Deere & Co agrees to pay $99 million to settle right to repair lawsuit
NEW YORK (AP) — Deere & Co. has agreed to pay $99 million as part of a deal to resolve a class-action lawsuit accusing the farm equipment giant of monopolizing repair services.
Operating under the John Deere brand, the Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer has faced a number of problems. “right to repair” complaints over the years. The settlement, announced Monday and still needing final approval from the court, would resolve a 2022 lawsuit that accused the company of hiding repair software and conspiring with authorized dealers to force farmers to use their services for repairs when they could fix tractors and other equipment themselves or use independent alternatives.
Plaintiffs claimed this meant Deere and its dealers could charge higher, “supra-competitive” prices and benefit from an “unlawfully restricted” market, according to court filings.
Deere continued to deny any wrongdoing and maintained Monday that it was dedicated to supporting customers with the access and ability needed to repair their equipment. But Denver Caldwell, vice president of aftersales and customer support, said in a statement that the company agreed to the deal “to move forward and continue to focus on what matters most: serving our customers.”
Under the proposed settlement filed in federal court in Illinois, $99 million would be transferred to a settlement fund for class members who paid Deere or its authorized dealers for major farm equipment repairs from Jan. 10, 2018, through the settlement’s pre-approval date.
The company also agreed to additional injunctive relief aimed at strengthening the availability of repair resources and aspects such as diagnostic checks.
Beyond that lawsuit, Deere still faces a separate lawsuit at the Federal Trade Commission. FTC sues Deere In January 2025, at the end of the Biden administration, he accused the company of “unfair practices that increase farmers’ equipment repair costs and also deprive farmers of the ability to make timely repairs.” At the time, Deere said the allegations were false.
Over the years, calls for a “right to repair” have accumulated across sectors, particularly technology found its way The number of products that employees and consumers trust is increasing. Beyond agricultural equipment, manufacturers of goods such as smartphones and video game consoles They were also accused of hiding tools or creating software-based locks that blocked even simple updates unless done by a company-authorized shop. prevent independent repair work. MPs are under public pressure several states We tried to combat this.
