FTC and Five States File Proposed 10-Year Repair-Access Settlement With John Deere

The Federal Trade Commission and five states on Wednesday filed a proposed antitrust settlement that would require Deere & Company for 10 years to give farmers and independent repair shops access to repair tools and software capabilities equivalent to those available to authorized John Deere dealers. The proposed order was filed in federal court in Illinois and would become legally binding if approved and signed by the judge.

The change is significant because many repairs on modern farm equipment now depend on software access, electronic diagnostics and reprogramming, not just replacing mechanical parts. If the order is approved and put in place, farmers and independent repair providers would be able to perform work that the government says often required dealer-only tools.

Under the proposed settlement, Deere would have to provide those repair resources on fair and reasonable terms. The FTC said that includes the ability to read, clear and reset electronic fault codes; reprogram electronic components; and “pair” newly installed parts with the machine so they function properly. Deere also would have to allow users to restart equipment after an emissions-related shutdown, often called “limp mode.”

The order would also require Deere to provide access to technical manuals, troubleshooting guidance, product improvement programs, “DTAC solutions,” and other repair-related information. In addition, Deere would have to make future repair resources available to farmers and independent repair providers once those tools are available to more than 50% of Deere’s authorized dealer network in the United States.

“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,” Daniel Guarnera, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said in the agency’s announcement. “The settlement with Deere will help lower costs for American farmers. The FTC will continue fighting against anticompetitive restrictions on American consumers’ right to repair.”

The proposed order also bars Deere from discriminating against or retaliating against farmers or independent repair providers for using those resources instead of dealer repair services. Deere would be required to instruct its authorized dealers to promote the availability of the repair tools and software, and to notify the public, customers, independent repair providers and dealers about the order, including through its website and direct notice.

The company would face a series of compliance requirements, including an initial report 30 days after the order enters, more frequent reports during the rollout period and annual reports after that. The FTC and the plaintiff states would retain inspection and access rights to monitor compliance. Deere also would have to pay the five states $1 million within 30 days after court entry of the order to cover costs and attorneys’ fees; the order says that payment is not a penalty.

The plaintiffs are the FTC and the states of Illinois, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. They filed what the agency described as a joint motion for entry of a stipulated order for permanent injunction and other relief in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on July 8. The FTC noted that stipulated orders carry the force of law once approved and signed by the district court judge. The agency said its commissioners voted 2-0 to issue the proposed order.

The settlement would resolve a lawsuit the FTC and the five states filed in January 2025. In that case, the government alleged Deere unlawfully restricted access to the software and tools needed for many repairs, forcing farmers to rely on authorized dealers and resulting in higher costs and delays. The FTC said Deere makes the only software repair tools capable of performing all electronic repairs on Deere equipment.

Separately, Deere announced a proposed settlement in April 2026 in private farmer class-action right-to-repair litigation. That case is distinct from the FTC and state enforcement action.