Farmers, agricultural businesses, and other people or entities that paid John Deere or an authorized Deere dealer for certain repair services may qualify for money from a proposed $99 million class action settlement. The settlement also requires Deere to make specified repair capabilities and tools available to equipment owners and independent repair providers.
Claims for cash payments must be submitted by December 31, 2026.
Key facts The settlement class covers people and entities that bought qualifying repair services for Deere large agricultural equipment from John Deere or an authorized dealer in the United States between January 10, 2018 and May 18, 2026. A valid claim is required for money; no claim is required to receive the settlement’s repair-access changes.
What is the John Deere repair settlement about?
Deere & Company does business under the John Deere brand and makes agricultural equipment, including tractors, combines, cotton-harvesting equipment, planters, tillage and application equipment, and sprayers. Many modern machines depend on electronic control units—embedded computers that monitor and control equipment functions—and specialized digital tools used to diagnose, maintain, reprogram, or repair them.
The plaintiffs allege that Deere withheld certain repair tools from customers and independent repair providers, steering owners toward Deere-authorized dealers for diagnosis, maintenance, and repair. They contend that the practice reduced repair competition and caused class members to pay more than they otherwise would have paid.
John Deere denies wrongdoing. The court has not decided which side is right.
The case is In re Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:22-cv-50188, MDL No. 3030, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division. “MDL” means multidistrict litigation, a federal procedure that coordinates related lawsuits before one judge for pretrial proceedings.
Who may qualify?
The settlement class includes all people and entities that purchased repair services for Deere large agricultural equipment from John Deere or an authorized Deere dealer in the United States between January 10, 2018 and May 18, 2026.
The official notice defines “large agricultural equipment” to include:
- all 6000, 7000, 8000, and 9000 Series large and medium tractors;
- combines;
- cotton pickers and cotton strippers;
- sugarcane harvesters;
- tillage and seeding equipment, including planters; and
- application equipment and sprayers.
Government entities; Deere and its parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates; certain Deere personnel and their immediate families; and the presiding judge and judicial staff are excluded.
The class definition focuses on purchases of repair services, not merely ownership or purchase of a Deere machine. Someone who owned covered equipment but never bought qualifying repair work during the class period may not be included.
Eligibility turns on repair purchases Owning a Deere tractor or other covered machine is not enough by itself. The settlement class is tied to repair services bought from Deere or an authorized dealer during the defined period.
What does the settlement provide?
$99 million cash fund
John Deere agreed to place $99 million into a settlement fund, plus interest accruing since January 15, 2026. After court-approved attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, service awards, taxes, notice costs, and administration expenses, the remainder will become the net settlement fund available to eligible claimants.
The proposed plan of allocation says cash payments will be distributed pro rata, meaning proportionally. Each eligible claimant’s share will be based on total labor hours spent on repairs to that claimant’s qualifying Deere large agricultural equipment during the class period, subject to proof submitted with the claim and/or data supplied by Deere.
The formula compares one claimant’s qualifying repair labor hours with the total qualifying hours submitted by all eligible claimants. Because the number and size of approved claims are not yet known, the official materials do not promise a fixed payment.
Payment is not fixed An approved claimant’s share depends on qualifying repair labor hours and the total approved claims. The $99 million figure is the gross cash fund, not a guaranteed payment pool before deductions and claims review.
Repair capabilities and tools
The settlement also includes injunctive relief, a legal term for required changes in conduct rather than a cash payment. Deere must make specified repair resources available to owners, lessors, and independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms.
The official notice says the covered resources include digital tools needed to maintain, diagnose, and repair Deere large agricultural equipment. The settlement describes access to repair capabilities that can otherwise affect whether electronically controlled equipment can be operated as designed. The court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the injunctive provisions for ten years.
The notice reports that the plaintiffs’ expert estimated the value of this repair-access relief at between $293.9 million and $648 million, producing an estimated total settlement value between $392.9 million and $747 million when combined with the cash fund. Those figures are an expert estimate, not additional cash deposited for claimants.
A separate Federal Trade Commission and five-state settlement also addresses Deere repair access. The official class notice says that separate government settlement does not provide individual monetary recovery. A class member seeking cash must use this class action’s claim process.
Cash and repair access are different Filing a valid claim is required to seek money. The repair-access provisions apply to the settlement class even if a class member does not file a cash claim.
How to file a claim
Claims can be submitted through the official DeereRepairSettlement.com website. The court-authorized notice states that filing a claim is the only way to receive money from the net settlement fund.
The proposed allocation plan requires a claimant to be a settlement class member, submit a timely and valid claim, and provide the information needed for the administrator to determine qualifying repair labor hours. The administrator may use the claimant’s proof and/or Deere data when evaluating the claim.
Claims must be submitted by December 31, 2026. The official claim form and website contain the current documentation and submission instructions. Filing a claim does not guarantee approval or a particular payment.
Claim deadline Cash claims are due December 31, 2026. Class members who do nothing receive no cash payment, although they remain eligible for the settlement’s repair-access relief if the settlement becomes final.
What are the other deadlines?
The deadline to exclude yourself from or object to the settlement is December 4, 2026.
Excluding yourself, also called opting out, preserves the ability to pursue separate damages claims based on the same alleged conduct but gives up any payment from this settlement. Objecting keeps a class member in the settlement while asking the court to reject or change some part of it.
The court scheduled the final fairness hearing for January 19, 2027. A fairness hearing is when the judge considers whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate and whether requested fees, expenses, and service awards should be approved.
What happens next?
The court has preliminarily approved the settlement and found that it is likely to satisfy the federal class-settlement requirements, subject to further review. Preliminary approval is not final approval, and it does not mean the court has ruled that Deere violated antitrust law.
Cash payments and the settlement’s required repair-access changes will proceed only after final approval and the resolution of any appeals or other conditions described in the settlement documents.
This article provides general information, not legal advice. The official settlement website, notice, allocation plan, and court orders contain the controlling terms.