John Deere reaches repair tool agreement with FTC, states

John Deere reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission and five states to provide farmers, ranchers and independent service technicians with access to diagnostic and repair tools for current and future Deere equipment.

The settlement, announced July 8, resolves a matter filed by the FTC and states in early 2025, according to a July 8 John Deere release.

The agreement will run for 10 years and requires Deere to provide farmers and independent repair providers with repair resources comparable to those available to authorized Deere dealers, according to a separate July 8 FTC release. Under the agreement, Deere must provide access to tools for reading, clearing and resetting electronic fault codes; reprogramming electronic components; pairing replacement parts; restarting machines after emissions-related shutdowns; and viewing technical manuals and troubleshooting materials.

The settlement includes Illinois, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The order also includes reporting and oversight requirements that allow regulators to verify Deere’s compliance, according to the FTC release.

The agreement follows Deere’s April 6 settlement of a multidistrict “right to repair” antitrust lawsuit, in which the company agreed to pay $99 million plus interest into a settlement fund for farmers and other customers who paid for repairs through authorized dealers since 2018.

The agreement formalizes Deere’s efforts to give equipment owners more flexibility in maintaining and repairing machines, whether through Deere dealers, independent service providers or by doing the work themselves, according to its release. Deere plans to continue investing in diagnostic tools, repair technology and support services designed to help customers keep equipment running while supporting productivity, equipment safety and innovation.