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.
