- John Deere agrees to $99 million payout in class-action lawsuit
- Lawsuit covers farmers’ right to repair their own equipment
- It must also make its tools available to third parties for 10 years
Agricultural giant John Deere could face a significant bill following the apparent end of a long-running lawsuit over the right to repair its farm equipment.
The company agreed to pay a “historic settlement” of $99 million to a fund for farms and individuals who participated in a class-action lawsuit against it.
John Deere will also have to ensure its digital diagnostic, maintenance and repair tools are accessible to third parties for 10 years, after some farmers were reportedly forced to hack their own equipment to try to fix problems.
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Right to repair
“As we continue to innovate cutting-edge equipment and technology solutions supported by our world-class dealer network, we are also committed to providing our customers and other service providers with access to repair resources,” said Denver Caldwell, company vice president, aftermarket and customer support.
“We are pleased that this resolution allows us to move forward and remain focused on what matters most: serving our customers. »
The payment, which must still be approved by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, will be specifically available to involved plaintiffs who paid John Deere authorized dealers for large equipment repairs beginning in January 2018.
According to court documents, they will recover approximately 26% and 53% of damages from overcharges, which is much higher than typical payouts resulting from such lawsuits.
Right-to-repair lawsuits have become increasingly common in recent years, primarily among customers of technology products such as laptops and smartphones, with several US states, including Oregon and California, also passing similar legislation.
This led Apple to announce its support, a move that surprised many, making it much easier (and cheaper) to repair broken iPhones or MacBooks away from official Apple stores.
Even the US military has thrown its support behind the idea, with both Democrats and Republicans backing a May 2025 decision to allow the military to have the right to repair its own equipment.
The European Union has its Right to Repair Directive coming into force on July 31, 2026, meaning manufacturers will have to legally include access to spare parts and repair manuals and remove technical or contractual barriers to independent repair. It will also seek to reduce so-called “parts coupling,” where the “marriage” of components on the software side can sabotage third-party exchanges, such as a printer rejecting a refilled ink cartridge.
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