FTC Right-to-Repair Settlement Follows Years of Advocacy in Montana
The deal would let farmers and independent repair shops access Deere’s diagnostic software at a reasonable cost, advocates said.
- The Federal Trade Commission and five states reached a settlement last week in an antitrust lawsuit against Deere & Company, requiring the manufacturer to provide farmers and independent repair shops access to the same diagnostic software and repair tools used by authorized dealers.
- Filed in January 2025, the lawsuit alleged the Moline, Illinois, company acted unlawfully as it "inflated farmers' repair costs and degraded farmers' ability to obtain timely repairs" by restricting access to sophisticated diagnostic tools.
- A 2023 U.S. PIRG Education Fund study estimated American farmers could save as much as $1.2 billion annually if manufacturers stopped restricting repairs, while the settlement mandates Deere provide these resources on fair and reasonable terms for 10 years.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he approved the settlement, ensuring farmers are "no longer at the whim of a corporate overlord" while his office seeks to create meaningful competition in the rural economy.
- Rachel Prevost, executive director of the Montana Farmers Union, called the settlement "monumental," noting it establishes a farmer's right to repair, though the organization continues pushing for state-level legislative protections after attempts failed in 2021, 2023, and 2025 sessions.
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FTC reaches settlement with Deere in ‘right to repair’ suit - The Mexico Ledger
A worker harvests cotton with a John Deere cotton picker on Oct. 30, 2017 near Wilson, Arkansas. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Advocates for farmers’ right to repair their own equipment without having to rely on expensive repairs from company-certified technicians gained a win last week as several states and the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit against Deere & Company, which builds and sells the popular …
ABC FOX Montana
FTC reaches settlement with Deere in ‘right to repair’ suit
Advocates for farmers’ right to repair their own equipment without having to rely on expensive repairs from company-certified technicians gained a win last week as several states and the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit against…
The Derrick
Times West VirginianFarmers win right to repair their own John Deere tractors, but more reform sought
Minnesota and four other states joined the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in settling a high-profile lawsuit against Deere & Company, with a stipulation that the company make it easier for farmers to repair their own iconic green John Deere tractors.…
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