John Deere Settled $99 Million Right-To-Repair Lawsuit, but Won’t Admit Any Wrongdoing

John Deere just offered $99 million and amendments to its repair policy to settle a right-to-repair lawsuit, but won't admit any wrongdoing, possibly due to a secondary ongoing lawsuit.

Photo by: RideApart.com

By: Robbie Bacon

May 1, at 9:42am ET

Comment

The right to repair has never been a hotter topic, and I think I speak for most people when I say we want to keep our right to repair if the alternative is getting rinsed at dealerships. So when I saw that John Deere agreed to pay $99 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleged it restricted access to equipment repairs, I was delighted. But the more I read, the more my smile faded.

As reported on by Powersport Business, the proposed settlement comes from a 2022 case, which accused the manufacturer of limiting access to diagnostic software and working with dealers in a manner that pushed farmers to dealer-only repair options. The argument was that these practices inflated repair costs and reduced competition, so John Deere offered a settlement just shy of $100 million, but says it didn't do anything wrong.

The Illinois-based company denied any wrongdoing and said that it opted to settle and move past litigation so that it could continue focusing on customer support, which is a borderline slap in the face to those who suffered because of seemingly dodgy customer support practices. Furthermore, if approved, the agreement includes provisions that would expand access to repair tools and resources, which include diagnostic capabilities. That doesn't sound like something you'd agree to if you deny wrongdoing.

But I have a sneaking suspicion as to why the brand won't admit it did anything wrong, and the reason isn't just about public image.

John Deere is still facing another lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission, and the basis is that the company's repair practices have unfairly increased costs and limited timely fixes for farmers. The manufacturer disputes these claims, but it would be hard to continue disputing them if John Deere admitted to wrongdoing in the case that it just asked to settle for $99 million.

Whether or not the settlement will be approved is still up in the air. If it is, it'd create a fund to compensate customers who paid Deere or its authorized dealers for certain large agricultural equipment repairs dating back to January 2018. It looks like John Deere is offering a settlement in the hopes that it can get off easier in the lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission.

Tell us what you think!

View

Comments

I hope justice prevails, of course, and if John Deere is found guilty by the Federal Trade Commission, it is punished to the full extent of the law. Hopefully, that will send a message to other manufacturers, as the right-to-repair controversy is becoming more and more prevalent—something Harley Davidson knows all too well.