The FTC’s settlement with John Deere is a major win for the Right to Repair movement

Wednesday, US Federal Trade Commission Settlement announced With tractor manufacturer John Deere over 2025 lawsuit Which accused the company of conduct that “unlawfully acquired and maintained monopoly power in the markets for Derry farm equipment repair services.”

the Full statement Establishes John Deere’s repair services obligations and requires the company to give farmers and third-party repair shops access to the same equipment and repair resources that it provides to official John Deere dealers. This includes software capabilities, such as reading and resetting codes and pairing with other software, which customers have long had limited access to, leading to delays when diagnosing equipment issues. Delayed repairs could mean a delayed harvest, which many farmers see as a fundamental threat to their livelihoods.

Under the agreement, John Deere will be required to provide this level of access, equipment and services for the next 10 years, under the oversight of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

“After years of fighting for… The right to repair“This gives farmers real hope,” Willie Kidd, A Member of the Board of Directors From the Reform Advocacy Organization Repair.orghe wrote in an email to WIRED. “But the promises written on paper must become tools in the hands of farmers, and we will monitor implementation every step of the way.”

Farmers were fighting against John Deere’s reform practices More than a decadeBut the FTC began its fight in 2021, led by then-Chairman Lina Khan during the Biden administration. In April, John Deere He agreed to pay $99 million in a separate class action lawsuit filed against the company in 2022. Reform advocates and consumers say this FTC settlement helps farmers far more than the payments did.

John Deere has confirmed that it is indeed powerful Repair resources to its customers, including service manuals and diagnostic equipment. In John Deere’s press release, the company says the settlement is consistent with what it has been doing all along, saying that “the agreement reinforces Deere’s continued innovation toward more flexible repair options, with a focus on increasing access and transparency for customers. It formalizes Deere’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to diagnostic and repair tools.”

Consumer advocacy group US PIRG issued a statement About the settlement, citing the organization Formal complaint 2022 To the FCC regarding John Deere’s repair policies.

“We should be able to fix our own affairs,” wrote Nathan Proctor, PIRG’s Right to Repair campaign director. “This settlement from the FTC gives farmers more and better options to repair their equipment. It’s a win for farmers and for all of us who want a more repairable world.”