Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

Set forth below are certain risks and uncertainties that could adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition and cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by the Company. Also refer to the Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information in this Annual Report.

Risks Related to Business Environment and Economic Conditions

The cyclical nature of automotive sales and production can adversely affect our business.

Our business is directly related to automotive sales and automotive vehicle production by our customers. Automotive sales and production are highly cyclical and, in addition to general economic conditions, also depend on other factors, such as consumer confidence and consumer preferences. Lower global automotive sales would be expected to result in substantially all of our automotive OEM customers lowering vehicle production schedules, which has a direct impact on our earnings and cash flows. In addition, automotive sales and production can be affected by labor relations issues, regulatory requirements, trade agreements, the availability of consumer financing and other factors. Economic declines that result in a significant reduction in automotive sales and production by our customers have in the past had, and may in the future have, an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our sales are also affected by inventory levels and OEMs’ production levels. We cannot predict when OEMs will decide to increase or decrease inventory levels or whether new inventory levels will approximate historical inventory levels. Uncertainty and other unexpected fluctuations could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

A prolonged economic downturn or economic uncertainty could adversely affect our business and cause us to require additional sources of financing, which may not be available.

Our sensitivity to economic cycles and any related fluctuation in the businesses of our customers or potential customers may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Due to overall global economic conditions in 2018, the automotive industry experienced decreased global customer sales and production schedules. Compared to 2017, vehicle production in 2018 remained flat in North America and decreased by 1% in Europe and 4% in China. Vehicle production in South America, our smallest region, increased 4% as compared to 2017. As a result, we have experienced and may continue to experience reductions in orders from OEM customers in certain regions. Uncertainty relating to global or regional economic conditions may have an adverse impact on our business. A prolonged downturn in the global or regional automotive industry, or a significant change in product mix due to consumer demand, could require us to shut down plants or result in impairment charges, restructuring actions or changes in our valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, which could be material to our financial condition and results of operations. If global economic conditions deteriorate or economic uncertainty increases, our customers and potential customers may experience deterioration of their businesses, which may result in the delay or cancellation of plans to purchase our products. If vehicle production were to remain at low levels for an extended period of time or if cash losses for customer defaults rise, our cash flow could be adversely impacted, which could result in our needing to seek additional financing to continue our operations. There can be no assurance that we would be able to secure such financing on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

Any changes in consumer credit availability or cost of borrowing could adversely affect our business.

Declines in the availability of consumer credit and increases in consumer borrowing costs have negatively impacted global automotive sales and resulted in lower production volumes in the past. Substantial declines in automotive sales and production by our customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

A drop in the market share and changes in product mix offered by our customers can impact our revenues.

We are dependent on the continued growth, viability and financial stability of our customers. Our customers generally are OEMs in the automotive industry. This industry is subject to rapid technological change, vigorous competition, short product life cycles and cyclical and reduced consumer demand patterns. When our customers are adversely affected by these factors, we may be similarly affected to the extent that our customers reduce the volume of orders for our products. As a result of changes impacting our customers, sales mix can shift which may have either favorable or unfavorable impact on revenue and would include shifts in regional growth, shifts in OEM sales demand, as well as shifts in consumer demand related to vehicle segment purchases and content penetration. For instance, a shift in sales demand favoring a particular OEMs’ vehicle model for which we do not have a supply contract may negatively impact our revenue. A shift in regional sales demand toward certain markets could favorably impact the sales of those of our customers that have a large market share in those regions, which in turn would be expected to have a favorable impact on our revenue.

The mix of vehicle offerings by our OEM customers also impacts our sales. A decrease in consumer demand for specific types of vehicles where we have traditionally provided significant content could have a significant effect on our business and

financial condition. Our sales of products in the regions in which our customers operate also depend on the success of these customers in those regions.

We operate in the highly competitive automotive technology and component supply industry, and are dependent on the acceptance of new product introductions for continued growth.

The global automotive technology and component supply industry is highly competitive. Competition is based primarily on price, technology, quality, delivery and overall customer service. There can be no assurance that our products will be able to compete successfully with the products of our competitors. Furthermore, the rapidly evolving nature of the markets in which we compete has attracted, and may continue to attract, new entrants, particularly in countries such as China or in areas of evolving vehicle technologies such as automated driving technologies, which have attracted new entrants from outside the traditional automotive supply industry. Additionally, consolidation in the automotive industry may lead to decreased product purchases from us. As a result, our sales levels and margins could be adversely affected by pricing pressures from OEMs and pricing actions of competitors. These factors led to selective resourcing of business to competitors in the past and may also do so in the future.

In addition, any of our competitors may foresee the course of market development more accurately than us, develop products that are superior to our products, have the ability to produce similar products at a lower cost than us, adapt more quickly than us to new technologies or evolving customer requirements or develop or introduce new products or solutions before we do, particularly related to potential transformative technologies such as autonomous driving solutions. As a result, our products may not be able to compete successfully with their products. These trends may adversely affect our sales as well as the profit margins on our products. If we do not continue to innovate to develop or acquire new and compelling products that capitalize upon new technologies, this could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

If we do not respond appropriately, the evolution of the automotive industry towards autonomous vehicles and MoD services could adversely affect our business.

The automotive industry is increasingly focused on the development of advanced driver assistance technologies, with the goal of developing and introducing a commercially-viable, fully automated driving experience. The high development cost of active safety and autonomous driving technologies may result in a higher risk of exposure to the success of new or disruptive technologies different than those being developed by us. There has also been an increase in consumer preferences for MoD services, such as car- and ride-sharing, as opposed to automobile ownership, which may result in a long-term reduction in the number of vehicles per capita. These evolving areas have also attracted increased competition from entrants outside the traditional automotive industry. If we do not continue to innovate to develop or acquire new and compelling products that capitalize upon new technologies in response to OEM and consumer preferences, this could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

We have invested substantial resources in markets and technologies where we expect growth and we may be unable to timely alter our strategies should such expectations not be realized.

Our future growth is dependent on our making the right investments at the right time to support product development and manufacturing capacity in geographic areas where we can support our customer base and in product areas of evolving vehicle technologies. We have identified the Asia Pacific region, and more specifically China, as a key geographic market, and have identified advanced driver assistance systems, autonomous driving technologies and mobility solutions as a key product market. We believe these markets are likely to experience substantial long-term growth, and accordingly have made and expect to continue to make substantial investments, both directly and through participation in various partnerships and joint ventures, in numerous manufacturing operations, technical centers, research and development activities and other infrastructure to support anticipated growth in these areas. If we are unable to deepen existing and develop additional customer relationships in the Asia Pacific region, or if we are unable to develop and introduce market-relevant advanced driver assistance or autonomous driving technologies, we may not only fail to realize expected rates of return on our existing investments, but we may incur losses on such investments and be unable to timely redeploy the invested capital to take advantage of other markets or product categories, potentially resulting in lost market share to our competitors. Our results will also suffer if these areas do not grow as quickly as we anticipate.

We may not be able to respond quickly enough to changes in regulations, technology and technological risks, and to develop our intellectual property into commercially viable products.

Changes in legislative, regulatory or industry requirements or in competitive technologies may render certain of our products obsolete or less attractive. Our ability to anticipate changes in technology and regulatory standards and to successfully develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis are significant factors in our ability to remain competitive and to maintain or increase our revenues. For example, the evolving sector of automated driver assistance and autonomous driving technologies has led to evolving guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) regarding best practices for the testing and deployment of automated driving systems, and outlining federal and state roles in the regulation of

these systems, including providing state legislatures with best practices on how to safely foster the development and introduction of automated driving technologies onto public roads. There remains potential for the continued introduction of new and expanded regulations in this space, including potential requirements for autonomous vehicle systems to receive approval from the DOT or other regulatory agencies prior to commercial introduction. It is also possible that regulations in this space may diverge among jurisdictions, leading to increased compliance costs.

We cannot provide assurance that certain of our products will not become obsolete or that we will be able to achieve the technological advances that may be necessary for us to remain competitive and maintain or increase our revenues in the future. We are also subject to the risks generally associated with new product introductions and applications, including lack of market acceptance, delays in product development or production and failure of products to operate properly. The pace of our development and introduction of new and improved products depends on our ability to implement successfully improved technological innovations in design, engineering and manufacturing, which requires extensive capital investment. Any capital expenditure cuts in these areas that we may determine to implement in the future to reduce costs and conserve cash could reduce our ability to develop and implement improved technological innovations, which may materially reduce demand for our products.

To compete effectively in the automotive technology and components industry, we must be able to launch new products to meet changing consumer preferences and our customers’ demand in a timely and cost-effective manner. Our ability to respond to competitive pressures and react quickly to other major changes in the marketplace, including the potential introduction of disruptive technologies such as autonomous driving solutions or consumer desire for and availability of vehicles with advanced driver assistance technologies or which use alternative fuels is also a risk to our future financial performance.

We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to install and certify the equipment needed to produce products for new product programs in time for the start of production, or that the transitioning of our manufacturing facilities and resources to full production under new product programs will not impact production rates or other operational efficiency measures at our facilities. Development and manufacturing schedules are difficult to predict, and we cannot provide assurance that our customers will execute on schedule the launch of their new product programs, for which we might supply products. Our failure to successfully launch new products, or a failure by our customers to successfully launch new programs, could adversely affect our results.

Certain of our businesses rely on relationships with collaborative partners and other third-parties for development of certain products and potential products, and such collaborative partners or other third-parties could fail to perform sufficiently.

We believe that for certain of our businesses, success in developing market-relevant products depends in part on their ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with other companies. There are certain risks involved in such relationships, as our collaborative partners may not devote sufficient resources to the success of our collaborations; may be acquired by other companies and subsequently terminate our collaborative arrangement; may compete with us; may not agree with us on key details of the collaborative relationship; or may not agree to renew existing collaborations on acceptable terms. Because these and other factors may be beyond our control, the development or commercialization of our products involved in collaborative partnerships may be delayed or otherwise adversely affected. If we or any of our collaborative partners terminate a collaborative arrangement, we may be required to devote additional resources to product development and commercialization or may need to cancel certain development programs, which could adversely affect our business and operational results.

Declines in the market share or business of our five largest customers may have a disproportionate adverse impact on our revenues and profitability.

Our five largest customers accounted for approximately 41% of our total net sales in the year ended December 31, 2018. Accordingly, our revenues may be disproportionately affected by decreases in any of their businesses or market share. Because our customers typically have no obligation to purchase a specific quantity of parts, a decline in the production levels of any of our major customers, particularly with respect to models for which we are a significant supplier, could disproportionately reduce our sales and thereby adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows. See Item 1. Supply Relationships with Our Customers.

Our business in China is subject to aggressive competition and is sensitive to economic and market conditions.

Maintaining a strong position in the Chinese market is a key component of our global growth strategy. The automotive technology and components market in China is highly competitive, with competition from many of the largest global manufacturers and numerous smaller domestic manufacturers. As the size of the Chinese market continues to increase over the long-term, we anticipate that additional competitors, both international and domestic, will seek to enter the Chinese market and that existing market participants will act aggressively to increase their market share. Increased competition may result in price reductions, reduced margins and our inability to gain or hold market share. Additionally, there have been periods of increased market volatility and moderations in the level of economic growth in China, which resulted in periods of lower automotive

production growth rates in China than those previously experienced. For example, in 2017, automotive production in China increased 3% as compared to 2016, benefiting in part from a partial increase in the consumer vehicle tax reduction program. However, primarily due to moderations in the level of economic growth and foreign trade uncertainties, vehicle production volumes in China decreased by 4% in 2018. Our business in China is sensitive to economic and market conditions that drive automotive sales volumes in China and may be impacted if there are reductions in vehicle demand in China. If we are unable to maintain our position in the Chinese market or if vehicle sales in China continue to decrease, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected.

We may not realize sales represented by awarded business.

We estimate awarded business using certain assumptions, including projected future sales volumes. Our customers generally do not guarantee volumes. In addition, awarded business may include business under arrangements that our customers have the right to terminate without penalty. Therefore, our actual sales volumes, and thus the ultimate amount of revenue that we derive from such sales, are not committed. If actual production orders from our customers are not consistent with the projections we use in calculating the amount of our awarded business, we could realize substantially less revenue over the life of these projects than the currently projected estimate.

Continued pricing pressures, OEM cost reduction initiatives and the ability of OEMs to re-source or cancel vehicle programs may result in lower than anticipated margins, or losses, which may have a significant negative impact on our business.

Cost-cutting initiatives adopted by our customers result in increased downward pressure on pricing. Our customer supply agreements generally require step-downs in component pricing over the period of production, typically one to two percent per year. In addition, our customers often reserve the right to terminate their supply contracts for convenience, which enhances their ability to obtain price reductions. OEMs have also possessed significant leverage over their suppliers, including us, because the automotive component supply industry is highly competitive, serves a limited number of customers, has a high fixed cost base and historically has had excess capacity. Based on these factors, and the fact that our customers’ product programs typically last a number of years and are anticipated to encompass large volumes, our customers are able to negotiate favorable pricing. Accordingly, as a Tier I supplier, we are subject to substantial continuing pressure from OEMs to reduce the price of our products. For example, our customer supply agreements generally provide for annual reductions in pricing of our products over the period of production. It is possible that pricing pressures beyond our expectations could intensify as OEMs pursue restructuring and cost-cutting initiatives. If we are unable to generate sufficient production cost savings in the future to offset price reductions, our gross margin and profitability would be adversely affected. See Item 1. Supply Relationships with Our Customers for a detailed discussion of our supply agreements with our customers.

Our supply agreements with our OEM customers are generally requirements contracts, and a decline in the production requirements of any of our customers, and in particular our largest customers, could adversely impact our revenues and profitability.

We receive OEM purchase orders for specific components supplied for particular vehicles. In most instances our OEM customers agree to purchase their requirements for specific products but are not required to purchase any minimum amount of products from us. The contracts we have entered into with most of our customers have terms ranging from one year to the life of the model (usually three to seven years, although customers often reserve the right to terminate for convenience). Therefore, a significant decrease in demand for certain key models or group of related models sold by any of our major customers or the ability of a manufacturer to re-source and discontinue purchasing from us, for a particular model or group of models, could have a material adverse effect on us. To the extent that we do not maintain our existing level of business with our largest customers because of a decline in their production requirements or because the contracts expire or are terminated for convenience, we will need to attract new customers or win new business with existing customers, or our results of operations and financial condition will be adversely affected. See Item 1. Supply Relationships with Our Customers for a detailed discussion of our supply agreements with our customers.

Disruptions in the supply of raw materials and other supplies that we and our customers use in our products may adversely affect our profitability.

We and our customers use a broad range of materials and supplies, including copper and other metals, petroleum-based resins, chemicals, electronic components and semiconductors. A significant disruption in the supply of these materials for any reason could decrease our production and shipping levels, which could materially increase our operating costs and materially decrease our profit margins.

We, as with other component manufacturers in the automotive industry, ship products to our customers’ vehicle assembly plants throughout the world so they are delivered on a “just-in-time” basis in order to maintain low inventory levels. Our suppliers also use a similar method. However, this “just-in-time” method makes the logistics supply chain in our industry very complex and very vulnerable to disruptions.

Such disruptions could be caused by any one of a myriad of potential problems, such as closures of one of our or our suppliers’ plants or critical manufacturing lines due to strikes, mechanical breakdowns, electrical outages, fires, explosions or political upheaval, as well as logistical complications due to weather, global climate change, volcanic eruptions, or other natural or nuclear disasters, mechanical failures, delayed customs processing and more. Additionally, as we grow in best cost countries, the risk for such disruptions is heightened. The lack of even a small single subcomponent necessary to manufacture one of our products, for whatever reason, could force us to cease production, even for a prolonged period. Similarly, a potential quality issue could force us to halt deliveries while we validate the products. Even where products are ready to be shipped, or have been shipped, delays may arise before they reach our customer. Our customers may halt or delay their production for the same reason if one of their other suppliers fails to deliver necessary components. This may cause our customers, in turn to suspend their orders, or instruct us to suspend delivery, of our products, which may adversely affect our financial performance.

When we fail to make timely deliveries in accordance with our contractual obligations, we generally have to absorb our own costs for identifying and solving the “root cause” problem as well as expeditiously producing replacement components or products. Generally, we must also carry the costs associated with “catching up,” such as overtime and premium freight.

Additionally, if we are the cause for a customer being forced to halt production, the customer may seek to recoup all of its losses and expenses from us. These losses and expenses could be significant, and may include consequential losses such as lost profits. Any supply-chain disruption, however small, could potentially cause the complete shutdown of an assembly line of one of our customers, and any such shutdown that is due to causes that are within our control could expose us to material claims of compensation. Where a customer halts production because of another supplier failing to deliver on time, it is unlikely we will be fully compensated, if at all.

Adverse developments affecting one or more of our suppliers could harm our profitability.

Any significant disruption in our supplier relationships, particularly relationships with sole-source suppliers, could harm our profitability. Furthermore, some of our suppliers may not be able to handle commodity cost volatility and/or sharply changing volumes while still performing as we expect. To the extent our suppliers experience supply disruptions, there is a risk for delivery delays, production delays, production issues or delivery of non-conforming products by our suppliers. Even where these risks do not materialize, we may incur costs as we try to make contingency plans for such risks.

The loss of business with respect to, or the lack of commercial success of, a vehicle model for which we are a significant supplier could adversely affect our financial performance.

Although we receive purchase orders from our customers, these purchase orders generally provide for the supply of a customer’s requirements for a particular vehicle model and assembly plant, rather than for the purchase of a specific quantity of products. The loss of business with respect to, or the lack of commercial success of, a vehicle model for which we are a significant supplier could reduce our sales and thereby adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

Increases in costs of the materials and other supplies that we use in our products may have a negative impact on our business.

Significant changes in the markets where we purchase materials, components and supplies for the production of our products may adversely affect our profitability, particularly in the event of significant increases in demand where there is not a corresponding increase in supply, inflation or other pricing increases. In recent periods there have been significant fluctuations in the global prices of copper and petroleum-based resin products, and fuel charges, which have had and may continue to have an unfavorable impact on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Continuing volatility may have adverse effects on our business, results of operations or financial condition. We will continue efforts to pass some supply and material cost increases onto our customers, although competitive and market pressures have limited our ability to do that, particularly with domestic OEMs, and may prevent us from doing so in the future, because our customers are generally not obligated to accept price increases that we may desire to pass along to them. Even where we are able to pass price increases through to the customer, in some cases there is a lapse of time before we are able to do so. The inability to pass on price increases to our customers when raw material prices increase rapidly or to significantly higher than historic levels could adversely affect our operating margins and cash flow, possibly resulting in lower operating income and profitability. We expect to be continually challenged as demand for our principal raw materials and other supplies, including electronic components, is significantly impacted by demand in emerging markets, particularly in China. We cannot provide assurance that fluctuations in commodity prices will not otherwise have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations, or cause significant fluctuations in quarterly and annual results of operations.

Our hedging activities to address commodity price fluctuations may not be successful in offsetting future increases in those costs or may reduce or eliminate the benefits of any decreases in those costs.

In order to mitigate short-term volatility in operating results due to the aforementioned commodity price fluctuations, we hedge a portion of near-term exposure to certain raw materials used in production. The results of our hedging practice could be

positive, neutral or negative in any period depending on price changes in the hedged exposures. Our hedging activities are not designed to mitigate long-term commodity price fluctuations and, therefore, will not protect from long-term commodity price increases. Our future hedging positions may not correlate to actual raw material costs, which could cause acceleration in the recognition of unrealized gains and losses on hedging positions in operating results.

We may encounter manufacturing challenges.

The volume and timing of sales to our customers may vary due to: variation in demand for our customers’ products; our customers’ attempts to manage their inventory; design changes; changes in our customers’ manufacturing strategy; and acquisitions of or consolidations among customers. Due in part to these factors, many of our customers do not commit to long-term production schedules. Our inability to forecast the level of customer orders with certainty makes it difficult to schedule production and maximize utilization of manufacturing capacity.

We rely on third-party suppliers for the components used in our products, and we rely on third-party manufacturers to manufacture certain of our assemblies and finished products. Our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected if our third-party suppliers lack sufficient quality control or if there are significant changes in their financial or business condition. If our third-party manufacturers fail to deliver products, parts and components of sufficient quality on time and at reasonable prices, we could have difficulties fulfilling our orders, sales and profits could decline, and our commercial reputation could be damaged.

From time to time, we have underutilized our manufacturing lines. This excess capacity means we incur increased fixed costs in our products relative to the net revenue we generate, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, particularly during economic downturns. If we are unable to improve utilization levels for these manufacturing lines and correctly manage capacity, the increased expense levels will have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, some of our manufacturing lines are located in China or other foreign countries that are subject to a number of additional risks and uncertainties, including increasing labor costs, which may result from market demand or other factors, and political, social and economic instability.

Changes in factors that impact the determination of our non-U.S. pension liabilities may adversely affect us.

Certain of our non-U.S. subsidiaries sponsor defined benefit pension plans, which generally provide benefits based on negotiated amounts for each year of service. Our primary funded non-U.S. plans are located in Mexico and the United Kingdom and were underfunded by $58 million as of December 31, 2018. 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. In addition to the defined benefit pension plans, we have retirement obligations driven by requirements in many of the countries in which we operate. These legally required plans require payments at the time benefits are due. Obligations, net of plan assets, related to the defined benefit pension plans and statutorily required retirement obligations totaled $447 million at December 31, 2018, of which $17 million is included in accrued liabilities, $432 million is included in long-term liabilities and $2 million is included in long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheet. Key assumptions used to value these benefit obligations and the cost of providing such benefits, funding requirements and expense recognition include the discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return on pension assets. 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.

We may suffer future asset impairment and other restructuring charges, including write downs of long-lived assets, goodwill, or intangible assets.

We have taken, are taking, and may take future restructuring actions to realign and resize our production capacity and cost structure to meet current and projected operational and market requirements. Charges related to these actions or any further restructuring actions may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We cannot ensure that any current or future restructuring will be completed as planned or achieve the desired results.

Additionally, from time to time, we have recorded asset impairment losses relating to specific plants and operations. Generally, we record asset impairment losses when we determine that our estimates of the future undiscounted cash flows from an operation will not be sufficient to recover the carrying value of that facility’s building, fixed assets and production tooling. For goodwill, we perform a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s value is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment is not met the Company then performs a quantitative assessment by first comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, we compare its implied fair value of goodwill to its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, the reporting unit would recognize an impairment loss for that excess. We cannot ensure that we will not incur such charges in the future as changes in economic or operating conditions impacting the estimates and assumptions could result in additional impairment.

Employee strikes and labor-related disruptions involving us or one or more of our customers or suppliers may adversely affect our operations.

Our business is labor-intensive and utilizes a number of work councils and other represented employees. A strike or other form of significant work disruption by our employees would likely have an adverse effect on our ability to operate our business. A labor dispute involving us or one or more of our customers or suppliers or that could otherwise affect our operations could reduce our sales and harm our profitability. A labor dispute involving another supplier to our customers that results in a slowdown or a closure of our customers’ assembly plants where our products are included in the assembled parts or vehicles could also adversely affect our business and harm our profitability. In addition, our inability or the inability of any of our customers, our suppliers or our customers’ suppliers to negotiate an extension of a collective bargaining agreement upon its expiration could reduce our sales and harm our profitability. Significant increases in labor costs as a result of the renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements could also adversely affect our business and harm our profitability.

We may lose or fail to attract and retain key salaried employees and management personnel.

An important aspect of our competitiveness is our ability to attract and retain key salaried employees and management personnel. Our ability to do so is influenced by a variety of factors, including the compensation we award and the competitive market position of our overall compensation package. We may not be as successful as competitors at recruiting, assimilating and retaining highly skilled personnel. The loss of the services of any member of senior management or a key salaried employee could have an adverse effect on our business.

We are exposed to foreign currency fluctuations as a result of our substantial global operations, which may affect our financial results.

We have currency exposures related to buying, selling and financing in currencies other than the local currencies of the countries in which we operate. Approximately 63% of our net revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018 came from sales outside the U.S., which were primarily invoiced in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and we expect net revenue from non-U.S. markets to continue to represent a significant portion of our net revenue. Accordingly, significant changes in currency exchange rates, particularly the Euro and Chinese Yuan (Renminbi), could cause fluctuations in the reported results of our businesses’ operations that could negatively affect our results of operations. Price increases caused by currency exchange rate fluctuations may make our products less competitive or have an adverse effect on our margins. Currency exchange rate fluctuations may also disrupt the business of our suppliers by making their purchases of raw materials more expensive and more difficult to finance.

Historically, we have reduced our exposure by aligning our costs in the same currency as our revenues or, if that is impracticable, through financial instruments that provide offsets or limits to our exposures, which are opposite to the underlying transactions. However, any measures that we may implement to reduce the effect of volatile currencies and other risks of our global operations may not be effective.

In addition, we have significant business in Europe and transact much of this business in the Euro currency, including sales and purchase contracts. Although not as prevalent currently, concerns over the stability of the Euro currency and the economic outlook for many European countries, including those that do not use the Euro as their currency, persist. Given the broad range of possible outcomes, it is difficult to fully assess the implications on our business. Some of the potential outcomes could significantly impact our operations. In the event of a country redenominating its currency away from the Euro, the potential impact could be material to operations. We cannot provide assurance that fluctuations in currency exposures will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations, or cause significant fluctuations in quarterly and annual results of operations.

We face risks associated with doing business in non-U.S. jurisdictions.

The majority of our manufacturing and distribution facilities are in countries outside of the U.S., including Mexico, China and other countries in Asia Pacific, Eastern and Western Europe, South America and Northern Africa. We also purchase raw materials and other supplies from many different countries around the world. For the year ended December 31, 2018, approximately 63% of our net revenue came from sales outside the U.S. International operations are subject to certain risks inherent in doing business abroad, including:

•	exposure to local economic, political and labor conditions;

•	unexpected changes in laws, regulations, trade or monetary or fiscal policy, including interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and changes in the rate of inflation in the U.S. and other foreign countries;

•	tariffs, quotas, customs and other import or export restrictions and other trade barriers;

•	expropriation and nationalization;

•	difficulty of enforcing agreements, collecting receivables and protecting assets through non-U.S. legal systems;

•	reduced intellectual property protection;

•	limitations on repatriation of earnings;

•	withholding and other taxes on remittances and other payments by subsidiaries;

•	investment restrictions or requirements;

•	violence and civil unrest in local countries; and

•	compliance with the requirements of an increasing body of applicable anti-bribery laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and similar laws of various other countries.

Additionally, our global operations may also be adversely affected by political events, domestic or international terrorist events and hostilities or complications due to natural or nuclear disasters. For instance, the recent presidential elections and government changes in Mexico have yielded requirements that call for an increase in minimum wages at the border as well as the interior of Mexico. These or any further political or governmental developments in Mexico or other countries in which we operate could result in social, economic and labor instability. These uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on the continuity of our business and our results of operations and financial condition.

Existing free trade laws and regulations, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and its anticipated successor agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement which is still subject to approval, provide certain beneficial duties and tariffs for qualifying imports and exports, subject to compliance with the applicable classification and other requirements. Changes in laws or policies governing the terms of foreign trade, and in particular increased trade restrictions, tariffs or taxes on imports from countries where we manufacture products, such as China and Mexico, could have a material adverse affect on our business and financial results. For instance, during 2018, the U.S. and Chinese governments have imposed a series of significant incremental retaliatory tariffs to certain imported products. Most notably with respect to the automotive industry, the U.S. imposed tariffs on imports of certain steel, aluminum and automotive components, and China imposed retaliatory tariffs on imports of U.S. vehicles and certain automotive components. Given the uncertainty regarding the scope and duration of the imposed tariffs, as well as the potential for additional tariffs or trade barriers by the U.S., China or other countries, we can provide no assurance that any strategies we implement to mitigate the impact of such tariffs or other trade actions will be successful.

Increasing our manufacturing footprint in Asian markets, including China, and our business relationships with Asian automotive manufacturers are important elements of our long-term strategy. In addition, our strategy includes increasing revenue and expanding our manufacturing footprint in lower-cost regions. As a result, our exposure to the risks described above may be greater in the future. The likelihood of such occurrences and their potential impact on us vary from country to country and are unpredictable.

The results of the Referendum of the United Kingdom’s Membership of the European Union may adversely affect our business and profitability.

There have also been periods of increased market volatility and currency exchange rate fluctuations, both globally and most specifically within the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) and Europe, as a result of the U.K. referendum in which voters approved an exit from the European Union (“E.U.”), commonly referred to as “Brexit,” scheduled to become effective on March 29, 2019. As a result of the referendum, the British government formally initiated the process for withdrawal in March 2017. The terms of any withdrawal are subject to a negotiation period that could last at least two years from the initiation date. Nevertheless, the proposed withdrawal has created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.K. and the E.U. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may adversely affect European and worldwide economic and market conditions, including vehicle production, significantly reduce global market liquidity and restrict the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets and could contribute to instability in global financial and foreign exchange markets, including increased volatility in interest rates and foreign exchange rates. Although we do not have a material physical presence in the U.K., approximately 1% of our annual net sales are generated in the U.K. and less than 1% of our global workforce is located in the U.K. as of December 31, 2018, the potential impacts of the impending Brexit decision could adversely impact other global economies, and in particular, the European economy, a region which accounted for approximately 32% of our total net sales for the year ended December 31, 2018. We continue to actively monitor the ongoing potential impacts of Brexit and will seek to minimize its impact on our business through review of our existing contractual arrangements and obligations, particularly in the European region. Any of these effects of Brexit, among others, could adversely affect our business, business opportunities, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

If we fail to manage our growth effectively or to integrate successfully any new or future business ventures, acquisitions or strategic alliance into our business, our business could be materially adversely harmed.

We have completed a number of acquisitions in recent years, most recently the acquisitions of Winchester Interconnect and KUM, and we expect to continue to pursue business ventures, acquisitions, and strategic alliances that leverage our technology capabilities, enhance our customer base, geographic penetration and scale to complement our current businesses

and we regularly evaluate potential opportunities, some of which could be material. While we believe that such transactions are an integral part of our long-term strategy, there are risks and uncertainties related to these activities. Assessing a potential growth opportunity involves extensive due diligence. However, the amount of information we can obtain about a potential growth opportunity may be limited, and we can give no assurance that new business ventures, acquisitions, and strategic alliances will positively affect our financial performance or will perform as planned. We may not be able to successfully assimilate or integrate companies that we acquire, including their personnel, financial systems, distribution, operations and general operating procedures. We may also encounter challenges in achieving appropriate internal control over financial reporting in connection with the integration of an acquired company. If we fail to assimilate or integrate acquired companies successfully, our business, reputation and operating results could be materially impacted. Likewise, our failure to integrate and manage acquired companies successfully may lead to future impairment of any associated goodwill and intangible asset balances.

We depend on information technology to conduct our business. Any significant disruption could impact our business.

Our ability to keep our business operating effectively depends on the functional and efficient operation of information technology and telecommunications systems. We rely on these systems to make a variety of day-to-day business decisions as well as to track transactions, billings, payments and inventory. Our systems, as well as those of our customers, suppliers, partners and service providers, contain sensitive confidential information or intellectual property and are susceptible to interruptions (including those caused by systems failures, cyber attacks and other natural or man-made incidents or disasters), which may be prolonged or go undetected. Cyber attacks are increasing in their frequency, sophistication and intensity, and have become increasingly difficult to detect. Although we have taken precautions to prevent, detect and mitigate such events, including geographically diverse data centers, redundant infrastructure and the implementation of security measures, a significant or large-scale interruption of our information technology could adversely affect our ability to manage and keep our operations running efficiently and effectively. An incident that results in a wider or sustained disruption to our business or products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Additionally, certain of our products contain complex information technology systems designed to support today’s increasingly connected vehicles, and could be susceptible to similar interruptions, including the possibility of unauthorized access. Further, as we transition to offering more cloud-based solutions, we may increasingly be the target of cyber threats. Although we have designed and implemented security measures to prevent such unauthorized access, there can be no assurance that vulnerabilities will not be identified in the future, or that our security efforts are or will be successful. Any unauthorized access to our components could negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

To date, we have not experienced a system failure, cyber attack or security breach that has resulted in a material interruption in our operations or material adverse effect on our financial condition. Our Board of Directors regularly reviews relevant information technology and cyber security matters and receives periodic updates from information technology and cyber security subject matter experts as part of its risk assessment procedures, including analysis of existing and emerging risks, as well as plans and strategies to address those risks. While we continuously seek to expand and improve our information technology systems and maintain adequate disclosure controls and procedures, there can be no assurance that such measures will prevent interruptions or security breaches that could adversely affect our business.

Risks Related to Legal, Regulatory, Tax and Accounting Matters

We may incur material losses and costs as a result of warranty claims, product recalls, product liability and intellectual property infringement actions that may be brought against us.

We face an inherent business risk of exposure to warranty claims and product liability in the event that our products fail to perform as expected and, in the case of product liability, such failure of our products results in bodily injury and/or property damage. The fabrication of the products we manufacture is a complex and precise process. Our customers specify quality, performance and reliability standards. If flaws in either the design or manufacture of our products were to occur, we could experience a rate of failure in our products that could result in significant delays in shipment and product re-work or replacement costs. Although we engage in extensive product quality programs and processes, these may not be sufficient to avoid product failures, which could cause us to:

•	lose net revenue;

•	incur increased costs such as warranty expense and costs associated with customer support;

•	experience delays, cancellations or rescheduling of orders for our products;

•	experience increased product returns or discounts; or

•	damage our reputation,

all of which could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.

If any of our products are or are alleged to be defective, we may be required to participate in a recall involving such products. Each vehicle manufacturer has its own practices regarding product recalls and other product liability actions relating to its suppliers. However, as suppliers become more integrally involved in the vehicle design process and assume more of the vehicle assembly functions, OEMs continue to look to their suppliers for contribution when faced with recalls and product liability claims. A recall claim brought against us, or a product liability claim brought against us in excess of our available insurance, may have a material adverse effect on our business. OEMs also require their suppliers to guarantee or warrant their products and bear the costs of repair and replacement of such products under new vehicle warranties. Depending on the terms under which we supply products to a vehicle manufacturer, a vehicle manufacturer may attempt to hold us responsible for some or all of the repair or replacement costs of defective products under new vehicle warranties when the OEM asserts that the product supplied did not perform as warranted. Although we cannot ensure that the future costs of warranty claims by our customers will not be material, we believe our established reserves are adequate to cover potential warranty settlements. Our warranty reserves are based on our best estimates of amounts necessary to settle future and existing claims. We regularly evaluate the level of these reserves and adjust them when appropriate. However, the final amounts determined to be due related to these matters could differ materially from our recorded estimates.

In addition, as we adopt new technology, we face an inherent risk of exposure to the claims of others that we have allegedly violated their intellectual property rights. We cannot ensure that we will not experience any material warranty, product liability or intellectual property claim losses in the future or that we will not incur significant costs to defend such claims.

We may be adversely affected by laws or regulations, including environmental regulation, litigation or other liabilities.

We are subject to various U.S. federal, state and local, and non-U.S., laws and regulations, including those related to environmental, health and safety, financial and other matters.

We cannot predict the substance or impact of pending or future legislation or regulations, or the application thereof. The introduction of new laws or regulations or changes in existing laws or regulations, or the interpretations thereof, could increase the costs of doing business for us or our customers or suppliers or restrict our actions and adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

We are subject to regulation governing, among other things:

•	the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation, presence of, or exposure to hazardous materials;

•	the emission and discharge of hazardous materials into the ground, air or water;

•	the incorporation of certain chemical substances into our products, including electronic equipment; and

•	the health and safety of our employees.

We are also required to obtain permits from governmental authorities for certain operations. We cannot assure you that we have been or will be at all times in complete compliance with such laws, regulations and permits. If we violate or fail to comply with these laws, regulations or permits, we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned by regulators. We could also be held liable for any and all consequences arising out of human exposure to hazardous substances or other environmental damage.

Certain environmental laws impose liability, sometimes regardless of fault, for investigating or cleaning up contamination on or emanating from our currently or formerly owned, leased or operated property, as well as for damages to property or natural resources and for personal injury arising out of such contamination. Some of these environmental laws may also assess liability on persons who arrange for hazardous substances to be sent to third-party disposal or treatment facilities when such facilities are found to be contaminated. At this time, we are involved in various stages of investigation and cleanup related to environmental remediation matters at a number of present and former facilities. The ultimate cost to us of site cleanups is difficult to predict given the uncertainties regarding the extent of the required cleanup, the potential for ongoing environmental monitoring and maintenance that could be required for many years, the interpretation of applicable laws and regulations, alternative cleanup methods, and potential agreements that could be reached with governmental and third parties. While we have environmental reserves of approximately $4 million at December 31, 2018 for the cleanup of presently-known environmental contamination conditions, it cannot be guaranteed that actual costs will not significantly exceed these reserves. We also could be named as a potentially responsible party at additional sites in the future and the costs associated with such future sites may be material.

In addition, environmental laws are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. While we have budgeted for future capital and operating expenditures to maintain compliance with environmental laws, we cannot ensure that environmental laws will not change or become more stringent in the future. Therefore, we cannot ensure that our costs of complying with current and future environmental and health and safety laws, and our liabilities arising from past or future releases of, or exposure to, hazardous substances will not adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. For example, adoption of greenhouse gas rules in jurisdictions in which we operate facilities could require

installation of emission controls, acquisition of emission credits, emission reductions, or other measures that could be costly, and could also impact utility rates and increase the amount we spend annually for energy.

We may identify the need for additional environmental remediation or demolition obligations relating to facility divestiture, closure and decommissioning activities.

As we sell, close and/or demolish facilities around the world, environmental investigations and assessments will continue to be performed. We may identify previously unknown environmental conditions or further delineate known conditions that may require remediation or additional costs related to demolition or decommissioning, such as abatement of asbestos containing materials or removal of storage tanks. Such costs could exceed our reserves.

We are involved from time to time in legal proceedings and commercial or contractual disputes, which could have an adverse impact on our profitability and consolidated financial position.

We are involved in legal proceedings and commercial or contractual disputes that, from time to time, are significant. These are typically claims that arise in the normal course of business including, without limitation, commercial or contractual disputes, including warranty claims and other disputes with customers and suppliers; intellectual property matters; personal injury claims; environmental issues; tax matters; and employment matters.

In addition, we conduct significant business operations in Brazil that are subject to the Brazilian federal labor, social security, environmental, tax and customs laws as well as a variety of state and local laws. While we believe we comply with such laws, they are complex, subject to varying interpretations, and we are often engaged in litigation with government agencies regarding the application of these laws to particular circumstances. As of December 31, 2018, the majority of claims asserted against Aptiv in Brazil relate to such litigation. The remaining claims relate to commercial and labor litigation with private parties in Brazil. As of December 31, 2018, claims totaling approximately $145 million (using December 31, 2018 foreign currency rates) have been asserted against Aptiv in Brazil. As of December 31, 2018, we maintained reserves for these asserted claims of approximately $30 million (using December 31, 2018 foreign currency rates).

While we believe our reserves are adequate, the final amounts required to resolve these matters could differ materially from our recorded estimates and our results of operations could be materially affected.

For further information regarding our legal matters, see Item 3. Legal Proceedings. No assurance can be given that such proceedings and claims will not have a material adverse effect on our profitability and consolidated financial position.

Potential indemnification liabilities pursuant to the 2017 spin-off of Delphi Technologies could materially and adversely affect our business.

In connection with the Separation, we entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement and related agreements with Delphi Technologies to govern the Separation and the relationship between the two companies following the completion of the Separation. These agreements provide for specific indemnity and liability obligations of each party and could lead to disputes between us. If we are required to indemnify the other parties under the circumstances set forth in these agreements, we may be subject to future liabilities. In addition, with respect to the liabilities for which the other parties have agreed to indemnify us under these agreements, there can be no assurance that the indemnity rights we have against such other parties will be sufficient to protect us against the full amount of the liabilities, or that such other parties will be able to fully satisfy its indemnification obligations. It is also possible that a court could disregard the allocation of assets and liabilities agreed to between Apitv and such other parties and require Aptiv to assume responsibility for obligations allocated to such other parties. Each of these risks could negatively affect our business and financial statements.

Developments or assertions by us or against us relating to intellectual property rights could materially impact our business.

We own significant intellectual property, including a large number of patents and trade names, and are involved in numerous licensing arrangements. Our intellectual property plays an important role in maintaining our competitive position in a number of the markets we serve. Developments or assertions by or against us relating to intellectual property rights could negatively impact our business. Significant technological developments by others also could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations and financial condition.

Taxing authorities could challenge our historical and future tax positions.

Our future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory rates and changes in tax laws or their interpretation including changes related to tax holidays or tax incentives. Our taxes could increase if certain tax holidays or incentives are not renewed upon expiration, or if tax rates or regimes applicable to us in such jurisdictions are otherwise increased.

The amount of tax we pay is subject to our interpretation of applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we file. We have taken and will continue to take tax positions based on our interpretation of such tax laws. Additionally, in determining the

adequacy of our provision for income taxes, we regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from tax examinations. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of the resolution of a tax examination, our reserves for uncertain tax benefits reflect the outcome of tax positions that are more likely than not to occur. While we believe that we have complied with all applicable tax laws, there can be no assurance that a taxing authority will not have a different interpretation of the law and assess us with additional taxes. Should additional taxes be assessed, this may result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.