John Deere class action overview:
- Who: A tractor consumer has filed a class action lawsuit against John Deere.
- Why: The plaintiff claims the company sold tractors with a dangerous defect.
- Where: The John Deere class action was filed in a South Carolina federal court.
A tractor consumer has hit John Deere with a class action lawsuit alleging the company sold tractors with a defect that can cause brake failure, leading to crashes.
Plaintiff Leroy Workman filed the class action complaint against Deere & Co. on Oct. 18 in a South Carolina federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.
The lawsuit alleges that John Deere Compact Utility Tractors sold between November 2017 and July 2024 have a dangerous defect in their brake systems. This issue could lead to crashes due to brake failure, the John Deere class action states.
The lawsuit comes a month after John Deere recalled more than 163,000 tractors in September due to the defect.
Plaintiff alleges defective design, safety concerns in John Deere Compact Utility Tractors
The lawsuit claims that John Deere violated both state and federal consumer protection laws by selling tractors with defective brake systems and failing to provide a lasting solution despite the recall.
The malfunction stems from a faulty front bell crank in the brake linkage, which can result in the tractor losing its braking ability and posing a significant crash hazard, Workman claims.
According to the lawsuit, the recall offers only a temporary fix and doesn’t address the root cause of the brake defect.
“Defendant’s recall leaves more questions than answers regarding the Class Tractors’ safety,” Workman says in the lawsuit.
Despite offering free repairs to tractor owners, the recall imposes an additional burden on the plaintiffs, who must either transport their tractors to a certified John Deere mechanic or wait for on-site repairs, which come with no guaranteed timeline, he alleges.
The lawsuit seeks to represent all owners of John Deere’s 1023E, 1025R, and 2025R models nationwide. Workman is suing for breach of warranty, unjust enrichment and violations of product liability law and is seeking certification of the class action, damages of more than $5 million, fees, costs and a jury trial.
What do you think of the allegations against John Deere in this lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
Workman is represented by Paul J. Doolittle of Poulin | Willey | Anastopoulo.
The John Deere class action lawsuit is Leroy Workman v. Deere & Company, Case No. cv-05950-BHH in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
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43 thoughts onJohn Deere Compact Utility Tractors have brake defect, class action alleges
I would like to be added to this lawsuit. My 2018 1025r was recalled in Sept 2024 and the John Deere dealer has refused to help me with repairs.
My 2018 2025R was mothballed for five months, through winter, owing to both the recall and Pape Machinery of Bend’s refusal to repair said defect in a timely manner. As a consequence: 1) I injured myself hand-plowing my lengthy driveway as I could not use my expensive tractor snow blower attachment, 2) my carport floor is severely cracked owing to my inability to plow away the snow coming off of the roof (it could only continue to build up on the roof, and 3) Pape Machinery of Bend, OR (John Deere dealer) damaged my property when the Pape technician came onto my property, unannounced, ran over items that I could have warned them about had they informed me they were on property. I have considerable trepidation about using this poorly designed/poorly manufactured product.
please add me