natural disasters, industrial incidents, changes in governmental regulations and trade agreements, or financial or operational instability of suppliers that could cause a disruption in the supply of critical components to us and our customers. For example, the automotive industry has experienced, and continues to experience, significant disruptions in the supply chain, including a shortage of semiconductor chips used by our customers, increased metal and commodity costs, global logistical constraints, increased transportation costs, higher labor costs and labor shortages. As a result, we have experienced increased volatility in our production schedules, including manufacturing downtime, often with little notice from customers, higher inventory levels and increased labor costs, which have negatively impacted our financial condition. Furthermore, the indirect impact of COVID-19 on existing supply chain constraints, whether caused by or exacerbated by the pandemic, has and may continue to negatively affect our financial condition.

Our business could be adversely affected by volatility in the price or availability of raw materials, utilities, natural resources and transportation.

We may experience volatility, whether from inflation or otherwise, in the cost or availability of raw materials used in production, including steel, aluminum and other metallic materials, and resources used in electronic components, or in the cost or availability of utilities and natural resources used in our operations, such as electricity, water and natural gas. We may also experience volatility in the cost or availability of freight and logistics carriers as a result of supply chain constraints. If we are unable to pass such cost increases on to our customers, or are otherwise unable to mitigate these cost increases, or if we are unable to obtain adequate supply of raw materials, utilities and natural resources, this could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our business is significantly dependent on sales to GM, Stellantis and Ford.

Sales to GM were approximately 37% of our consolidated net sales in 2021, 39% in 2020, and 37% in 2019. A reduction in our sales to GM, or a reduction by GM of its production of light truck, SUV or crossover vehicle programs that we support, as a result of market share losses of GM or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Sales to Stellantis accounted for approximately 19% of our consolidated net sales in both 2021 and 2020, and 17% in 2019, and sales to Ford accounted for approximately 12% of our consolidated net sales in both 2021 and 2020, and 9% in 2019. A reduction in our sales to either Stellantis or Ford or a reduction by Stellantis or Ford of their production of the programs we support, as a result of market share losses or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our business may also be adversely affected by reduced demand for the product programs we currently support, or anticipate supporting in the future, or if we do not obtain sales orders for successor programs that replace our current product programs, as a result of a shift in vehicle architecture from ICE to electrification, or otherwise.

Our business is dependent on our Guanajuato Manufacturing Complex.

A high concentration of our global business is supported by our Guanajuato Manufacturing Complex (GMC) in Mexico. GMC represents a significant portion of our net sales, profitability and cash flow from operations and we expect GMC to continue to represent a substantial portion of these metrics for the foreseeable future. A significant disruption to our GMC operations, as a result of changes in trade agreements between Mexico and the U.S., tariffs, tax law changes, labor disputes, natural disasters, availability of natural resources or utilities, pandemic or epidemic illness, or otherwise, could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

A failure of our information technology (IT) networks and systems, or the impact of a cyber attack, could adversely impact our business and operations.

We rely upon information technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of critical business processes or activities. Additionally, we and certain of our third-party vendors collect and store personal or confidential information, including personally identifiable information, in connection with human resources operations and other aspects of our business. The secure operation of these information technology networks and systems and the proper processing and maintenance of this information are critical to our business operations. We cannot be certain that the security measures we have in place to protect these systems and data will be successful or sufficient to protect our IT systems from current and emerging technology threats and damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, cyber attack and other similar disruptions. The occurrence of any of these events could compromise our networks, and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed or lost. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal information, the disruption of our operations or damage to our reputation. In the future, we may be required to incur significant costs to protect against or repair damage caused by these disruptions or security breaches, or as a result of implementing business continuity processes in response to disruptions or security breaches.

Our company, our suppliers or our customers and their suppliers may not be able to successfully and efficiently manage the timing and costs of new product program launches.

Certain of our customers are preparing to launch new product programs for which we will supply newly developed products and related components. There can be no assurance that we will successfully complete the transition of our manufacturing facilities and resources to support these new product programs or other future product programs on a timely and cost efficient basis. Accordingly, the launch of new product programs may adversely affect production rates or other operational efficiency and profitability measures at our facilities. We may also experience difficulties with the performance of our supply chain, or the supply chains of customers and their suppliers, on program launches, which could result in our inability to meet our contractual obligations to key customers. Production shortfalls or production delays, if any, could result in our failure to effectively manage our manufacturing costs relating to these program launches. In addition, our customers may delay the launch or fail to successfully execute the launch of these new product programs, or any additional future product program for which we will supply products. Our revenues, operating results and financial condition could be adversely impacted if our customers fail to timely launch such programs or if we are unable to manage the timing requirements and costs of new product program launches.

Our company may not realize all of the revenue expected from our new and incremental business backlog.

The realization of incremental revenues from awarded business is inherently subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the accuracy of customer estimates relating to the number of vehicles to be produced in new and existing product programs and the timing of such production, as well as the fluctuation in exchange rates for programs sourced in currencies other than our reporting currency. Further, as the percentage of our backlog associated with electric vehicle programs increases, these risks could be exacerbated due to uncertainty related to electric vehicles, including end-user acceptance rates. It is also possible that our customers may delay or cancel a product program that has been awarded to us. Our revenues, operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected relative to our current financial plans if we do not realize substantially all the revenue from our new and incremental business backlog.

We may incur material losses and costs as a result of product recall or field action, product liability and warranty claims, litigation and other disputes and claims.

We are exposed to warranty, product recall or field action and product liability claims in the event that our products fail to perform as expected, and we may be required to participate in a recall of such products. We are not responsible for certain warranty claims that may be incurred by our customers, which include returned components for which no defect was found upon inspection, discretionary acts of dealer goodwill, defects related to certain directed buy components, and build-to-print design issues. We review warranty claim activity in detail, and we may have disagreements with our customers as to responsibility for these types of costs incurred by our customers. In addition, as we continue to diversify our customer base, we expect our obligation to share in the cost of providing warranties as part of our agreements with new customers will increase. Costs and expenses associated with warranties, field actions, product recalls and product liability claims could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition and may differ materially from the estimated liabilities that we have recorded in our consolidated financial statements.

In addition to warranty claims relating directly to products we produce, potential product recalls for our customers and their other suppliers, and the potential reputational harm that may result from such product recalls, could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

We are also involved in various legal proceedings incidental to our business. Although we believe that none of these matters are likely to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition, there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome of any such legal proceeding or any future legal proceedings.

Our business could be adversely affected if we, our customers, or our suppliers fail to maintain satisfactory labor relations.

A significant portion of our hourly associates worldwide, as well as the workforces of our customers and suppliers, are members of industrial trade unions employed under the terms of collective bargaining agreements. There can be no assurance that future negotiations with labor unions will be resolved favorably or that we, our customers or suppliers will not experience a work stoppage or disruption that could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, there can be no assurance that such future negotiations will not result in labor cost increases or other terms and conditions that could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition or our ability to compete for future business.

We use important intellectual property in our business. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, or if a third party makes assertions against us or our customers relating to intellectual property rights, our business could be adversely affected.

We own important intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. Our intellectual property plays an important role in maintaining our competitive position in a number of the markets that we serve. Our competitors may develop technologies that are similar to our proprietary technologies or design around the patents we own or license. Further, as we expand our operations in jurisdictions where the protection of intellectual property rights is less robust, the risk of others duplicating our proprietary technologies increases, despite efforts we undertake to protect them. Developments or assertions by or against us relating to intellectual property rights, and any inability to protect these rights, could materially adversely affect our business and our competitive position.

Our company's ability to operate effectively could be impaired if we cannot attract and retain qualified personnel in key positions and functions.

Our success depends, in part, on the efforts of our executive officers and other key associates, such as engineers and global operational leadership. In addition, our future success will depend on, among other factors, our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel, particularly engineers and other associates with critical expertise and skills that support key customers and products, including those supporting the expansion of our product portfolio into electrification. The loss of the services of our executive officers or other key associates, unexpected turnover, or the inability to attract or retain associates, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our goodwill, other intangible assets, and long-lived assets are at risk of impairment if our business or market conditions indicate that the carrying value of those assets exceeds their fair value.

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) require that companies evaluate the carrying value of goodwill, other intangible assets, and long-lived assets routinely in order to assess whether any indication of asset impairment exists. Goodwill is required to be evaluated on an annual basis, while finite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets should be evaluated only when events and circumstances exist that indicate an asset or group of assets may be impaired.

We conduct our annual goodwill impairment test in the fourth quarter using a third-party valuation specialist to assist management in determining the fair value of our reporting units. Fair value of each reporting unit is estimated based on a combination of discounted cash flows and the use of pricing multiples derived from an analysis of comparable public companies multiplied against historical and/or anticipated financial metrics of each reporting unit. These calculations contain uncertainties as they require management to make assumptions including, but not limited to, market comparables, future cash flows of the reporting units, and appropriate discount and long-term growth rates. A decline in the actual cash flows of our reporting units in future periods, as compared to the projected cash flows used in our valuations, could result in the carrying value of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values. Further, a change in market comparables, discount rate or long-term growth rate, as a result of a change in economic conditions or otherwise, could result in the carrying values of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values.

Risks Related to Our Industry

We are under continuing pressure from our customers to reduce our prices.

Annual price reductions are a common practice in the automotive industry. Many of our contracts require us to reduce our prices in subsequent years and most of our contracts allow us to adjust prices for engineering changes requested by our customers. If we accommodate a customer's demand for higher annual price reductions and are unable to offset the impact of any such price reductions through continued technology improvements, cost reductions or other productivity initiatives, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Our business faces substantial competition.

The markets in which we compete are highly competitive. Our competitors include the in-house operations of certain vertically integrated OEMs, as well as many other domestic and foreign companies possessing the capability to produce some or all of the products we supply. In addition to traditional competitors in the automotive sector, the trend towards advanced electronic integration and electrification has increased the level of new market entrants, including technology companies. Some of our competitors are affiliated with OEMs and others could have economic advantages as compared to our business, such as patents, existing underutilized capacity and lower wage and benefit costs. Technology, design, quality, delivery and cost are the primary elements of competition in our markets. As a result of these competitive pressures and other industry trends, OEMs and suppliers are developing strategies to reduce costs. These strategies include supply base consolidation, OEM in-sourcing and global sourcing. Further, some traditional automotive industry participants are developing strategic partnerships with technology companies as each party seeks to leverage the existing customer relationships and technical knowledge of the partner, and expedite the development and commercialization of new technology. Our business may be adversely affected by increased competition from suppliers benefiting from OEM affiliate relationships or financial and other resources that we do not possess. Our business may also be adversely affected if we do not sustain our ability to meet customer requirements relative to technology, design, quality, delivery and cost.

If we are unable to respond timely to changes in technology and market innovation, we risk not being able to develop our intellectual property into commercially viable products.

Our results of operations and financial condition are impacted, in part, by our competitive advantage in developing, engineering, and manufacturing innovative products. Our ability to anticipate changes in technology, successfully develop, engineer, and bring to market new and innovative proprietary products, or successfully respond to evolving business models, including electric vehicle advances, may have a significant impact on our market competitiveness. If we are unable to maintain our competitive advantage through innovation, or if we do not sustain our ability to meet customer requirements relative to technology, there could be a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our business is dependent on certain global automotive market segments.

A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from products supporting RWD light truck and SUV platforms and AWD crossover vehicle platforms in North America, Europe and Asia. Sales and production levels of these vehicle platforms can be affected by many factors, including changes in consumer demand; product mix shifts favoring other types of light vehicles, such as front-wheel drive based crossover vehicles and passenger cars; fuel prices; vehicle electrification; and government regulations. Reduced demand in the market segments we currently supply could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our business could be adversely affected by the cyclical nature of the automotive industry.

Our operations are cyclical because they are directly related to worldwide automotive production, which is itself cyclical and dependent on general economic conditions and other factors, such as credit availability, interest rates, fuel prices, consumer preference and confidence. Our business may be adversely affected by an economic decline or fiscal crisis that results in a reduction of automotive production and sales by our customers.

Risks Related to Liquidity, Indebtedness and the Capital Markets

We have incurred substantial indebtedness and our financial condition and operations may be adversely affected by a violation of financial and other covenants.

We have incurred substantial indebtedness and related debt service obligations, which could have important consequences, including:

• reduced flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business, the competitive environment and the markets in which we operate, and to technological and other changes;
• reduced access to capital and increasing borrowing costs generally or for any additional indebtedness to finance future operating and capital expenditures and for general corporate purposes;
• lowered credit ratings;
• reduced funds available for operations, capital expenditures and other activities; and
• competitive disadvantages relative to other companies with lower debt levels.

Our Senior Secured Credit Facilities, comprised of our Revolving Credit Facility, as well as our Term Loan A Facility due 2024 and Term Loan B Facility due 2024, and our senior unsecured notes, contain customary affirmative and negative covenants. Some, or with respect to certain covenants, all of these agreements include financial covenants based on leverage and cash interest expense coverage ratios and limitations on Holdings, AAM Inc., and their restricted subsidiaries to make certain investments, declare or pay dividends or distributions on capital stock, redeem or repurchase capital stock and certain debt obligations, incur liens, incur indebtedness, or merge, make certain acquisitions or sales of assets.

The Senior Secured Credit Facilities and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes also include customary events of default. Obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Facilities and our senior unsecured notes are required to be guaranteed by most of our U.S. subsidiaries that hold domestic assets. In addition, the Senior Secured Credit Facilities are secured on a first priority basis by all or substantially all of the assets of AAM Inc., the assets of Holdings and each guarantor's assets, including a pledge of capital stock of our U.S. subsidiaries that hold domestic assets, including each guarantor, and a portion of the capital stock of the first tier foreign subsidiaries of AAM Inc. and MPG.

A violation of any of these covenants or agreements could result in a default under these contracts, which could permit the lenders or note holders, as applicable, to accelerate repayment of any borrowings or notes outstanding at that time and levy on the collateral granted in connection with the Senior Secured Credit Facilities. A default or acceleration under the Senior Secured Credit Facilities or the indentures governing the senior unsecured notes may result in defaults under our other debt agreements and may adversely affect our ability to operate our business, our subsidiaries' and guarantors' ability to operate their respective businesses and our results of operations and financial condition.

The available capacity under our Revolving Credit Facility could be limited by our covenant ratios under certain conditions. An increase in the applicable leverage ratio, as a result of decreased earnings or otherwise, could result in reduced access to capital under our Revolving Credit Facility, which is a significant component of our total available liquidity.

Our business could be adversely affected by fluctuations in the global capital markets.

Our business and financial results are affected by fluctuations in the global financial markets, including interest rates and currency exchange rates. Failure to respond timely to these fluctuations, or failure to effectively hedge these risks when possible, could lead to a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition. Future business operations and opportunities, including the expansion of our business outside North America, may further increase the risk that cash flows resulting from these global operations may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates.

The interest rates included in the agreements that govern our Senior Secured Credit Facilities and certain of our derivative financial instruments are based primarily on the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). In the future, use of LIBOR will be discontinued. Use of alternative interest rates could result in increased borrowing costs and volatility in the markets and interest rates.

Our company faces substantial pension and other postretirement benefit obligations.

We have significant pension and other postretirement benefit obligations to certain of our associates and retirees. Our ability to satisfy the funding requirements associated with these obligations will depend on our cash flow from operations and our ability to access credit and the capital markets. The funding requirements of these benefit plans, and the related expense reflected in our financial statements, are affected by several factors that are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty and volatility, including governmental regulation. Key assumptions used to value these benefit obligations and the cost of providing such benefits, funding requirements and expense recognition include the discount rate, the expected long-term rate of return on pension assets, mortality rates and the health care cost trend rate. If the actual trends in these factors are less favorable than our assumptions, this could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Our International Operations

Our company's global operations are subject to risks and uncertainties, including tariffs and trade relations.

As U.S. companies continue to expand globally, increased complexity exists due to recent changes to corporate tax codes, potential revisions to international tax law treaties and renegotiated trade agreements, including the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. These uncertainties, as well as the potential impacts of these agreements, could have a material adverse effect on our business and our results of operations and financial condition. As we continue to expand our business globally, our success will depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate and effectively manage these and other risks.

We have business and technical offices and manufacturing facilities in multiple countries outside the United States. International operations are subject to certain risks inherent in conducting business outside the U.S., such as changes in currency exchange rates, tax laws, price and currency exchange controls, tariffs or import restrictions, nationalization, immigration policies, expropriation and other governmental action. Our global operations also may be adversely affected by political events, domestic or international terrorist events and hostilities, natural disasters and significant weather events, disruptions in the global financial markets, or public health crises, such as pandemic or epidemic illness.

Our business could be adversely impacted by global climate change or an inability to meet the expectations of our stakeholders related to environmental objectives.

Natural disasters or extreme weather conditions that occur as a result of global climate change could lead us, our customers or suppliers to experience significant disruptions in operations or availability of key components, which could lead to a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

Further, various stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, providers of debt and equity capital, regulators and those in the workforce, are increasing their expectations of companies to do their part to combat global climate change and its impact by conducting their operations in an environmentally sustainable manner. We have made public commitments to reduce emissions and conserve resources at our various facilities. A failure to respond to the expectations and initiatives of our stakeholders or achieve the environmental commitments we have made, could result in damage to our reputation and relationships with various stakeholders, as well as adverse impacts to our financial condition due to volatility in the cost or availability of capital, difficultly obtaining new business or entering into new supplier relationships, a possible loss of market share on our current product portfolio, or difficulty attracting and retaining a skilled workforce.

Exchange rate fluctuations could adversely affect our company's global results of operations and financial condition.

As a result of our international operations, we are exposed to foreign currency risks that arise from our normal business operations, including risks associated with transactions that are denominated in currencies other than our local functional currencies. Gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of assets and liabilities in a currency other than the functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries are reported in current period income. In the future, unfavorable changes in exchange rate relationships between the functional currencies of our subsidiaries and their non-functional currency denominated assets and liabilities could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition. While we use, from time to time, foreign currency derivative contracts to help mitigate certain of these risks and reduce the effects of fluctuations in exchange rates, our efforts to manage these risks may not be successful.

We are also subject to currency translation risk as we are required to translate the financial statements of our foreign subsidiaries to U.S. dollars. We report the effect of translation for our foreign subsidiaries with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar as a separate component of stockholders' equity. Unfavorable changes in the exchange rate relationship between the U.S. dollar and the functional currencies of our foreign subsidiaries could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Regulations and Taxes

Negative or unexpected tax consequences, as well as possible changes in foreign and domestic tax laws could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

There have been recent global proposals brought forward by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) alongside the Group of Twenty (G-20), for tax jurisdictions to evaluate the potential reform of longstanding corporate tax law principles and treaties that could adversely affect multi-national companies. Although the OECD does not enact tax law, proposals like this or others that lead to substantial changes in enacted tax laws and treaties could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, as well as various states and foreign jurisdictions. We are also subject to examinations of these income tax returns by the relevant tax authorities. Any negative or unexpected outcomes of these examinations and audits, or any resulting litigation, could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our business is subject to costs associated with environmental, health and safety regulations.

Our operations are subject to various federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing, among other things, emissions to air, discharge to waters and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste and other materials. We believe that our current and former operations and facilities have been, and are being, operated in compliance, in all material respects, with such laws and regulations, many of which provide for substantial fines and criminal sanctions for violations. The operation of our manufacturing facilities entails risks in these areas, however, and there can be no assurance that we will not incur material costs or liabilities. In addition, potentially significant expenditures could be required in order to comply with evolving environmental, health and safety laws, regulations or other pertinent requirements that may be adopted or imposed in the future by governmental authorities.

Risks Related to Our Strategy

Our restructuring initiatives may not achieve their intended outcomes.

We have initiated restructuring actions in recent years to reduce cost and realign certain areas of our business and could initiate further restructuring actions in future periods. There can be no assurance that such restructuring initiatives will successfully achieve the intended outcomes, or that the charges related to such initiatives will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

As part of our strategic initiatives, we are actively assessing our product portfolio. As a result, we have divested certain operations and may pursue additional plans to divest certain operations in future periods. Our results of operations or financial condition could be adversely affected if we initiate a divestiture and it is not completed in accordance with our expected timeline, or at all, or if we do not realize the expected benefits of the divestiture.

We may be unable to consummate and successfully integrate acquisitions and joint ventures.

Engaging in acquisitions and joint ventures involves potential risks, including financial risks, risks related to integrating enterprise resource planning systems, and failure to successfully integrate and fully realize the expected benefits of such acquisitions and joint ventures. Integrating acquired operations is a significant challenge and there is no assurance that we will be able to manage integrations successfully. As we continue to expand globally and accelerate our diversification efforts, we may pursue strategic growth initiatives, including through acquisitions and joint ventures. An inability to successfully achieve the levels of organic and inorganic growth from our strategic initiatives could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

The table below summarizes our global manufacturing locations and administrative, engineering or technical locations:

(a) The eight Driveline manufacturing locations in Mexico includes our Guanajuato Manufacturing Complex, which is comprised of six plants.

(b) The four Metal Forming manufacturing locations in Mexico includes our Ramos Manufacturing Complex, which is comprised of two plants.

We believe that our property and equipment is properly maintained and in good operating condition. We will continue to evaluate capacity requirements in light of current and projected market conditions. We also intend to continue redeploying assets in order to increase our capacity utilization and reduce future capital expenditures to support program launches.

See Note 11 - Commitments and Contingencies in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for discussion of legal proceedings and the effect on AAM.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

As a leading global tier 1 automotive and mobility supplier, AAM designs, engineers and manufactures Driveline and Metal Forming technologies to support electric, hybrid and internal combustion vehicles. Headquartered in Detroit with nearly 80 facilities in 17 countries, AAM is bringing the future faster for a safer and more sustainable future.

We are a primary supplier of driveline components to General Motors Company (GM) for its full-size rear-wheel drive (RWD) light trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUV), and crossover vehicles manufactured in North America, supplying a significant portion of GM's rear axle and four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive (4WD/AWD) axle requirements for these vehicle platforms. We also supply GM with various products from our Metal Forming segment. Sales to GM were approximately 37% of our consolidated net sales in 2021, 39% in 2020, and 37% in 2019.

We also supply driveline system products to Stellantis N.V. (Stellantis) for programs including the heavy-duty Ram full-size pickup trucks and its derivatives, the AWD Chrysler Pacifica and the AWD Jeep Cherokee. In addition, we sell various products to Stellantis from our Metal Forming segment. Sales to Stellantis were approximately 19% of our consolidated net sales in both 2021 and 2020, and 17% in 2019.

We are also a supplier to Ford Motor Company (Ford) for driveline system products on certain vehicle programs including the Ford Bronco Sport, Ford Edge, Ford Escape, Lincoln Nautilus, and we sell various products to Ford from our Metal Forming segment. Sales to Ford were approximately 12% of our consolidated net sales in both 2021 and 2020, and 9% in 2019.

No other customer represented 10% or more of consolidated net sales during these periods.

COVID-19 UPDATE - DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC

Direct Impact of COVID-19

In March of 2020, COVID-19 was designated by the World Health Organization as a pandemic illness and began to significantly disrupt global automotive production. In an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many governmental and public health agencies in locations in which we operate implemented shelter-in-place orders or similar measures. The majority of our customers temporarily ceased or significantly reduced production near the end of March 2020, which continued into the second half of the second quarter of 2020. As a result, substantially all of our manufacturing facilities either temporarily suspended production or experienced significant reductions in volumes during this period.

By the end of the first quarter of 2020, our manufacturing locations in Asia, which were impacted by COVID-19 earlier than other global regions, began to stabilize and return to more normalized levels of production. We restarted operations in North America and Europe in May 2020, and we continued to ramp up production, along with our customers and supply base, through the remainder of 2020.

In 2021, we did not experience significant manufacturing downtime as a direct result of COVID-19. Our operations will depend on future developments, including the number of COVID-19 cases reported, vaccine effectiveness, the potential reimplementation of shelter-in-place orders, and customer production levels, which are outside of our control. We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, as well as the operations of our customers and suppliers, as a resurgence in cases could have a sudden and significant impact on our operations, financial condition and financial results.

At AAM, safety is our first responsibility every day, in every facility, and that includes the health and wellness of our associates globally. In response to COVID-19, we have implemented several precautions for the health and safety of our associates, including increased sanitization efforts at our global facilities, social distancing, mask mandates, visitor restrictions, and remote work arrangements for certain associates, among other measures.

Indirect Impact of COVID-19 - Semiconductor Chip Shortage and Other Supply Chain Constraints

COVID-19 has indirectly impacted our operations and financial results primarily through supply chain disruptions that have been caused by, or exacerbated by, the pandemic. During 2021, the automotive industry experienced, and continues to experience, significant disruptions in the supply chain, including a shortage of semiconductor chips used by our customers, increased metal and commodity costs, higher utility costs, increased transportation costs, higher labor costs and labor shortages. As a result, we have experienced increased volatility in our production schedules, including manufacturing downtime, often with little notice from customers, higher inventory levels and increased labor costs, which have negatively impacted our results of operations and cash flows during this period. We continue to work with customers and suppliers in our effort to protect continuity of supply as we expect these challenges to continue into 2022. Due to the ongoing uncertainty associated with these supply chain constraints, the ultimate impact on our net sales, results of operations and cash flows is unknown.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

There are a number of significant trends affecting the markets in which we compete. Intense competition, volatility in the price of raw materials, including steel, aluminum, and other metallic materials, and resources used in vehicle electrification and electronic components, labor shortages and increased labor costs, and significant pricing pressures remain. At the same time, there is a focus on investing in future products that will incorporate the latest technology and meet changing customer demands as certain original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) place increased emphasis on the development of battery and hybrid electric vehicles. The ability to respond timely to the continued advancement of technology and product innovation, as well as the capability to source programs on a global basis, are critical to attracting and retaining business in our global markets.

INCREASED INVESTMENT IN VEHICLE ELECTRIFICATION AND DEMAND FOR EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS The electrification of vehicles continues to expand, driven by a shift in focus by certain OEMs toward battery and hybrid electric vehicles, government regulations related to emissions, such as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, and consumer demand for greater vehicle performance, enhanced functionality, increased electronic content and vehicle connectivity, reduced environmental impact and affordable convenience options. As vehicle electrification and electronic components become an increasingly larger focus for OEMs and suppliers, the industry has seen, and will likely continue to see, competition to develop and market new and alternative technologies, including from new market entrants such as non-traditional automotive companies and technology companies. Further, some traditional automotive industry participants are developing strategic partnerships with technology companies as each party seeks to leverage the existing customer relationships and technical knowledge of the partner, and expedite the development and commercialization of this new technology. An area of focus will be the product development cycle and bridging the gap between the shorter development cycles of information technology (IT) software and controls and the longer development cycles of traditional powertrain components. OEMs and suppliers are developing new products, such as hybrid and electric vehicles and the associated vehicle components, and are improving existing products to reduce emissions through lightweighting and efficiency initiatives, such as higher speed transmissions, and downsized engines.

We are responding, in part, with ongoing research and development (R&D) activities to develop hybrid and electric driveline systems and related subsystems and components. We have recently entered into a technology development agreement with REE Automotive Ltd. (REE), a leader in e-mobility, to develop a new electric propulsion system for e-mobility which will incorporate AAM's next generation e-drive systems. In addition, through our relationship with Suzhou Inovance Automotive Ltd., a leading provider of automotive power electronics and powertrain systems in China, we have launched a scalable 3-in-1 e-drive system, which integrates an inverter, electric motor and gearbox. We are currently exploring additional opportunities to leverage our 3-in-1 e-drive system technology with customers in China and Europe. To date, our hybrid and electric driveline systems have been awarded multiple contracts and received multiple awards.

We are also continuing to enhance our product portfolio to allow us to meet our customers' needs for high performance vehicles with reduced emissions and reduced environmental impact. Through our e-drive systems, e-beam axle technology, lightweight axles, high-efficiency axles, all-wheel drive systems, high-strength connecting rod technology, refined vibration control systems and forged axle tubes, we have significantly advanced our efforts to improve ride and handling performance, while reducing emissions and mass. These efforts have led to new business awards and further position us to compete in the global marketplace.

INCREASED FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) INITIATIVES AND REPORTING There has been a growing focus on ESG initiatives and reporting, including those related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), by industry stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, providers of debt and equity capital, regulators and those in the workforce. These topics are increasingly driving decisions made by our stakeholders. Particularly within the automotive industry, trends toward electrification and reduced emissions have increased focus on the environmental impact of OEMs and suppliers. The ability of OEMs and suppliers to continually communicate and meet expectations on ESG programs and initiatives will impact their competitive advantage to attract and retain business, as well as a skilled workforce.

We have responded to this trend by implementing and launching programs and initiatives addressing each topic under ESG. In 2021, we launched E4 (E-to-the-fourth), AAM’s energy and environmental sustainability program to drive continuous improvement in our operations by reducing energy consumption, green house gas (GHG) emissions and water use while minimizing waste and lessening the environmental impact of our production operations. Also, as part of our continued focus on reducing GHG emissions, we plan to utilize Science Based Targets (SBT) in the development of our next-generation environmental goals. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a partnership between CDP (formerly known as the Climate Disclosure Project), the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling companies to set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

In 2021, we communicated our DEI statement to associates worldwide. Refer to Item 1. Business - Human Capital Management, for specific DEI highlights. Additionally, our corporate Policy Committee, which is led by the CEO and includes our top leaders, established a Sustainability Steering Committee to provide direction and leadership to achieve our sustainability objectives.

An in-depth review of non-financial metrics and strategies related to our ESG initiatives and programs is included in our annual Sustainability Report, which includes more details on our existing programs and initiatives and future objectives. This report and other ESG areas of focus, such as AAM’s leadership, are made available to stakeholders through our company website. While evolving expectations and reporting standards are driving increased ESG reporting, this trend aligns with our cultural values and commitment to profitably grow our business in a way that is sustainable and socially responsible.

SHIFT IN CONSUMER PREFERENCE AND OEM PRODUCTION TO LIGHT TRUCK, CROSS-OVER VEHICLES (CUVs) AND SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLES (SUVs) There has been a trend toward increased demand for light trucks, CUVs and SUVs in certain markets, while demand for passenger cars has decreased. This increase in demand for light trucks, CUVs and SUVs has been driven by changes in consumer preference as technology advancements have made these vehicles lighter and more efficient, while the stabilizing cost of fuel has made owning these vehicles more affordable.

Certain OEMs are responding to this change in consumer preference by shifting their focus to developing and manufacturing these types of vehicles, resulting in a significant reduction of passenger car vehicle programs, especially in North America. We have benefited from this trend as a significant portion of our business supports light truck, CUV and SUV programs in North America.

GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION Our customers continue to design their products to meet demand in global markets and therefore require global support from their suppliers. For this reason, it is critical that suppliers maintain a global presence in these markets in order to compete for new contracts. We have business and engineering offices around the world to support our global locations and provide technical solutions to our customers on a regional basis, including in North America, which represents the largest portion of our core business, as well as in China and Europe where consumer acceptance of electric vehicles has been strong.

During 2021, the automotive industry experienced, and continues to experience, significant disruptions in the supply chain, including a shortage of semiconductor chips used by our customers, increased metal and commodity costs, higher utility costs, increased transportation costs, higher labor costs and labor shortages. We continue to work with customers and suppliers in our effort to protect continuity of supply as we expect these challenges to continue into 2022.

The cyclical nature of the automotive industry, volatile commodity prices, the shifting demands of consumer preference, regulatory requirements and trade agreements require OEMs and suppliers to remain agile with regard to product development and global capability. A critical objective for OEMs and suppliers is the ability to meet these global demands while effectively managing costs. Some OEMs and suppliers may be preparing for these challenges through merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, including potential increased M&A activity as a result of the recent economic impact of COVID-19, development of strategic partnerships and reduction of vehicle platform complexity. In order to effectively drive technology development, recognize cost synergies, and increase global footprint, the industry may continue to see consolidation in the supply base as companies recognize and respond to the need for scalability.

In addition to AAM's technology development relationships and organic growth in technology and processes, our strategic acquisitions and joint venture partnerships have provided us with complementary technologies, expanded our product portfolio, significantly diversified our global customer base, and strengthened our long-term financial profile through greater scale. The synergies achieved through our strategic initiatives have enhanced AAM's ability to compete in today's technological and regulatory environment, while remaining cost competitive through increased scale and integration.

EVOLUTION OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AS DEMAND FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, CAR-SHARING AND RIDE-SHARING INCREASES A developing trend is the expectation that autonomous, self-driving cars will become more common with continued advancements in technology, including applications such as last mile delivery. Autonomous vehicles present many possible benefits, such as a reduction in traffic collisions caused by human error and reduced traffic congestion, but there are also foreseeable challenges such as liability for damage and software safety and reliability. The increased integration of electronics and vehicle connectivity that will likely be required in autonomous vehicle developments will provide an opportunity for suppliers, such as AAM, with advanced capabilities in this area to be competitive in this expanding market.

In addition to selling vehicles, OEMs are also increasingly focused on offering their own car-sharing rental businesses and ride-sharing services. Car-sharing typically allows consumers to rent a car for a short period of time, while ride-sharing matches people to available carpools or other services that provide on-demand mobility. With population growth, increased government regulations to ease congestion and generational shifts in preferences, it is expected that the markets for these services will continue to grow, which could cause a change in the type of vehicles utilized. However, the growth in this area has been curtailed by the impact of COVID-19, as social distancing recommendations have led to reduced utilization of ride-sharing services by consumers.

VOLUMES AND OUTLOOK

Our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows are significantly impacted by fluctuations in production volumes on the vehicle programs that we support. The following table represents historical and forecasted light vehicle production volumes in North America as our business is most significantly impacted by production volume fluctuations in this region. As our business is dependent on certain automotive segments, primarily the light truck, SUV and CUV segments, production volume fluctuations for the light vehicle market as a whole may not necessarily be indicative of the vehicle programs that we support.

(units in millions, except percentages)

Production volumes in North America were flat in 2021 as compared to 2020. Production volumes in 2021 were adversely impacted by the semiconductor chip shortage and other supply chain disruptions while production volumes in 2020 were adversely impacted by temporary manufacturing facility closures due to COVID-19.

We expect production volumes in North America to be in the range of 14.8 to 15.2 million units in 2022, and we expect volumes in all other geographic regions in which we operate to increase in 2022, as compared to 2021. These expected increases are primarily the result of projected improvements in the supply chain as the disruptions that adversely impacted production volumes in 2021 diminish, including the impact of the semiconductor chip shortage on our customers.

The discussion of our Results of Operations and Liquidity and Capital Resources for 2020, as compared to 2019, can be found within "Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 12, 2021, which discussion is incorporated herein by reference.

Our discussion of Reportable Segments for 2020, as compared to 2019 is included within the MD&A of this 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K as these amounts have been retrospectively recast to reflect a reorganization of our segments that was completed in 2021.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

NET SALES

(in millions)

Our increase in sales in 2021, as compared to 2020, primarily reflects increased production volumes on the vehicle programs that we support, as net sales in 2020 were adversely impacted by an estimated $1,243 million associated with the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19. Net sales for 2021, as compared to 2020, also increased by approximately $306 million associated with the effect of metal market pass-throughs to our customers and the impact of foreign exchange related to translation adjustments. These increases in sales were partially offset by a reduction in production volumes on certain vehicle programs that we support, which was primarily the result of the semiconductor shortage that is impacting the automotive industry, the impact of which we estimate to be approximately $607 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

COST OF GOODS SOLD

(in millions)

The change in cost of goods sold in 2021, as compared to 2020, principally reflects the net increase in production volumes on the vehicle programs that we support as we estimate that cost of goods sold in 2020 was impacted by approximately $875 million associated with the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19. Cost of goods sold also increased by approximately $384 million related to metal market pass-through costs and the impact of foreign exchange. These increases in cost of goods sold were partially offset by a reduction in production volumes, which was primarily the result of the semiconductor shortage, which we estimate reduced costs by approximately $419 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

In 2021, one of our Major Customers announced its intention to cease production operations in Brazil in 2021 as part of their restructuring actions. This decision impacted certain of the programs that we support and, as a result, we accelerated depreciation on certain property, plant and equipment beginning in the first quarter of 2021. The impact on cost of goods sold of this acceleration was approximately $32 million in the year ended December 31, 2021.

Materials costs as a percentage of total cost of goods sold were approximately 60% in 2021 and 55% in 2020. Material costs as a percentage of cost of goods sold was impacted in 2020 as a result of lower product shipments driven by the impact of COVID-19, which drove lower material costs and caused fixed costs to be a greater component of cost of goods sold.

GROSS PROFIT

(in millions)

Gross margin was 14.0% in 2021 as compared to 12.4% in 2020. Gross profit and gross margin were impacted by the factors discussed in Net Sales and Cost of Goods Sold above. While we were able to significantly reduce our variable costs during 2020, the sharp decline in sales that began during the first quarter and extended into the second quarter of 2020 as a result of the impact of COVID-19, as well as the magnitude of the decline in sales, resulted in a reduction of both gross profit and gross margin.

SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES (SG&A)

(in millions)

SG&A as a percentage of net sales was 6.7% in both 2021 and 2020. R&D spending was $116.8 million in 2021 as compared to $117.4 million in 2020, which include customer engineering, design and development (ED&D) recoveries of approximately $15 million in both 2021 and 2020. The increase in SG&A in 2021, as compared to 2020, was primarily attributable to higher compensation-related expense, as temporary salary reductions were implemented in 2020 in response to COVID-19, and as a result of higher incentive compensation accruals in 2021.

AMORTIZATION OF INTANGIBLE ASSETS Amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $85.8 million as compared to $86.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

IMPAIRMENT CHARGES In the first quarter of 2020, the reduction in global automotive production volumes caused by the impact of COVID-19 represented an indicator to test our goodwill for impairment. As a result of this goodwill impairment test, we determined that the carrying values of our Driveline and Metal Forming reporting units were greater than their respective fair values. As such, we recorded a total goodwill impairment charge of $510.0 million in the first quarter of 2020. See Note 3 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further detail.

RESTRUCTURING AND ACQUISITION-RELATED COSTS Restructuring and acquisition-related costs were $49.4 million in 2021 and $67.2 million in 2020. As part of our restructuring actions, we incurred severance charges of approximately $2.9 million, as well as implementation costs, consisting primarily of plant exit costs and professional fees, of approximately $40.3 million during 2021. In 2020, we incurred severance charges of approximately $22.3 million, as well as implementation costs, consisting primarily of plant exit costs and professional fees, of approximately $36.1 million. We expect to incur approximately $20 million to $30 million of total restructuring costs in 2022.

Acquisition-related costs and integration charges of $6.2 million were incurred in 2021 as we completed our acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Emporium, Pennsylvania and furthered the integration of global enterprise planning (ERP) systems at legacy MPG locations. This compares to integration charges of $8.8 million in 2020. See Note 2 - Restructuring and Acquisition-Related Costs for further detail.

LOSS ON SALE OF BUSINESS In 2021, we completed the sale of our ownership interest in a consolidated joint venture. As a result of the sale and deconsolidation of this joint venture, we recognized a loss of $2.7 million. In 2020, we finalized certain customary post-closing calculations associated with the sale of the U.S. operations of our casting business that was completed in the fourth quarter of 2019, resulting in an additional loss on sale of $1.0 million. These losses are presented in the Loss on sale of business line item of our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. See Note 16 - Acquisitions and Dispositions for further detail.

OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) Operating income (loss) was income of $240.6 million in 2021 as compared to a loss of $396.0 million in 2020. Operating margin was 4.7% in 2021 as compared to (8.4)% in 2020. The changes in operating income (loss) and operating margin in 2021, as compared to 2020, were due to the factors discussed in Net Sales, Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit, SG&A, Impairment Charges and Restructuring and Acquisition-Related Costs above.

INTEREST EXPENSE Interest expense was $195.2 million in 2021 and $212.3 million in 2020. The decrease in interest expense in 2021, as compared to 2020, was primarily the result of our ongoing debt reduction initiatives and the impact of our debt refinancing actions in 2021. The weighted-average interest rate of our total debt outstanding was 5.8% in 2021 and 5.6% in 2020. We expect our interest expense in 2022 to be approximately $175 million to $185 million.

INTEREST INCOME Interest income was $10.9 million in 2021 and $11.6 million in 2020. Interest income primarily includes interest earned on cash and cash equivalents, realized and unrealized gains and losses on our short-term investments during the period, and the impact of the interest rate differential on our fixed-to-fixed cross-currency swap.

OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE) Following are the components of Other Income (Expense) for 2021 and 2020:

Debt refinancing and redemption costs In 2021, we made voluntary prepayments totaling $21.2 million on our Term Loan A Facility due 2024 and $238.8 million on our Term Loan B Facility due 2024. As a result, we expensed approximately $2.5 million for the write-off of a portion of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the expected life of these borrowings.

Also in 2021, we voluntarily redeemed our 6.25% Notes due 2025. This resulted in principal payments totaling $700 million and $19.4 million in accrued interest. We also expensed approximately $9.6 million for the write-off of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the expected life of the borrowing, and approximately $21.9 million for the payment of an early redemption premium.

In December 2020, we made a voluntary prepayment of $100 million on our Term Loan B Facility and paid approximately $15 million on our Term Loan A Facility due 2024. As a result, we expensed approximately $1.2 million for the write-off of a portion of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the life of these borrowings.

Also in 2020, we voluntarily redeemed our 6.625% Notes due 2022, which resulted in total principal payments of $450 million and the payment of $7.7 million in accrued interest. As a result, we expensed approximately $1.7 million for the write-off of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the expected life of the borrowing, and approximately $5.0 million for the payment of early redemption premiums.

Unrealized gain on equity securities We have an investment in the equity securities of REE, an e-mobility company that completed a merger with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company in the third quarter of 2021 and became a publicly traded entity. These equity securities are measured at fair value each reporting period with changes in fair value reported as an unrealized holding gain or loss within Other income (expense), net in our Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2021, our investment in REE shares was valued at $27.4 million resulting in an unrealized gain of $24.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Pension settlement charges In the fourth quarter of 2021, we purchased group annuity contracts from an insurance company to settle our pension obligations for certain U.S. plan participants. This resulted in a non-cash pre-tax settlement charge of $42.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 related to the accelerated recognition of certain deferred losses. In 2020, our restructuring activities resulted in the accelerated recognition of certain deferred losses under our pension plans totaling $0.5 million.

Other, net Other, net, which includes the net effect of foreign exchange gains and losses, our proportionate share of earnings from equity in unconsolidated subsidiaries, and all components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs other than service costs, was expense of $3.2 million in 2021, compared to expense of $5.2 million in 2020.

INCOME TAX BENEFIT Income tax was a benefit of $4.7 million in 2021, as compared to a benefit of $49.2 million in 2020. Our effective income tax rate was (391.7)% in 2021 as compared to 8.1% in 2020.

In 2021, our effective income tax rate varied from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily as a result of recognizing a net income tax benefit of approximately $5.2 million related to our ability to carry back prior year losses to tax years with the higher 35% corporate income tax rate.

In 2020, our effective income tax rate varied from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily as a result of the goodwill impairment charge, which resulted in no income tax benefit, as well as favorable foreign tax rates, the impact of tax credits, and the finalization of an advance pricing agreement in a foreign jurisdiction, which resulted in a tax benefit of approximately $6.8 million. We also recognized a tax benefit of approximately $14.4 million related to our ability to carry back prior year losses, as well as projected current year losses, under the CARES Act to years with the previous 35% tax rate. These income tax benefits were partially offset by our inability to realize an income tax benefit for losses incurred in certain foreign and state jurisdictions, as well as a partial valuation allowance of approximately $5.3 million on certain U.S. federal income tax attributes.

Due to the uncertainty associated with the extent and ultimate impact of COVID-19 and the semiconductor shortage on global automotive production volumes, we may experience lower than projected earnings in certain jurisdictions in future periods, and as a result, it is reasonably possible that changes in valuation allowances could be recognized in future periods and such changes could be material to our financial statements.

NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO AAM AND EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE (EPS) Net income (loss) attributable to AAM was income of $5.9 million in 2021 as compared to a loss of $561.3 million in 2020. Diluted earnings per share was $0.05 in 2021 as compared to a diluted loss of $4.96 per share in 2020. Net income (loss) and EPS were primarily impacted by the factors discussed above.

SEGMENT REPORTING

Our business is organized into Driveline and Metal Forming segments, with each representing a reportable segment under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 280 - Segment Reporting. In the first quarter of 2021, we completed a reorganization of our segments, which included moving certain locations that were previously reported under our Driveline segment to our Metal Forming segment in order to better align our product and process technologies. The amounts in the tables below for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the year ended December 31, 2019 have been retrospectively recast to reflect this reorganization.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, we completed the sale of the U.S. operations of our former Casting segment (the Casting Sale). The Casting Sale did not qualify for classification as discontinued operations, as it did not represent a strategic shift in our business that had a major effect on our operations and financial results. As such, we continue to present Casting as a segment in the tables below, which is comprised entirely of the U.S. casting operations that were included in the sale.

The results of each segment are regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker to assess the performance of the segment and make decisions regarding the allocation of resources to the segments.

Our product offerings by segment are as follows:

• Driveline products consist primarily of front and rear axles, driveshafts, differential assemblies, clutch modules, balance shaft systems, disconnecting driveline technology, and electric and hybrid driveline products and systems for light trucks, SUVs, CUVs, passenger cars and commercial vehicles; and
• Metal Forming products consist primarily of axle and transmission shafts, ring and pinion gears, differential gears and assemblies, connecting rods and variable valve timing products for OEMs and Tier 1 automotive suppliers.

The following tables outline our sales and Segment Adjusted EBITDA for each of our reportable segments for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 (in millions):

31

The change in Driveline sales for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily reflects increased production volumes on the vehicle programs we support, as sales in 2020 were adversely impacted by an estimated $905 million associated with the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19. Driveline sales for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, also increased by approximately $188 million associated with the effect of metal market pass-throughs to our customers and the impact of foreign exchange related to translation adjustments. These increases were partially offset by a reduction in production volumes primarily as a result of the semiconductor shortage, the impact of which we estimate to be approximately $488 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The change in Driveline sales for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily reflects an estimated reduction of approximately $905 million associated with the impact of the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19. The change in Driveline sales also reflects a reduction of approximately $41 million, associated with the effect of metal market pass-throughs to our customers and the impact of foreign exchange related to translation adjustments. These reductions in sales were partially offset as 2019 sales reflect a reduction associated with the GM work stoppage that occurred in the second half of 2019, and there was no such impact in 2020.

The increase in net sales in our Metal Forming segment for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily reflects increased production volumes on the vehicle programs we support, as sales in 2020 were adversely impacted by an estimated $338 million associated with the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19. Metal Forming sales for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, also increased by approximately $118 million associated with the effect of metal market pass-throughs to our customers and the impact of foreign exchange related to translation adjustments. These increases were partially offset by a reduction in production volumes primarily as a result of the semiconductor shortage, the impact of which we estimate to be approximately $119 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The change in net sales in our Metal Forming segment for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily reflects an estimated reduction of approximately $338 million associated with the impact of the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19. Also for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, Metal Forming sales were impacted by a reduction of approximately $40 million associated with the effect of metal market pass-throughs to our customers and the impact of foreign exchange related to translation adjustments.

We completed the Casting Sale in the fourth quarter of 2019, and therefore there are no net sales amounts presented for Casting in 2020 and 2021 as AAM no longer operates in this business.

We use Segment Adjusted EBITDA as the measure of earnings to assess the performance of each segment and determine the resources to be allocated to the segments. We define EBITDA to be earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Segment Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA for our reportable segments excluding the impact of restructuring and acquisition-related costs, debt refinancing and redemption costs, loss on the sale of a business, impairment charges, pension settlements, unrealized gains or losses on equity securities, and non-recurring items.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, the increase in Segment Adjusted EBITDA for the Driveline segment was primarily attributable to the net increase in production volumes on the vehicle programs that we support as sales in 2020 were adversely impacted by the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19, as well as improved operating performance, including the favorable impact of our restructuring actions, partially offset by increased metal and commodity costs, labor costs and transportation costs.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, the change in Segment Adjusted EBITDA for the Driveline segment was primarily attributable to lower net global automotive production volumes as a result of the impact of COVID-19. This was partially offset by improved operating performance and lower launch costs, as well as the impact of a customer ED&D recovery of approximately $15 million. The change in Driveline Segment Adjusted EBITDA also reflects the impact of our continued emphasis on cost management, and the additional measures that we implemented in response to the impact of COVID-19.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, the increase in Metal Forming Segment Adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributable to the net increase in production volumes on the vehicle programs that we support as sales in 2020 were adversely impacted by the decline in global automotive production as a result of COVID-19, as well as improved operating performance, including the favorable impact of our restructuring actions, partially offset by increased metal and commodity costs, labor costs and transportation costs.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, the change in Metal Forming Segment Adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributable to the impact of the decline in global automotive production as a result of the impact of COVID-19. This was partially offset by improved operating performance, as well as the impact of our continued emphasis on cost management, and the additional measures that we implemented in response to the impact of COVID-19.

We completed the Casting Sale in the fourth quarter of 2019, and therefore there are no Segment Adjusted EBITDA amounts presented for Casting in 2020 and 2021 as AAM no longer operates in this business.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP and GAAP Information

In addition to results reported in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) in this MD&A, we have provided certain non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA and Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA. Such information is reconciled to its closest GAAP measure in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission rules below.

We define EBITDA to be earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA for our reportable segments excluding the impact of restructuring and acquisition-related costs, debt refinancing and redemption costs, loss on the sale of a business, impairment charges, pension settlements, unrealized gains or losses on equity securities, and non-recurring items. We believe that EBITDA and Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA are meaningful measures of performance as they are commonly utilized by management and investors to analyze operating performance and entity valuation. Our management, the investment community and the banking institutions routinely use EBITDA and Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA, together with other measures, to measure our operating performance relative to other Tier 1 automotive suppliers and to assess the relative mix of Adjusted EBITDA by segment. We also believe that Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA is a meaningful measure as it is used for operational planning and decision-making purposes. EBITDA and Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA are also key metrics used in our calculation of incentive compensation. These non-GAAP financial measures are not and should not be considered a substitute for any GAAP measure. Additionally, non-GAAP financial measures as presented by AAM may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

(in millions)

34

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Our primary liquidity needs are to fund debt service obligations, capital expenditures and working capital requirements, in addition to advancing our strategic initiatives. At December 31, 2021 we had nearly $1.5 billion of liquidity consisting of approximately $530 million of cash and cash equivalents, approximately $893 million of available borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility and approximately $65 million of available borrowings under foreign credit facilities. We have no significant debt maturities before 2024. We believe that operating cash flow, available cash and cash equivalent balances and available committed borrowing capacity under our Senior Secured Credit Facilities and foreign credit facilities will be sufficient to meet these needs.

OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net cash provided by operating activities was $538.4 million in 2021 as compared to $454.7 million in 2020. The following factors impacted cash provided by operating activities:

Impact of COVID-19 We experienced increased earnings and cash flows from operating activities in 2021, as compared to 2020, as 2020 earnings and cash flows from operating activities were significantly impacted by a reduction in production volumes due to the impact of COVID-19.

Inventories In 2021, we experienced a decrease in year-over-year cash flow from operating activities of approximately $141 million related to the change in our inventories balance from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021, as compared to the change in our inventories balance from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020. This change was primarily attributable to increased inventory levels in 2021 as a result of volatility in production schedules and unexpected downtime at certain of our manufacturing facilities due primarily to the semiconductor shortage that is impacting the automotive industry. Cash flows from inventories were also impacted in 2021 by increased metal and commodity costs, increased labor costs, and increased transportation costs.

Accounts payable and accrued expenses We experienced an increase in year-over-year cash flow from operating activities of approximately $100 million related to the change in our accounts payable and accrued expenses balances from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021, as compared to the change in these balances from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020. This change was primarily attributable to the timing of payments to suppliers and increased inventory levels.

Interest paid Interest paid in 2021 was $184.9 million as compared to $192.4 million in 2020. The decrease in interest paid was primarily the result of our ongoing debt reduction initiatives and the impact of our debt refinancing actions in 2021. See Note 4 - Long-Term Debt for additional detail.

Income taxes Income taxes paid, net was $26.6 million in 2021, as compared to $2.1 million in 2020. During 2021, we received an income tax refund of approximately $6 million related to the utilization of net operating losses under the provisions of the CARES Act. During 2020, we received an income tax refund of approximately $31 million related to the utilization of net operating losses under the provisions of the CARES Act and an income tax refund of approximately $11 million related to prior alternative minimum tax credits. See Note 1 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for additional detail regarding the CARES Act. Also in 2020, we finalized an advance pricing agreement in a foreign jurisdiction, which resulted in a cash payment to the tax authorities of $18.5 million.

As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we have recorded a liability for unrecognized income tax benefits and related interest and penalties of $23.4 million and $22.2 million, respectively.

Restructuring and acquisition-related costs We incurred $49.4 million and $67.2 million of charges related to restructuring and acquisition-related costs in 2021 and 2020, respectively, and a significant portion of these charges were cash charges. In 2022, we expect restructuring and acquisition-related payments to be between $20 million and $30 million for the full year.

Pension and other postretirement benefits (OPEB) Our cash payments for OPEB, net of GM cost sharing, were $14.2 million in 2021 and $12.5 million in 2020. This compares to our annual postretirement cost of $8.9 million in 2021 and $10.1 million in 2020. We expect our cash payments for OPEB obligations in 2022, net of GM cost sharing, to be approximately $16.5 million.

Due to the availability of our pre-funded pension balances (previous contributions in excess of prior required pension contributions), we expect our regulatory pension funding requirements in 2022 to be less than $1.0 million.

Malvern Fire In 2021, we received $59.1 million of cash as reimbursements and advances under our insurance policies, of which $36.0 million was associated with operating expenses incurred as a result of the Malvern Fire and has been presented as an operating cash inflow in our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the period. At December 31, 2021, we have an insurance recovery receivable of $11.3 million, which is included in Prepaid expenses and other in our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

In 2020, we received $11.1 million of cash as an advance under our insurance policies associated with expenses incurred as a result of the Malvern Fire. At December 31, 2020, we had an insurance recovery receivable of $43.1 million, which is included in Prepaid expenses and other in our Consolidated Balance Sheet. See Note 15 - Manufacturing Facility Fire and Insurance Recovery for additional detail.

INVESTING ACTIVITIES For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash used in investing activities was $161.1 million as compared to $218.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Capital expenditures were $181.2 million in 2021 and $215.6 million in 2020. We expect our capital spending in 2022 to be 3.5% to 4% of sales, which includes support for our global program launches in 2022 and 2023 within our new and incremental business backlog, as well as program capacity increases and future launches of replacement programs.

In 2021, in addition to the $36.0 million of cash reimbursements and advances received under our insurance policies associated with operating expenses incurred as a result of the Malvern Fire, we received $23.1 million of cash associated with property, plant and equipment that was damaged or destroyed as a result of the Malvern Fire. This cash received has been classified as an investing cash inflow based on the nature of the associated loss incurred.

Also in 2021, we paid $4.9 million of cash for the acquisition of the Emporium, Pennsylvania Manufacturing Facility. See Note 16 - Acquisitions and Dispositions for further detail.

FINANCING ACTIVITIES Net cash used in financing activities was $401.4 million in 2021, compared to net cash used in financing activities of $214.5 million in 2020. Total debt outstanding, net of debt issuance costs, was $3,104.5 million at year-end 2021 and $3,455.0 million at year-end 2020. The change in total debt outstanding, net of issuance costs, at year-end 2021, as compared to year-end 2020, was primarily due to the factors noted below.

Senior Secured Credit Facilities Our Senior Secured Credit Facilities, which are comprised of our Revolving Credit Facility, our Term Loan A Facility due 2024, and our Term Loan B Facility due 2024, provide back-up liquidity for our foreign credit facilities. We intend to use the availability of long-term financing under the Senior Secured Credit Facilities to refinance any current maturities related to such debt agreements that are not otherwise refinanced on a long-term basis in their local markets, except where otherwise reclassified to Current portion of long-term debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

In June 2021, Holdings, AAM, Inc., and certain subsidiaries of Holdings entered into an agreement (the Agreement) amending the Second Amendment to the Credit Agreement. For the period from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022 (the Amendment Period), the Agreement modified a covenant in the Second Amendment restricting the ability of Holdings, AAM and certain subsidiaries of Holdings to make certain voluntary payments and distributions of, or in respect of, certain senior unsecured notes of AAM during the Amendment Period, which modification permitted voluntary payments and redemptions of the 6.25% Notes due 2025 issued by AAM.

In 2021, we made voluntary prepayments totaling $238.8 million on our Term Loan B Facility due 2024 and $21.2 million on our Term Loan A Facility due 2024. As a result, we expensed approximately $2.5 million for the write-off of a portion of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the expected life of these borrowings.

In December 2020, we made a voluntary prepayment of $100 million on our Term Loan B Facility due 2024 and paid approximately $15 million on our Term Loan A Facility due 2024. As a result, we expensed approximately $1.2 million for the write-off of a portion of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the life of these borrowings.

At December 31, 2021, $893.2 million was available under the Revolving Credit Facility. This availability reflects a reduction of $31.8 million for standby letters of credit issued against the facility. The proceeds of the Revolving Credit Facility are used for general corporate purposes.

Redemption of 6.25% Notes due 2025 In 2021, we voluntarily redeemed our 6.25% Notes due 2025. This resulted in principal payments totaling $700 million and $19.4 million in accrued interest. We also expensed approximately $9.6 million for the write-off of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the expected life of the borrowing, and approximately $21.9 million for the payment of an early redemption premium.

5.00% Notes due 2029 In the third quarter of 2021, we issued $600 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.00% Notes due 2029 (the 5.00% Notes). Proceeds from the 5.00% Notes were used to fund the redemption of the remaining $600 million of 6.25% Notes due 2025. We paid debt issuance costs of $9.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2021 related to the 5.00% Notes.

Redemption of 6.625% Notes due 2022 In 2020, we voluntarily redeemed our 6.625% Notes due 2022. This resulted in principal payments totaling $450.0 million and $7.7 million in accrued interest. We also expensed approximately $1.7 million for the write-off of the unamortized debt issuance costs that we had been amortizing over the expected life of the borrowing, and approximately $5.0 million for an early redemption premium.

6.875% Notes due 2028 In the second quarter of 2020, we issued $400 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.875% Notes due 2028 (the 6.875% Notes). Proceeds from the 6.875% Notes were used primarily to fund the redemption of the remaining $350 million of 6.625% Notes due 2022 and for general corporate purposes. We paid debt issuance costs of $6.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 related to the 6.875% Notes.

Foreign Credit Facilities We utilize local currency credit facilities to finance the operations of certain foreign subsidiaries. At December 31, 2021, $86.1 million was outstanding under our foreign credit facilities and an additional $65.1 million was available, as compared to December 31, 2020, when $88.8 million was outstanding under our foreign credit facilities and an additional $72.8 million was available.

Treasury stock Treasury stock increased by $4.3 million in 2021 to $216.3 million as compared to $212.0 million at year-end 2020, due to the withholding and repurchase of shares of AAM stock to satisfy employee tax withholding obligations due upon the vesting of performance shares and restricted stock units.

Credit ratings To access public debt capital markets, the Company relies on credit rating agencies to assign short-term and long-term credit ratings to our securities as an indicator of credit quality for fixed income investors. A credit rating agency may change or withdraw its ratings based on its assessment of our current and future ability to meet interest and principal repayment obligations. Credit ratings may affect our cost of borrowing and/or our access to debt capital markets. The credit ratings and outlook currently assigned to our securities by the rating agencies are as follows:

Dividend program We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock in 2021 or 2020.

Contractual obligations Our contractual obligations consist primarily of: 1) current and long-term debt; 2) operating and finance lease obligations; 3) obligated purchase commitments for capital expenditures and related project expense; 4) pension and other postretirement benefit obligations, net of GM cost sharing; and 5) interest obligations. Information regarding expected payments by period can be found in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" in this Form 10-K at Note 4 - Long-Term Debt for our current and long-term debt obligations, Note 14 - Leasing for our operating and finance lease obligations, Note 11 - Commitments and Contingencies for purchase commitments related to capital expenditures and project expense, and Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans for pension and other postretirement benefit obligations.

The expected future interest obligations associated with our current and long-term debt and finance lease obligations are as follows: $165.1 million in 2022, $155.7 million in 2023, $124.7 million in 2024, $106.5 million in 2025, $90.0 million in 2026, and $149.4 million in 2027 and thereafter.

Subsidiary Guarantees of Registered Debt Securities Our 6.875% Notes, 6.50% Notes, 6.25% Notes and 5.00% Notes (collectively, the Notes) are senior unsecured obligations of AAM, Inc. (Issuer); all of which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, on a joint and several basis, by Holdings and substantially all domestic subsidiaries of AAM, Inc. and MPG Inc. (Subsidiary Guarantors). Holdings has no significant assets other than its 100% ownership in AAM, Inc. and MPG Inc., and no direct subsidiaries other than AAM, Inc. and MPG Inc.

Each guarantee by Holdings and/or any of the Subsidiary Guarantors is:

• a senior obligation of the relevant Subsidiary Guarantors;
• the unsecured and unsubordinated obligation of the relevant Subsidiary Guarantors; and
• of equal rank with all other existing and future unsubordinated and unsecured indebtedness of the relevant Subsidiary Guarantors.

Each guarantee by a Subsidiary Guarantor provides by its terms that it will be automatically, fully and unconditionally released and discharged upon:

• any sale, exchange or transfer (by merger or otherwise) of the capital stock of such Subsidiary Guarantor, or the sale or disposition of all the assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor, which sale, exchange, transfer or disposition is made in compliance with the applicable provisions of the indentures;
• the exercise by the issuer of its legal defeasance option or covenant defeasance option or the discharge of the issuer’s obligations under the indentures in accordance with the terms of the indentures; or
• the election of the issuer to affect such a release following the date that such guaranteed Notes have an investment grade rating from both Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, Inc, and Moody's Investors Service, Inc.

The following represents summarized financial information of Holdings, AAM Inc. and the Subsidiary Guarantors (collectively, the Combined Entities). The information has been prepared on a combined basis and excludes any investments of AAM Holdings, AAM Inc., or the Subsidiary Guarantors in non-guarantor subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and amounts between Combined Entities have been eliminated.

(in millions)

At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, amounts owed by the Combined Entities to non-guarantor entities totaled approximately $800 million and $660 million, respectively, and amounts owed to the Combined Entities from non-guarantor entities totaled approximately $655 million and $750 million, respectively.

CYCLICALITY AND SEASONALITY

Our operations are cyclical because they are directly related to worldwide automotive production, which is itself cyclical and dependent on general economic conditions and other factors. Typically, our business is moderately seasonal as our major OEM customers historically have an extended shutdown of operations (normally 1-2 weeks) in conjunction with their model year changeover and an approximate one-week shutdown in December. Our major OEM customers also occasionally have longer shutdowns of operations (up to 6 weeks) for program changeovers. Accordingly, our quarterly results may reflect these trends.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

See Note 11 - Commitments and Contingencies in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for discussion of legal proceedings and the effect on AAM.

EFFECT OF NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

See Note 1 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for discussion of new accounting standards and the effect on AAM.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

In order to prepare consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in our consolidated financial statements. These estimates are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty and actual results could differ from our estimates.

Other items in our consolidated financial statements require estimation. In our judgment, they are not as critical as those disclosed below. We have discussed and reviewed our critical accounting estimates disclosure with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.

VALUATION OF DEFERRED TAX ASSETS AND OTHER TAX LIABILITIES Because we operate in many different geographic locations, including several foreign, state and local tax jurisdictions, the evaluation of our ability to use all recognized deferred tax assets is complex. In accordance with ASC 740 - Income Taxes, we review the likelihood that we will realize the benefit of deferred tax assets and estimate whether recoverability of our deferred tax assets is “more likely than not,” based on forecasts of taxable income in the related tax jurisdictions. In determining the requirement for a valuation allowance, the historical results, projected future operating results based upon approved business plans, eligible carry forward periods, and tax planning opportunities are considered, along with other relevant positive and negative evidence. If, based upon available evidence, it is more likely than not the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded.

As of December 31, 2021, we have a valuation allowance of approximately $201.7 million related to net deferred tax assets in several foreign jurisdictions and U.S. federal, state and local jurisdictions. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, our valuation allowance was $208.0 million and $196.0 million, respectively.

If, in the future, we generate taxable income on a sustained basis in foreign and U.S. federal, state and local jurisdictions for which we have recorded valuation allowances, our current estimate of the recoverability of our deferred tax assets could change and result in the future reversal of some or all of the valuation allowance. While we believe we have made appropriate valuations of our deferred tax assets, unforeseen changes in tax legislation, regulatory activities, audit results, operating results, financing strategies, organization structure and other related matters may result in material changes in our deferred tax asset valuation allowances or our tax liabilities.

Further, due to the uncertainty associated with the extent and ultimate impact of COVID-19 and the semiconductor shortage on global automotive production volumes, we may experience lower than projected earnings in certain jurisdictions in future periods, and it is reasonably possible that changes in valuation allowances could be recognized in future periods and such changes could be material to our financial statements.

Unrecognized Income Tax Benefits

We record uncertain tax positions on the basis of a two-step process whereby: (1) we determine whether it is "more likely than not" that the tax positions will be sustained based on the technical merits of the position: and (2) for those positions that meet the "more likely than not" recognition threshold, we recognize the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority. We record interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions in income tax expense (benefit). As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had a liability for unrecognized income tax benefits and related interest and penalties of $23.4 million and $22.2 million, respectively. We continue to monitor the progress and conclusions of all ongoing audits and other communications with tax authorities and adjust our estimated liability as necessary.

Other Income Tax Matters

We operate in multiple jurisdictions throughout the world and the income tax returns of several subsidiaries in various tax jurisdictions are currently under examination. During their examination of our 2015 U.S. federal income tax return, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) asserted that income earned by a Luxembourg subsidiary from its Mexican branch operations should be categorized as foreign base company sales income (FBCSI) under Section 954(d) of the Internal Revenue Code and recognized currently as taxable income on our 2015 U.S. federal income tax return. As a result of this assertion, the IRS issued a Notice of Proposed Adjustment (NOPA). AAM believes that the proposed adjustment is without merit and we have contested the matter, which is currently under review in the IRS’s administrative appeals process. We believe it is likely that we will be successful in ultimately defending our position. As such, we have not recorded any impact of the IRS’s proposed adjustment in our consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2021, in the event AAM is not successful in defending its position, the potential additional income tax expense, including estimated interest charges, related to tax years 2015 through 2021, is estimated to be in the range of approximately $275 million to $325 million. The cash flow impact in 2022 related to this issue is not expected to be significant as a result of available net operating losses and income tax credits.

In a matter of related interest, on May 5, 2020, the U.S Tax Court ruled against another U.S. corporation, finding that the income it earned through a Mexican branch of its Luxembourg subsidiary corporation was FBCSI. In that situation, the taxpayer appealed the U.S. Tax Court decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On December 6, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed, in a split decision, the Tax Court decision in favor of the IRS. On January 20, 2022, the taxpayer in the above referenced matter, filed a petition for rehearing. The court’s decision on whether such a rehearing will be granted is pending.

Notwithstanding the decisions rendered thus far in that case, and because our position is based upon different facts and circumstances, including but not limited to, differences in structure, and different income tax regulations in effect for our tax years under examination, we continue to believe, after consultation with tax and legal counsel that it is more likely than not that our structure does not give rise to FBCSI. We intend to continue to vigorously contest the conclusions reached in the NOPA through the IRS’s administrative appeals process, and, if necessary, through litigation.

PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS In calculating our assets, liabilities and expenses related to pension and OPEB, key assumptions include the discount rate, expected long-term rates of return on plan assets, mortality projections and rates of increase in health care costs.

The discount rates used in the valuation of our U.S. pension and OPEB obligations were based on an actuarial review of a hypothetical portfolio of long-term, high quality corporate bonds matched against the expected payment stream for each of our plans. In 2021, the weighted-average discount rates determined on that basis were 2.90% for the valuation of both our pension benefit obligations and the valuation of our OPEB obligations. The discount rate used in the valuation of our United Kingdom (U.K.) pension obligations were based on hypothetical yield curves developed from corporate bond yield information within each regional market. In 2021, the weighted-average discount rates determined on that basis were 1.85% for our U.K. plans. The expected weighted-average long-term rates of return on our plan assets were 7.00% for our U.S. plans, and 4.00% for our U.K. plans in 2021.

We developed these rates of return assumptions based on future capital market expectations for the asset classes represented within our portfolio and a review of long-term historical returns. The asset allocation for our plans was developed in consideration of the demographics of the plan participants and expected payment stream of the liability. Our investment policy allocates approximately 25% - 35% of the U.S. plans' assets to equity securities, depending on the plan, with the remainder invested in fixed income securities, hedge fund investments and cash.

The rates of increase in health care costs are based on current market conditions, inflationary expectations and historical information.

All of our assumptions were developed in consultation with our actuarial service providers. While we believe that we have selected reasonable assumptions for the valuation of our pension and OPEB obligations at year-end 2021, actual trends could result in materially different valuations.

The effect on our pension plans of a 0.5% decrease in both the discount rate and expected return on assets is shown below as of December 31, 2021, our valuation date.

(in millions)

No changes in benefit levels or in the amortization of gains or losses have been assumed.

For 2022, we assumed a weighted-average annual increase in the per-capita cost of covered health care benefits of 6.60% for OPEB. The rate is assumed to decrease gradually to 5.0% by 2030 and remain at that level thereafter. A 0.5% decrease in the discount rate for our OPEB would have decreased total expense in 2021 and increased the postretirement obligation, net of GM cost sharing, at December 31, 2021 by $0.9 million and $17.9 million, respectively. A 1.0% increase in the assumed health care trend rate would have increased total service and interest cost in 2021 and the postretirement obligation, net of GM cost sharing, at December 31, 2021 by $1.0 million and $27.6 million, respectively.

AAM and GM share in the cost of OPEB for eligible retirees proportionally based on the length of service an employee had with AAM and GM. We estimate the future cost sharing payments and present it as an asset on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. As of December 31, 2021, we estimated $213.2 million in future GM cost sharing. If, in the future, GM were unable to fulfill this financial obligation, our OPEB obligations could be different than our current estimates.

GOODWILL We record goodwill when the purchase price of acquired businesses exceeds the value of their identifiable net tangible and intangible assets acquired. We periodically evaluate goodwill for impairment in accordance with the accounting guidance for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles that are not amortized. We review our goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter. In addition, we review goodwill for impairment whenever adverse events or changes in circumstances indicate a possible impairment.

This review is performed at the reporting unit level, and involves a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to the excess carrying value over fair value.

In performing goodwill impairment testing, we utilize a third-party valuation specialist to assist management in determining the fair value of our reporting units. Fair value of each reporting unit is estimated based on a combination of discounted cash flows and the use of pricing multiples derived from an analysis of comparable public companies multiplied against historical and/or anticipated financial metrics of each reporting unit. These calculations contain uncertainties as they require management to make assumptions including, but not limited to, market comparables, future cash flows of the reporting units, and appropriate discount and long-term growth rates. A decline in the actual cash flows of our reporting units in future periods, as compared to the projected cash flows used in our valuations, could result in the carrying value of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values. Further, a change in market comparables, discount rate or long-term growth rate, as a result of a change in economic conditions or otherwise, could result in the carrying values of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values.

Our business is organized into two segments: Driveline and Metal Forming. Under the goodwill guidance, we determined that each of our segments represented a reporting unit. The determination of our reporting units and impairment indicators also require us to make significant judgments. At December 31, 2021 all goodwill was associated with our Driveline reporting unit. As a result of our goodwill impairment test completed in the fourth quarter of 2021, we determined that the fair value of our Driveline reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by approximately 30%. See Note 3 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further detail regarding our goodwill impairment analyses for the years 2021, 2020 and 2019.

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS Long-lived assets, excluding goodwill, to be held and used are reviewed for impairment whenever adverse events or changes in circumstances indicate a possible impairment. Recoverability of each “held for use” asset group affected by impairment indicators is determined by comparing the forecasted undiscounted cash flows of the operations to which the assets relate to their carrying amount. If the carrying amount of an asset group exceeds the undiscounted cash flows and is therefore not recoverable, the assets in this group are written down to their estimated fair value. We estimate fair value based on market prices, when available, or on a discounted cash flow analysis. Long-lived assets held for sale are recorded at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. Significant judgments and estimates used by management when evaluating long-lived assets for impairment include:

• An assessment as to whether an adverse event or circumstance has triggered the need for an impairment review;
• Determination of asset groups, the primary asset within each group, and the primary asset's average estimated useful life;
• Undiscounted future cash flows generated by the assets; and
• Determination of fair value when an impairment is deemed to exist, which may require assumptions related to future general economic conditions, future expected production volumes, product pricing and cost estimates, working capital and capital investment requirements, discount rates and estimated liquidation values.

See Note 3 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets and Note 16 - Acquisitions and Dispositions for further detail regarding our assessment of impairment of long-lived assets.

PRODUCT WARRANTY We record a liability and related charge to cost of goods sold for estimated warranty obligations at the dates our products are sold or when specific warranty issues are identified. Product warranties not expected to be paid within one year are recorded as a noncurrent liability on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Our estimated warranty obligations for products sold are based on significant management estimates, with input from our warranty, sales, engineering, quality and legal departments. For products and customers with actual warranty payment experience, we estimate warranty costs principally based on past claims history. For certain products and customers, actual warranty payment experience does not exist or is not mature. In these cases, we estimate our costs based on the contractual arrangements with our customers, existing customers' warranty program terms and internal and external warranty data, which includes a determination of our responsibility for potential warranty issues or claims and estimates of repair costs. We actively study trends of our warranty claims and take action to improve product quality and minimize warranty claims. We continuously evaluate these estimates and our customers' administration of their warranty programs. We closely monitor actual warranty claim data and adjust the liability, as necessary, on a quarterly basis.

In addition to our ordinary warranty provisions with our customers, we may be responsible for certain costs associated with product recalls and field actions, which are recorded at the time our obligation is probable and can be reasonably estimated.

Our warranty accrual was $59.5 million as of December 31, 2021 and $66.7 million as of December 31, 2020. During 2021 and 2020, we made adjustments to our warranty accrual to reflect revised estimates regarding our projected future warranty obligations. Actual experience could differ from the amounts estimated requiring adjustments to these liabilities in future periods. It is possible that changes in our assumptions or future warranty issues could materially affect our financial position and results of operations.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this MD&A and elsewhere in this Form 10-K (Annual Report), we make statements concerning our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, and future events or performance. Such statements are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and relate to trends and events that may affect our future financial position and operating results. The terms such as “will,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “project,” "target," and similar words or expressions, as well as statements in future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and may differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to:

• significant disruptions in production, sales and/or supply as a result of public health crises, including pandemic or epidemic illness such as COVID-19, or otherwise;
• global economic conditions;
• reduced purchases of our products by General Motors Company (GM), Stellantis N.V. (Stellantis), Ford Motor Company (Ford) or other customers;
• our ability to respond to changes in technology, increased competition or pricing pressures;
• our ability to develop and produce new products that reflect market demand;
• lower-than-anticipated market acceptance of new or existing products;
• our ability to attract new customers and programs for new products;
• reduced demand for our customers' products (particularly light trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) produced by GM, Stellantis and Ford);
• risks inherent in our global operations (including tariffs and the potential consequences thereof to us, our suppliers, and our customers and their suppliers, adverse changes in trade agreements, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), immigration policies, political stability, taxes and other law changes, potential disruptions of production and supply, and currency rate fluctuations);
• supply shortages, such as the semiconductor shortage that the automotive industry is currently experiencing, labor shortages, including increased labor costs, or price increases in raw material and/or freight, utilities or other operating supplies for us or our customers as a result of pandemics, natural disasters or otherwise;
• a significant disruption in operations at one or more of our key manufacturing facilities;
• negative or unexpected tax consequences;
• risks related to a failure of our information technology systems and networks, and risks associated with current and emerging technology threats and damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, cyber attack and other similar disruptions;
• availability of financing for working capital, capital expenditures, research and development (R&D) or other general corporate purposes including acquisitions, as well as our ability to comply with financial covenants;
• our customers' and suppliers' availability of financing for working capital, capital expenditures, R&D or other general corporate purposes;
• an impairment of our goodwill, other intangible assets, or long-lived assets if our business or market conditions indicate that the carrying values of those assets exceed their fair values;
• liabilities arising from warranty claims, product recall or field actions, product liability and legal proceedings to which we are or may become a party, or the impact of product recall or field actions on our customers;
• our ability or our customers' and suppliers' ability to successfully launch new product programs on a timely basis;
• risks of environmental issues, including impacts of climate-related events, that could result in unforeseen issues or costs at our facilities, or risks of noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations, including reputational damage;
• our ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations and avoid work stoppages;
• our suppliers', our customers' and their suppliers' ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations and avoid work stoppages;
• our ability to achieve the level of cost reductions required to sustain global cost competitiveness;
• our ability to realize the expected revenues from our new and incremental business backlog;
• price volatility in, or reduced availability of, fuel;
• our ability to protect our intellectual property and successfully defend against assertions made against us;
• adverse changes in laws, government regulations or market conditions affecting our products or our customers' products;
• our ability or our customers' and suppliers' ability to comply with regulatory requirements and the potential costs of such compliance;
• changes in liabilities arising from pension and other postretirement benefit obligations;
• our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel in key positions and functions; and
• other unanticipated events and conditions that may hinder our ability to compete.

It is not possible to foresee or identify all such factors and we make no commitment to update any forward-looking statement or to disclose any facts, events or circumstances after the date hereof that may affect the accuracy of any forward-looking statement.

MARKET RISK

Our business and financial results are affected by fluctuations in global financial markets, including currency exchange rates and interest rates. Our hedging policy has been developed to manage these risks to an acceptable level based on management's judgment of the appropriate trade-off between risk, opportunity and cost. We do not hold financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE RISK From time to time, we use foreign currency forward contracts to reduce the effects of fluctuations in exchange rates relating to certain foreign currencies. At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had currency forward contracts with a notional amount of $164.7 million and $178.2 million outstanding, respectively. The potential decrease in fair value of foreign exchange contracts, assuming a 10% adverse change in the foreign currency exchange rates, would be approximately $15.0 million at December 31, 2021 and was approximately $16.2 million at December 31, 2020.

In 2019, we entered into a fixed-to-fixed cross-currency swap to reduce the variability of functional currency equivalent cash flows associated with changes in exchange rates on certain Euro-based intercompany loans. In the first quarter of 2020, we discontinued this cross-currency swap, which was in an asset position of $9.8 million on the date it was discontinued. Also in the first quarter of 2020, we entered into a new fixed-to-fixed cross-currency swap to reduce the variability of functional currency equivalent cash flows associated with changes in exchange rates on certain Euro-based intercompany loans. The notional amount of the fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap is €200.0 million, which was equivalent to $226.9 million and $244.2 million at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The potential decrease in fair value of the fixed-to-fixed cross-currency swap, assuming a 10% adverse change in foreign currency exchange rates, would be approximately $22.7 million at December 31, 2021 and was approximately $24.4 million at December 31, 2020.

Future business operations and opportunities, including the expansion of our business outside North America, may further increase the risk that cash flows resulting from these global operations may be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates. If and when appropriate, we intend to manage these risks by creating natural hedges in the structure of our global operations, utilizing local currency funding of these expansions and various types of foreign exchange contracts.

INTEREST RATE RISK We are exposed to variable interest rates on certain credit facilities. From time to time, we have used interest rate hedging to reduce the effects of fluctuations in market interest rates. In 2019, we entered into a variable-to-fixed interest rate swap to reduce the variability of cash flows associated with interest payments on our variable rate debt. As of December 31, 2021, we have the following notional amounts hedged in relation to our variable-to-fixed interest rate swap: $750.0 million through May 2022, $600.0 million through May 2023 and $500.0 million through May 2024.

The pre-tax earnings and cash flow impact of a one-percentage-point increase in interest rates (approximately 18% of our weighted-average interest rate at December 31, 2021) on our long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 2021 would be approximately $4.2 million and was approximately $6.0 million at December 31, 2020, on an annualized basis.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the direction of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we evaluated our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting and concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a - 15(e) or 15d - 15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)) were effective as of December 31, 2021.

Management Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance to our management and Board of Directors regarding the preparation and fair presentation of our consolidated financial statements.

Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021. In making this assessment, we used criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2021, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria.

The audit report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting is included in Item 8, ”Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

On January 1, 2019, we began the implementation of our global enterprise planning (ERP) systems at certain locations that were acquired as part of the MPG acquisition. As part of these implementations, we have modified the design and documentation of our internal control processes and procedures, where appropriate. We will continue to implement these ERP systems at certain locations into 2022.

In December 2021, we lost the ability to utilize our payroll timekeeping system at certain of our global manufacturing facilities due to a disruption experienced by a third-party service provider. As a result, we immediately implemented manual timekeeping processes at these global facilities, including manual review and approval of hours worked. In addition, at certain locations, we utilized period-to-period trend analysis to validate the reasonableness of hours submitted and payroll expense. We believe that the manual processes implemented were sufficient to prevent or detect a material misstatement of the financial statements as of, and for the year ended, December 31, 2021. In February 2022, we regained the ability to utilize our payroll timekeeping system and we resumed our normal timekeeping process.

Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, a significant number of our associates have continued to work remotely in some capacity during the fourth quarter of 2021. This has not had a material effect on our internal control over financial reporting as we have maintained our existing controls and procedures over financial reporting during this period.

Except as described above with regard to implementation of ERP systems at certain legacy MPG locations and our temporary change to manual timekeeping at certain locations, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.