Full Breakdown
FTC Settlement Ends John Deere Right-to-Repair Dispute
7/10/2026, 6:06:00 PM
The Settlement’s Core Provisions
On Wednesday, July 9 2026 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and five state attorneys general (Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin) announced a ten-year antitrust settlement with Deere & Company. The order requires John Deere to provide farmers and independent repair providers “the same equipment repair resources, including applicable software capabilities, that it currently provides to authorized Deere dealers.” Access must include tools for reading, clearing and resetting electronic fault codes, re-programming electronic components, restarting machines after emissions-related shutdowns, and full technical manuals. Future repair resources must be shared once they are available to more than 50 % of the dealer network. The company will pay $1 million to each state for enforcement costs and will be subject to strict FTC reporting and oversight throughout the decade.
Background & Context
The dispute stems from a long-standing “right-to-repair” battle. Farmers have complained for years that John Deere restricts diagnostic software—its proprietary Service Advisor tool—to authorized dealers, inflating repair costs and delaying harvests. The FTC filed its antitrust suit in January 2025, echoing earlier state actions. In April 2026 Deere settled a separate class-action lawsuit for $99 million, compensating over 200 000 farmers but offering only limited repair guarantees. The July settlement builds on those efforts, aiming to give owners practical, enforceable repair rights.
Key Figures & Groups
- Daniel Guarnera, Director, FTC Bureau of Competition (formerly under FTC chair Lina Khan).
- Denver Caldwell, Vice President of Aftermarket and Customer Support, John Deere.
- Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General.
- Dana Nessel, Michigan Attorney General.
- Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General.
- Willie Cade, Board Member, Repair.org.
- Nathan Proctor, Senior Right-to-Repair Campaign Director, U.S. PIRG.
Data & Statistics
- $99 million class-action payout (April 2026).
- $1 million per state (total $5 million) for antitrust enforcement costs.
- Settlement term: 10 years, with possible extension for violations.
- Deere’s software tools are the only ones capable of performing all electronic repairs on its equipment.
Why It Matters
The order is expected to lower farmers’ repair costs, reduce equipment downtime during critical planting and harvest periods, and create a regulatory template for other sectors where software-locked products limit consumer repairs. By mandating “fair and reasonable” access, the FTC seeks to curb the monopoly power Deere allegedly held over repair services.
Official Statements & Responses
The FTC emphasized that the settlement “will help lower costs for American farmers” and pledged continued vigilance against anticompetitive repair restrictions. John Deere framed the agreement as “good news for our customers” and reiterated its commitment to innovation, safety, and productivity while expanding repair flexibility. State officials highlighted the benefit to rural economies, with Arizona’s AG noting the end of a “monopoly over repair tools” that forced farmers to wait and pay for dealer services.
Criticism & Opposition
John Deere and other manufacturers have argued that unrestricted software access could create safety hazards and expose proprietary code to intellectual-property theft. These concerns were raised in the lawsuit filings but were not addressed in the settlement’s final language.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the monetary components of the broader legal landscape: the FTC settlement involves $1 million per state, while a separate class-action settlement provided a $99 million payout to farmers. Neither the FTC order nor the company’s statements specify the exact pricing formula for “fair and reasonable” terms, leaving implementation details open to future dispute.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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, FTC Bureau of Competition Director
- “After years of fighting for the right to repair, this order gives farmers real hope,” — Willie Cade, Repair.org Board Member
- “good news for our customers.” — Denver Caldwell, Vice President of Aftermarket and Customer Support, John Deere
- “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,” — Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General
- “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.” — Nathan Proctor, U.S. PIRG Senior Right-to-Repair Campaign Director
What’s Next
The settlement mandates quarterly compliance reports to the FTC and annual reports for the ten-year term. Deere must notify owners and independent shops when new repair resources become available, and the FTC retains authority to extend oversight if violations occur. Implementation will be monitored closely by the participating states and advocacy groups.
