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The
Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer, which does business under
the John Deere brand, has faced a handful of “right to repair”
complaints over the years. The deal announced Monday — which
still needs final approval from the court — would settle a 2022
lawsuit that accused the company of withholding repair software
and conspiring with authorized dealers to force farmers to use
their services for repairs, when they could otherwise fix
tractors and other equipment themselves or use independent
alternatives.
The plaintiffs alleged that meant Deere and its dealers could
charge higher, “supracompetitive” prices and reap benefits from
an “unlawfully restrained” market, per court filings.
Deere has continued to deny any wrongdoing, and maintained
Monday it's dedicated to supporting customers' ability and
access needed to repair their equipment. But the company agreed
to the settlement “to move forward and remain focused on what
matters most — serving our customers,” Denver Caldwell, vice
president of aftermarket and customer support, said in a
statement.
Under the proposed agreement, filed in federal court in
Illinois, the $99 million would go into a settlement fund for
class members who paid Deere or its authorized dealers for large
agriculture equipment repairs between Jan. 10, 2018 until the
date of the deal's preliminary approval.
The company also agreed to additional injunctive relief, aimed
at strengthening the availability of repair resources and things
like diagnostic checks.
Beyond this case, Deere still faces separate litigation from the
Federal Trade Commission. The FTC sued Deere in January 2025, at
the end of the Biden administration, accusing the company of
“unfair practices that have driven up equipment repair costs for
farmers while also depriving farmers of the ability to make
timely repairs.” Deere at the time said the claims were
baseless.
“Right to repair” calls have piled up across sectors over the
years, particularly as technology found its way into more and
more products workers and consumers rely on. Beyond farm
equipment, makers of goods like smartphones and video game
consoles have also been accused of withholding tools or creating
software-based locks that prevent even simple updates, unless
they’re done by a shop authorized by the company — in turn,
hampering independent repair businesses. Under public pressure,
lawmakers in several states have tried to combat this.
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