Deere & Co. agreed to a right-to-repair settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission and five state attorneys general that would give farm-equipment owners and independent workshops broader access to the tools needed to service John Deere machinery. The proposed order was filed in Illinois and still required approval from US District Judge Iain D. Johnston.
The agreement responds to a lawsuit brought in January 2025 by the FTC and attorneys general from Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Regulators alleged that Deere unlawfully limited competition by reserving important service capabilities for its authorized dealer network. Farmers and independent mechanics had complained that missing software could leave them unable to complete repairs on tractors and other equipment without paying a dealer or waiting for one to become available.
Under the order, Deere must make diagnostic and repair resources available not only to authorized dealers but also to equipment owners and independent businesses. Dealers would be prohibited from punishing customers or repair providers for choosing a non-Deere repair route. The company must also pay a combined $1 million to the five states to cover antitrust enforcement costs. Oversight provisions would remain in place for 10 years.
The FTC’s complaint distinguished between the software supplied to authorized dealers and a less capable option available outside that network. Deere disputed the case, calling the lawsuit baseless and denying that the way it distributed service tools harmed competition. It also argued that it could not monopolize repair services because dealers, rather than Deere itself, directly perform them.
In announcing the agreement, Deere maintained that it supports independent repair. Denver Caldwell, the company’s vice president for aftermarket and customer support, characterized the resolution as beneficial to customers and to the future support of Deere machines.
The regulatory settlement follows a separate $99 million class-action agreement with farmers reached in April 2026. The two measures serve different purposes: the class action provided consumer compensation, while the FTC order changes how repair access must work going forward.
The case fits a wider policy debate over products whose operation depends on proprietary software. As machinery, vehicles and consumer electronics become more computerized, owners increasingly need digital diagnostics as well as mechanical knowledge and physical parts. If approved, the Deere order would make access to those capabilities an enforceable condition rather than a voluntary company practice.
