John Deere Lawsuit: The $99 Million Repair Settlement and the FTC Deal
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The John Deere lawsuit in the news is the farmers’ right-to-repair class action. Deere agreed to pay $99 million and to open up its repair software. If you paid Deere or a Deere dealer to repair large farm equipment in the U.S. between January 10, 2018 and May 18, 2026, you can claim until December 31, 2026. A separate FTC settlement changes repair access but pays individuals nothing.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the John Deere Right-to-Repair Lawsuit Alleges
The John Deere right-to-repair lawsuit started in 2022, when farmers and repair shops filed suits that were consolidated in Illinois. The lawsuit alleges that Deere withheld the software and diagnostic tools needed to repair its electronically controlled farm machines, so owners had to use authorized Deere dealers and paid more than they should have for repairs. It claims violations of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.
The machines at issue are “Large Agricultural Equipment”: 6000, 7000, 8000 and 9000 Series tractors, combines, cotton pickers and strippers, sugarcane harvesters, planters, tillage and application equipment and sprayers.
Deere denies any wrongdoing, and the court has not decided who is right. The settlement includes no admission of fault.
Case Details
The class case is In re Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation, No. 3:22-cv-50188, MDL No. 3030, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division (Rockford), before Judge Iain D. Johnston. It gathered 18 lawsuits filed against Deere.
A second, separate lawsuit against John Deere was filed on January 15, 2025 by the Federal Trade Commission with Illinois and Minnesota, in the same court. On June 9, 2025 the court denied Deere’s motion for judgment on the pleadings. Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin later joined. On July 8, 2026 the FTC and the states announced a settlement. It takes effect only once the judge approves and signs the stipulated order, and the FTC’s case page still listed the case as pending.
Status: Settlement Preliminarily Approved, Claims Open
December 4, 2026 — deadline to opt out or object.
December 31, 2026 — deadline to file a claim.
January 19, 2027 — final approval hearing, 10:00 a.m. CST, Courtroom 5200, Rockford.
Coverage from May 2026 listed opt-out and objection dates in mid-September and an October 29 hearing. Those dates were replaced. We cover the change in our news report on the Deere repair settlement.
A former lead plaintiff objected that the deal pays farmers too little. The court will hear objections before deciding on final approval.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by December 31, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Who Is in the John Deere Class Action
The John Deere class action covers all persons and entities who bought 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. Reporting on the court orders puts the class at more than 200,000 members.
Repairs you paid for directly or through an extended warranty you bought count. Deere factory-warranty repairs do not. Government entities and Deere insiders are excluded.
Lawn, turf and construction equipment is not part of this settlement. A separate class action over those machines was filed in federal court in Chicago in 2026 and has no settlement.
How Much the John Deere Settlement Pays
What remains is split pro rata by dealer labor hours on your qualifying equipment from 2018 to May 18, 2026. If your repairs were 1% of all hours in valid claims, you get 1% of the net fund. No per-person dollar figure has been published, and no one knows yet when payments will be made. Payments come only after final approval, any appeals and the claims process.
Plaintiffs’ expert values the repair-access commitments at $293.9 million to $648 million and the whole deal at $392.9 million to $747 million. That value is not cash. Every class member gets it whether or not they file.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 80,165 other statutory actions casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 11.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 26% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 22.4% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 26% and 48.4%.
- 7.4% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 155 reached a trial (0.6%), after a median of 22 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 5 months.
- Only 1,717 of them (2.1%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $195,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other statutory actions cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
John Deere Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
2022 — Farmers Sue Deere Over Repairs
Repair-restriction suits are consolidated in the Northern District of Illinois as MDL No. 3030, No. 3:22-cv-50188, before Judge Iain D. Johnston.
- 2
January 15, 2025 — FTC and States Sue
The FTC, Illinois and Minnesota file a separate antitrust suit alleging Deere kept its full dealer repair tool, Service ADVISOR, from farmers.
- 3
April 2026 — $99 Million Class Settlement
Deere agrees to pay $99 million plus interest and to provide repair tools, without admitting wrongdoing. Judge Johnston grants preliminary approval on May 18, 2026.
- 4
July 8, 2026 — FTC Settlement
The FTC and five states settle: 10 years of dealer-level repair access for farmers and independent shops. No money for individuals.
- 5
August 2026 — New Dates, Notice Goes Out
An amended preliminary-approval order resets the schedule, and the administrator starts sending notice on August 28, 2026. Claims are now due December 31, 2026.
- 6
January 19, 2027 — Final Approval Hearing
The court decides whether to approve the settlement and the fee request. Payments follow only after approval and any appeals.
Three Things to Watch For
Real notices for this settlement come from the court-appointed administrator. Watch out for these:
Fake “Deere settlement” claim sites
The only official site is DeereRepairSettlement.com, and the official toll-free number is 1-844-644-4294. Filing is free. A look-alike page asking for a fee, your bank login or your full Social Security number is not the administrator.
Calls or emails about your Notice ID
Many class members get a Notice ID and Confirmation Code pre-filled with Deere’s dealer data. Never read those codes to someone who calls you. Type the address yourself and enter them only on the official site.
“Sign up for the FTC payout”
The FTC settlement pays individual farmers nothing, and the FTC does not ask for money. Anyone collecting fees or details for an “FTC Deere refund” is running a scam. The only cash is in the class settlement.
John Deere Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a John Deere settlement I can claim from?
Yes. The $99 million class settlement in In re Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation is taking claims until December 31, 2026 at DeereRepairSettlement.com. Filing a claim is the only way to get money from it.
Do I qualify?
You qualify if you paid Deere or an authorized Deere dealer in the U.S. to repair Large Agricultural Equipment, such as 6000–9000 Series tractors, combines or sprayers, between January 10, 2018 and May 18, 2026. Repairs paid directly or through an extended warranty you bought count. Factory-warranty repairs do not.
How much will I get?
No one knows yet. After court-approved fees and costs come out, the net fund is divided by your share of all dealer labor hours in valid claims. Farms with heavy dealer repair bills will get much more than occasional customers.
Do I need my repair invoices?
Often, no. The administrator has Deere’s dealer data, and many class members got a Notice ID and Confirmation Code by mail or email. If your repairs are not in that data, or some are missing, you will need to send records of the repairs.
When will John Deere settlement payments be made?
Not before the January 19, 2027 final approval hearing, and only after any appeals are resolved and claims are processed. The administrator says it cannot estimate when that will be.
What is the FTC lawsuit against John Deere, and does it pay me?
The FTC and five states sued in January 2025 and reached a settlement on July 8, 2026 that still needs the judge’s signature. Deere must give farmers and independent shops dealer-level repair tools for 10 years, including fault codes, part pairing and restarts after “limp mode.” The FTC deal pays individual class members nothing.
Should I opt out?
Only if you want to keep the right to sue Deere yourself over these claims. Your opt-out must be received by December 4, 2026, and if you opt out you get no money from this settlement. If you stay in, you can still object by the same date.
Does this cover my lawn tractor or construction equipment?
No. The settlement covers Large Agricultural Equipment only. A separate 2026 lawsuit against John Deere over lawn, turf and construction equipment is pending in Chicago and has no settlement or claim form.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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