Key Takeaways
- Deere has committed $99 million to a settlement fund addressing right-to-repair allegations
- Farmers who used authorized dealers for equipment repairs starting January 2018 are eligible
- A 10-year commitment provides access to digital repair tools, diagnostic systems, and technical manuals
- Deere maintains the settlement includes “no finding of wrongdoing”
- An independent FTC lawsuit against the company continues
Agricultural machinery manufacturer Deere & Co has reached a settlement agreement in a class action lawsuit concerning repair access limitations, establishing a $99 million fund for farmers while committing to provide repair tools and resources for the next ten years.
Court documents were submitted Monday to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The agreement encompasses qualifying claimants who contracted Deere’s authorized dealer network for large agricultural machinery repairs dating back to January 2018.
According to Deere, the settlement “addresses the issues raised in the 2022 complaint and brings this case to an end with no finding of wrongdoing.”
Judicial approval is required before the settlement becomes final.
Under the terms, Deere has pledged to provide digital repair resources to farmers and third-party service technicians for a full decade. This encompasses access to specialized tools, technical documentation, and diagnostic software for large equipment including tractors, combines, and sugarcane harvesters.
The lawsuit’s central allegation centered on Deere restricting equipment repair capabilities, forcing farmers to rely on its authorized dealer system and consequently driving up maintenance expenses.
Settlement Terms and Coverage
The $99 million compensation fund will be allocated among qualifying class participants—agricultural operations and individual farmers who meet eligibility criteria based on repair expenses paid through Deere’s dealer channels since January 2018.
The repair tool accessibility provision extends beyond monetary compensation. Throughout the 10-year period, Deere is obligated to provide customers and independent technicians with “digital tools required for the maintenance, diagnosis, and repair” of its large-scale agricultural machinery.
This provision represented a central objective for plaintiffs and repair rights activists, who contended that restricting repair capabilities to authorized dealers established an unfair monopoly on maintenance services.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Deere has maintained its position of denying any improper conduct.
Federal Trade Commission Lawsuit Continues
The settlement agreement doesn’t conclude all legal challenges facing Deere.
An independent lawsuit initiated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission remains in active litigation. In 2025, a federal judge determined that Deere must defend itself against that case, which alleges the company compelled farmers to use its authorized dealer network while inflating repair expenses.
In court documents, the FTC asserted that Deere was preventing farmers from obtaining the “tools and information necessary to repair their equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner.”
Deere has rejected these accusations as well.
The class action settlement concludes the private lawsuit that originated from a 2022 complaint. However, the FTC litigation continues as a distinct and unresolved legal matter.
