FTC Settlement With John Deere Boosts Right-to-Repair Movement
▼ Summary
– The FTC settled a 2025 lawsuit against John Deere, requiring the company to provide farmers and third-party shops the same repair resources and software access as its dealers for 10 years.
– The settlement addresses farmers’ long-standing complaints that limited access to diagnostic tools caused repair delays, threatening harvests and livelihoods.
– Repair advocates view the order as a significant win, but emphasize close monitoring is needed to ensure promises are implemented effectively.
– The FTC’s action followed years of farmer activism and a 2021 investigation, while John Deere maintains it already offers robust repair resources and sees the agreement as formalizing its existing practices.
– Consumer group US PIRG praised the settlement as a victory for the right to repair, giving farmers more options and supporting a more fixable world.
On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission finalized a settlement with John Deere stemming from a 2025 lawsuit that accused the agricultural giant of unlawfully monopolizing the repair market for its farm equipment. The agreement marks a significant victory for the right-to-repair movement, which has long argued that restrictive repair policies harm farmers and consumers.
Under the terms of the settlement, John Deere must now grant farmers and independent repair shops the same access to tools, software, and diagnostic resources that it provides to its authorized dealers. This includes the ability to read and reset error codes, pair equipment with third-party software, and perform repairs without relying solely on the company’s network. For years, farmers have faced frustrating delays when diagnosing equipment problems, often missing critical harvest windows due to limited access to repair capabilities. A delayed fix can mean a delayed harvest, which many in the agricultural community see as a direct threat to their livelihoods.
The FTC will monitor compliance for the next decade, ensuring that John Deere adheres to the agreement’s requirements.
“After years of fighting for the right to repair, this order gives farmers real hope,” said Willie Cade, a board member of the advocacy group Repair.org, in an email to WIRED. “But promises on paper must become tools in farmers’ hands, and we will be watching implementation every step of the way.”
The battle over John Deere’s repair policies has been ongoing for more than a decade. The FTC first took action in 2021 under then-chair Lina Khan during the Biden administration. In April, the company agreed to pay $99 million to settle a separate class action lawsuit filed in 2022. However, repair advocates argue that this FTC settlement does far more to empower farmers than a financial payout ever could.
John Deere has pushed back against the narrative that it restricts repairs. In a press release, the company stated that it already offers robust repair resources, including service manuals and diagnostic equipment. The company described the settlement as a formalization of its existing practices, saying, “The agreement reinforces Deere’s continued innovation toward more flexible repair options, emphasizing increased access and transparency for customers. It formalizes Deere’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to diagnostic and repair tools.”
Consumer advocacy group US PIRG, which filed an official complaint with the FCC about John Deere’s repair policies in 2022, issued a statement praising the settlement. “We should be able to fix our own stuff,” said Nathan Proctor, director of PIRG’s Right to Repair campaign. “This settlement from the FTC gives farmers more and better options to repair their equipment. It is a win for farmers and all of us who want a more fixable world.”
(Source: Wired)
