John Deere will be required to provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same diagnostic and repair tools available to its authorized dealers under a landmark settlement announced Wednesday with the Federal Trade Commission and five states.
The settlement resolves an antitrust lawsuit filed in January 2025 by the FTC, along with attorneys general from Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The agreement, negotiated over months, will take effect for 10 years and gives farmers access to repair capabilities they have been denied, including the ability to reset electronic fault codes, reprogram electronic components, bypass emissions-related shutdowns known as “limp mode,” and access technical manuals and troubleshooting guides.
For decades, John Deere has been the dominant manufacturer of farm equipment in the United States, but as tractors and combines became increasingly computerized, the company restricted access to the software tools needed to perform repairs. The FTC alleged that Deere makes the only software repair tools capable of performing all electronic repairs on its equipment, yet made these tools available exclusively to its authorized dealer network. This forced farmers and independent repair shops to rely on dealers for expensive repairs, sometimes resulting in significant delays during critical harvest seasons.
The practice particularly affected farmers dealing with breakdowns. Because modern farm equipment relies heavily on electronic control units and computers, technicians who used to be able to fix their own machinery were locked out of repair functions unless they paid for authorized dealer service. The FTC argued this amounted to unlawful monopolistic behavior that harmed competition in the repair services market.
“Today’s settlement enables farmers to do what they’ve done for generations—fix their own tractors and other farm equipment—without having to pay an authorized John Deere dealer to do it for them,” said Daniel Guarnera, FTC Bureau of Competition Director. “The settlement with Deere will help lower costs for American farmers.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Deere must make available to farmers and independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, all the same repair resources its authorized dealers currently access. This includes capabilities for reading and resetting electronic fault codes, reprogramming electronic components including “pairing” new parts with equipment, restarting machines following emissions-related shutdowns, and providing access to technical manuals, troubleshooting solutions, and product improvement programs.
The company must also make available any future repair resources that are similar or reasonably necessary for repairs, once Deere makes them available to more than 50 percent of its authorized dealer network in the United States. Critically, the agreement prevents Deere dealers from discriminating or retaliating against customers who choose to repair their equipment themselves or use independent repair providers instead of paying for dealer services.
Deere will be subject to strict reporting and oversight requirements for the next decade to ensure compliance with the order. The company must pay $1 million collectively to the five states to cover their antitrust enforcement costs. The settlement has been filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and requires approval from Judge Iain D. Johnston before it becomes final and enforceable.
This represents the second major settlement Deere has reached this year over repair restrictions. In April, the company agreed to pay $99 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by farmers and equipment owners who had paid for repairs through authorized dealers since 2018. That settlement compensated individual farmers for excessive repair costs, while this FTC settlement focuses on ensuring ongoing access to repair tools and preventing future restrictions.
John Deere responded to the settlement by reaffirming its commitment to independent repair. “This is good news for our customers and for the future of how Deere equipment is supported,” said Denver Caldwell, the company’s vice president of aftermarket and customer support. Caldwell stated that the agreement bolsters the company’s commitment to helping customers maintain and repair machines when and how they need them, while also preserving Deere’s ability to support American agricultural productivity, equipment safety and innovation.
The settlement reflects a broader effort by regulators to address what advocates see as anticompetitive practices that limit consumers’ right to repair. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes criticized the previous restrictions, noting that for too long “Arizona farmers and independent mechanics have been at the mercy of Deere’s monopoly over repair tools, forced to wait — and pay — for authorized dealers just to fix broken tractors and other equipment.”
The agreement requires Deere to notify farmers, independent repair providers and the public about the settlement and the availability of its repair resources. The company must post notice on its website within 30 days and notify current and recent equipment owners about their new repair rights. Right-to-repair advocates have signaled that while the settlement represents a significant victory for farmers, the long-term impact will depend on how Deere implements these requirements and whether the company makes good on providing fair and reasonable access to all necessary tools and information.