Key Takeaways
- Deere will contribute $99 million to a settlement fund addressing right-to-repair allegations
- Eligible farmers who used authorized dealers for equipment repairs since January 2018 can claim compensation
- A 10-year commitment includes providing digital repair tools, diagnostic software, and service manuals
- Deere maintains the settlement involves “no finding of wrongdoing”
- An independent FTC legal action against the company continues
Deere & Co has reached an agreement to resolve a class action lawsuit concerning repair access practices, establishing a $99 million compensation fund for farmers while committing to provide repair tool access for the next ten years.
Court documents submitted Monday to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois outline the settlement terms. Compensation is available to qualifying plaintiffs who incurred repair expenses through Deere’s authorized dealer network for large agricultural machinery dating back to January 2018.
According to Deere, the agreement “addresses the issues raised in the 2022 complaint and brings this case to an end with no finding of wrongdoing.”
Judicial approval remains necessary before the settlement becomes final.
Under the terms, Deere has pledged to provide farmers and independent repair providers with digital repair resources for a decade. This encompasses access to specialized tools, comprehensive manuals, and diagnostic software for large-scale equipment including tractors, combines, and sugarcane harvesters.
Plaintiffs argued that Deere restricted equipment repair options, channeling farmers exclusively toward its authorized dealer network and artificially elevating repair expenses.
Settlement Terms and Benefits
The $99 million compensation pool will benefit class members—agricultural operations and individual farmers who meet eligibility criteria based on repair expenditures made through Deere’s dealer channels since January 2018.
The repair access provision extends beyond monetary compensation. Deere must provide customers and independent service providers with “digital tools required for the maintenance, diagnosis, and repair” of its large agricultural machinery for a full decade.
This provision addresses a primary concern from plaintiffs and right-to-repair supporters, who contended that restricting repair access to authorized dealers established an unfair monopoly over maintenance costs.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Deere has maintained its position that no wrongdoing occurred.
Federal Trade Commission Lawsuit Continues
This settlement doesn’t conclude all legal challenges facing Deere.
A distinct lawsuit initiated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission remains active in federal court. In 2025, a federal judge determined that Deere must defend itself against accusations of compelling farmers to use its authorized dealer network while inflating repair costs.
According to FTC court submissions, Deere prevented farmers from obtaining the “tools and information necessary to repair their equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner.”
Deere has contested these claims as well.
While the class action settlement concludes the private litigation initiated in 2022, the FTC’s case continues as a separate legal matter.
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