John Deere To Pay $99M In Right To Repair Settlement
Should you have to go to the dealer for service?
Do you ever stop and think about whether or not you have the right to work on / repair a vehicle after you’ve purchased it? The logical answer is, of course, absolutely – it’s mine to do with as I please. But, slowly automakers are getting crafty with proprietary technology and even computer lockout trickery that forces consumers to having their maintenance and repairs performed only at authorized dealers and service centers.
And this trend isn’t limited to the road. John Deere has recently found itself in some legal hot water for very similar allegations – consumers have brought a “Right to Repair” class action suit against the company claiming that they are limiting access to diagnostic tools and repair equipment necessary to maintain and service JD equipment. As such, consumers are forced to have dealers involved directly with these matters, often at steep costs.
The allegations go back to 2022 and, while Deere denies any wrongdoing, it has decided to pay out $99-million to put the matter to rest. If approved, the settlement would be used to create a fund to compensate consumers who authorized dealers for certain repairs dating all the way back to January 2018.
Deere maintains that these allegations are misguided, stating:
For over 180 years, John Deere has empowered customers to maintain and repair their own machines. We fully support a customer safely maintaining, diagnosing, and repairing their own equipment. That’s why we provide tools, parts, training videos, manuals, and remote access for customers to work on their machines.
John Deere equipment is manufactured to the highest engineering standards to maximize performance while protecting the health and safety of our customers and the environment. We do not support customers modifying embedded software due to risks related to the safe operation of equipment, emissions compliance, engine performance, data security, warranty validation, and resale value.
We are committed to providing and constantly evolving innovative solutions that meet our customers’ needs. Some of the existing tools we offer customers to maintain and repair larger agricultural equipment include:
Easy access to parts, operator, and technical/repair manuals – see www.johndeere.com/repair
Customer Service ADVISOR, a diagnostic and information tool that customers and independent repair shops can purchase from dealers or online directly from John Deere starting in May 2022. With this tool, customers, including third party repair shops, can view schematics, diagnostic code definitions, and find other information to make repairs to their own machines.
For customers who want enhanced support for their equipment:
JDLink, which connects the machine’s information to the web and can alert customers to issues as they develop and provide other useful information like location and status.
John Deere Connected Support, which allows dealers to remotely analyze, clear, and refresh Diagnostic Trouble Codes in near real time to isolate potential issues with a customer’s machine. This speeds up the diagnostic and repair process to maximize uptime.
While this pertains to their class action suit, Deere is also dealing with Federal Trade Commission lawsuit alleging the company’s repair practices have unfairly increased costs as well as limited timely fixes for farmers. Deere disputes such claims.
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