Consumer Law
John Deere agrees to pay farmers $99M for allegedly monopolizing repair
A John Deere combine harvester is shown in action in 2024. (Photo by Patrik Uhlir/CTK via AP Images)
John Deere agreed Monday to pay $99 million to settle a class action suit brought against it by farmers seeking the ability to repair their own equipment.
The class action suit accuses John Deere of creating a monopoly on the repair market for its tractors and other farming equipment by restricting access to high-tech tools and services.
The settlement must by accepted by the plaintiffs and remains subject to approval by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
If approved, the settlement money would go into a fund and eventually be distributed to Deere equipment owners who can prove they paid for dealership repairs sometime since 2018. In the settlement, John Deere also says it will make repair tools and services more widely available for the next 10 years, at least, according to a report by Wired magazine.
The agricultural manufacturing company emphasized in a statement that the settlement “brings this case to an end with no finding of wrongdoing.”
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