Deere settles FTC right-to-repair lawsuit over farm equipment repairs

Deere agreed on July 8 to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit and state antitrust claims that accused the farm equipment maker of blocking access to the tools farmers need when a tractor breaks in the middle of planting or harvest. The deal still needs approval from U.S. District Judge Iain Johnston in Rockford, Illinois.

Under the settlement, Deere must give farmers and independent repair providers the same diagnostic tools, software capabilities and other repair resources that authorized dealers use for 10 years. That includes reading, clearing and resetting electronic fault codes, reprogramming electronic components, pairing newly installed parts, restarting machines after emissions-related shutdowns known as limp mode, and access to manuals, troubleshooting guidance and other technical information. Deere also must provide future repair resources once more than half of its authorized dealers have them, and it must tell dealers not to discriminate or retaliate against farmers or independent repair providers who use those resources.

The case was filed on January 15, 2025, by the FTC and the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota, then joined by Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin. The FTC and the attorneys general alleged Deere kept the only fully functional software repair tools in the hands of authorized dealers, forcing farmers to wait for dealer service, pushing up repair bills and delaying equipment at the worst possible time. The FTC alleged the company unlawfully acquired and maintained monopoly power in repair markets for Deere farm equipment. FTC competition bureau director Daniel Guarnera: “fix their own tractors and other farm equipment without paying an authorized John Deere dealer to do it.”

Deere will pay $1 million to cover legal fees and costs for the states, but it did not admit or deny wrongdoing. The company said the settlement reinforces its commitment to customer access, transparency and repair flexibility. Deere separately agreed in April 2026 to pay $99 million to resolve related private class-action litigation over repair restrictions, a deal centered on monetary relief rather than future access.