Farmers are celebrating a big win after agricultural machinery giant John Deere agreed to a $99 million settlement for a class action lawsuit, Farm Progress reported.
The long-standing lawsuit concerns the "right to repair," alleging that John Deere, also known as Deere & Company, monopolized the market for repair services by restricting consumer access to "crucial software" needed to fix purchased machinery.
The plaintiffs argued that customers have been forced to pay John Deere for repair service when the work could have been done by the owners of the equipment or by an independent repair shop.
By withholding the software and tools necessary to repair purchased machinery, John Deere cornered the market and would have been able to inflate prices accordingly.
These tactics are especially harmful as consumers may feel they have no choice but to purchase new products, a trend popular among companies that use planned obsolescence — producing products destined to break or become unusable. This practice inherently prioritizes profit over consumer interest and the environment.
Now, along with paying the $99 million, the court has ruled that the company must ensure all necessary tools for repair are made available for at least one decade and that repair services can successfully be completed without an authorized dealer.
The $99 million will be paid out for the litigation expenses of the attorneys and plaintiffs. The remaining money is to be divided among eligible farmers impacted after 2018.
This legal victory highlights the importance of corporate transparency and the right of consumers to repair and use their items without fear of inflated prices.
Despite the settlement, consumer interest advocacy Public Interest Research Group has called out the disproportionate dollar value of the case.
"This is a relatively minor financial penalty," it said in a news release.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 Further estimates from PIRG state that farmers could actually save upwards of $4.2 billion per year with independent repair options across all farm equipment manufacturers.
John Deere also continues to battle a separate antitrust lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission. First filed in January 2025, the allegations similarly concern high repair costs and unfair corporate tactics.
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