On July 8, 2026, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with tractor manufacturer John Deere over a 2025 lawsuit that accused the company of behavior that "unlawfully acquired and maintained monopoly power in markets for repair services for Deere farm equipment," according to the FTC statement.
What the Settlement Requires
The settlement imposes binding obligations on John Deere for the next 10 years, with compliance monitored by the FTC. Under the agreement, John Deere must grant farmers and third-party repair shops access to the same equipment and repair resources it provides to its official dealers. This includes software capabilities such as reading and resetting diagnostic codes and pairing with other software — functions that customers have long had limited access to, creating delays when diagnosing equipment problems. Delayed fixes can mean delayed harvests, which many farmers saw as a fundamental threat to their livelihoods.
Who Is Affected
The settlement directly affects:
- Farmers who own or operate John Deere equipment.
- Independent third-party repair shops that service agricultural machinery.
- John Deere and its authorized dealer network.
Background and Industry Reaction
Farmers have been fighting against John Deere’s repair practices for more than a decade, but the FTC began its fight in 2021, led by then-chair Lina Khan under the Biden administration. In April, John Deere agreed to pay out $99 million in a separate class action lawsuit brought against the company in 2022. Repair and consumer advocates say this FTC settlement does far more to help farmers than a payout did.
Willie Cade, a board member of the repair advocacy organization Repair.org, wrote in an email to WIRED: "After years of fighting for the right to repair, this order gives farmers real hope. But promises on paper must become tools in farmers’ hands, and we will be watching implementation every step of the way."
John Deere has maintained that it already has robust repair resources for its customers, including service manuals and diagnostic equipment. In John Deere’s press release, the company says the settlement is in line with what it has been doing all along, stating that "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."
The consumer advocacy group US PIRG issued a statement about the settlement, citing the organization’s 2022 official complaint to the FCC about John Deere’s repair policies. Nathan Proctor, US PIRG’s Right to Repair campaign director, wrote: "We should be able to fix our own stuff. 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."
Key Obligations at a Glance
| Obligation | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | 10 years |
| Monitoring | FTC oversight |
| Access scope | Same repair tools, software, and resources as John Deere dealers |
| Software capabilities | Reading/resetting codes, pairing with other software |
| Coverage | Farmers and independent repair shops |
Compliance Implications for Industry
For compliance professionals, this settlement underscores the FTC's aggressive enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws in the repair market. Companies that restrict access to diagnostic tools or repair parts may face similar scrutiny. The settlement also highlights the growing right-to-repair movement, which has gained bipartisan support in recent years. While not a trade regulation, the order sets a precedent for how regulatory bodies can mandate access to proprietary repair systems, potentially affecting manufacturers across sectors.
