Deere settles US right-to-repair litigation

Deere & Company has agreed to resolve multidistrict "right to repair" litigation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by funding a $99 million class settlement for farms and farmers. Court filings in Chicago state that the fund will cover eligible plaintiffs who paid Deere’s authorized dealers for repairs to large agricultural equipment from January 2018.

The settlement stems from a 2022 complaint challenging Deere’s repair practices and access to tools and software for maintaining its machinery. Deere said the agreement addresses the issues raised in that complaint and ends the case with no finding of wrongdoing.

According to the filings, the proposed accord still requires approval by a judge. Funds deposited into the class settlement fund will be distributed to class members pursuant to a court-approved distribution plan and will also be used to cover administrative and legal fees.

As part of the settlement, Deere has agreed to make digital repair tools available to farmers for ten years. Separate company statements also emphasize continued access to repair resources such as tools, manuals, and diagnostic software.

Deere said it remains committed to supporting customers’ ability and access to maintain, diagnose, and repair their equipment safely, efficiently, and conveniently. The company highlighted its John Deere Operations Center PRO Service as a platform designed to enhance customers' ability to care for their equipment how and when they want.

Company representatives described the settlement as consistent with Deere’s focus on providing customers and other service providers with repair resources, while continuing to invest in equipment uptime solutions and technology for farmers and ranchers.

Deere has stressed that the settlement concludes the private antitrust litigation without any finding of wrongdoing. The case formed part of broader scrutiny in the United States over right-to-repair practices, where regulators and plaintiffs argue that some manufacturers limit competition by controlling access to repair tools and software.

The litigation challenged Deere’s repair services and alleged that farmers were forced to rely on authorized dealers for certain repairs, increasing their costs. By settling, Deere avoids a trial on those claims while agreeing to financial relief and repair-access commitments for affected customers.

Despite the settlement of the multidistrict class action, Deere still faces a separate lawsuit brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over its repair practices. In 2025, a U.S. judge ruled that Deere must face that FTC case, which alleges the company forced farmers to use its authorized dealer network and drove up costs for parts and repairs.

In court filings cited in the articles, the FTC said Deere was blocking farmers from acquiring the tools and information necessary to repair their equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner. Deere has denied wrongdoing in that case, which is separate from the settlement now awaiting court approval in Illinois.