Farm equipment giant John Deere has agreed to pay $99 million and provide equipment owners with access to "repair resources" to vehicle owners to settle a class-action lawsuit over the company's repair practices.
Under a proposed settlement filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois, Deere would give farmers the ability to "diagnose and repair problems without having to use the services of an authorized dealer," according to a brief filed last week on behalf of farmer plaintiffs in the case. It called the action a "sea change" in the company's provision of repair tools.
Deere will make repair resources available to every owner, lessor and independent repair shop "on a license or subscription basis on fair and reasonable terms," the brief says. Once more than half of Deere dealer locations have access to those tools, the company will make future repair resources available to the same groups “on fair and reasonable terms,” it says.