Key facts
- John Deere has agreed to a settlement with the FTC and several state attorneys general regarding repair rights.
- The settlement requires Deere to provide diagnostic and repair tools to equipment owners and independent shops.
- The company faced accusations of illegally restricting repair services for farm equipment like tractors.
- Deere will pay $1 million to five states for antitrust enforcement costs.
- The company will be under compliance oversight for 10 years.
John Deere owners will soon have the right to repair their own equipment following a settlement reached with the Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from five states. The agreement, filed in Illinois, requires the agricultural equipment giant to make diagnostic and repair tools available to farmers and independent repair shops, ending years of complaints that the company restricted access to necessary software and forced customers to use authorized dealers.
The FTC and the attorneys general of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin filed an antitrust lawsuit in January 2025, alleging that Deere illegally limited the ability of farmers and independent shops to service equipment such as tractors. This settlement is the second right-to-repair agreement for Deere this year, following a $99 million class-action settlement with farmers in April.
Under the terms of the FTC settlement, Deere is prohibited from retaliating against equipment owners or repair shops that choose to perform their own repairs. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes stated that the company's previous practices had created a monopoly over repair tools, forcing customers to rely on authorized dealers. Deere must also pay $1 million collectively to the five states for antitrust enforcement costs and will be subject to strict compliance oversight for the next decade.
Deere had previously denied the lawsuit's claims, arguing that its distribution of service tools was not anticompetitive. However, the company issued a statement Wednesday, with Denver Caldwell, vice president of aftermarket and customer support, asserting that the agreement reinforces Deere's commitment to flexible repair options and is beneficial for customers.