Farmers Gain Right to Repair John Deere Equipment After FTC Deal
WHO:
ABC News - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and attorneys general from Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
ABC News - Deere & Co., commonly known as John Deere.
ABC News - Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
ABC News - Denver Caldwell, vice president of aftermarket and customer support at Deere.
WHAT:
ABC News - Deere will be subject to strict compliance oversight for the next 10 years.
ABC News - The order is headed to Judge Iain D. Johnston for his approval.
ABC News - John Deere owners will gain the right to repair their own equipment under a new FTC settlement.
ABC News - The FTC's settlement requires Deere to allow farmers and independent shops to fix their own equipment.
ABC News - Deere must pay $1 million collectively to the five states for antitrust enforcement costs.
Techmeme - The FTC settlement requires Deere to provide farmers and shops with equipment and software for 10 years.
WHERE:
ABC News - The settlement is filed in Illinois.
WHEN:
ABC News - The antitrust lawsuit was brought by the FTC and attorneys general in January 2025.
ABC News - This marks the second right-to-repair settlement Deere has reached this year, following a separate $99 million class-action settlement with farmers in April 2025.
WHY:
ABC News - Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes stated, “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.”
ABC News - The FTC and attorneys general argued that Deere had illegally restricted farmers and independent shops from repairing farm equipment.
ABC News - Complaints arose due to Deere withholding software needed for repairs and forcing customers to use authorized dealers.
HOW:
ABC News - The order requires Deere to make diagnostic and repair tools available to equipment owners and independent repair shops.
ABC News - The settlement prevents Deere dealers from retaliating against equipment owners or repair shops who choose to fix their own equipment.
(UPDATED July 9, 2026 01:28 UTC)
Deere will be under strict compliance oversight for the next 10 years, pending approval from Judge Iain D. Johnston. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes expressed concerns about the impact of Deere's monopoly on farmers and independent mechanics, stating they have been forced to rely on authorized dealers for repairs. This oversight aims to address those issues and improve access to repair tools for Arizona's agricultural community.
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(UPDATED July 8, 2026 23:18 UTC)
In a significant development, John Deere owners will now have the right to repair their own equipment following a new settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and several state attorneys general, including Arizona's Kris Mayes. The settlement, filed in Illinois, mandates that Deere provide farmers and independent shops with access to necessary equipment and software for the next ten years, while also requiring the company to pay $1 million to the five states involved for antitrust enforcement costs. This marks Deere's second right-to-repair settlement this year, coming on the heels of a separate $99 million class-action settlement with farmers earlier in April.