Deere & Company announced a settlement agreement to resolve the multidistrict “right to repair” litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. According to Reuters, the manufacturer will deposit $99 million into a settlement fund for distribution to farms and farmers, with a portion allocated to administrative and legal fees.
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Reuters reported that the funds will compensate plaintiffs who paid Deere’s authorized dealers for repairs to large agricultural equipment from January 2018. The company also agreed to provide farmers with access to digital tools needed for diagnosis, maintenance and repair of such equipment for 10 years.
Deere stated that the settlement addressed issues raised in a 2022 complaint and brought the case to an end with no finding of wrongdoing.
“John Deere Operations Center PRO Service is designed to enhance customers’ ability to care for their equipment how and when they want, and this settlement reaffirms Deere’s commitment to customer choice of how they want their equipment supported and access to the tools that enable it,” Vice President of Aftermarket & Customer Support Denver Caldwell said.
The settlement remains subject to approval by the U.S. District Court.
Separately, in January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Deere of forcing farmers to depend on its network of authorized dealers for repairs. Reuters reported that a U.S. judge ruled Deere must face the lawsuit, which alleged “unfair practices that have driven up equipment repair costs for farmers while also depriving [them] of the ability to make timely repairs on critical equipment.”
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