Deere agreed to pay $99 mn into a settlement fund for farms and farmers included in a class action over repair costs and access to equipment fixes.
The case sits inside a wider US fight over right-to-repair rules. Regulators and plaintiffs have argued manufacturers restrict competition when they keep tight control over repair software, tools, and service channels.
The settlement fund covers eligible plaintiffs who paid Deere’s authorised dealers for repairs on large agricultural equipment starting in January 2018, according to a filing submitted Monday in federal court in Chicago.
As part of the deal, Deere also agreed to make available for 10 years the digital tools needed for maintenance, diagnosis, and repair of large farm machines. The filing said this applies to equipment such as tractors, combines, and sugarcane harvesters.
The settlement still needs court approval.
In a separate statement, Deere said the agreement resolves the issues raised in the 2022 complaint and closes the case without any finding of wrongdoing.
The company still faces separate pressure from the US Federal Trade Commission. In 2025, a US judge ruled Deere must face the FTC’s lawsuit, which accuses the company of forcing farmers into its authorised dealer network and raising the cost of parts and repairs.
In an April court filing, the FTC said Deere blocks farmers from getting the tools and information needed to repair equipment quickly and at lower cost. Deere has denied those claims.
