The FTC sued Deere & Company on January 15, 2025, alleging that limits on repair software and information pushed farmers toward authorized dealers and could raise repair costs or delay service. On July 8, 2026, the FTC announced a settlement with Deere and five states. The agency’s case page still listed the matter as pending, and the FTC says the stipulated order takes effect only after a district judge approves and signs it.
That timeline updates the original Bloomberg News framing that the FTC was “set to sue.” The case is now about whether the proposed settlement will take legal effect and what repair resources it would require Deere to provide.
What happened in the Deere repair case?
Bloomberg News reported in January 2025 that the FTC was preparing to sue Deere over equipment repair practices. The FTC filed its lawsuit on January 15, 2025, alongside the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota. On July 8, 2026, the FTC announced a settlement with Deere and five states. The agency’s case page, last updated that day, listed the case as pending and recorded the settlement filing. Bloomberg’s January 2025 report reflects the pre-filing stage; its July 2026 coverage reports the settlement.
The FTC says a stipulated order has force of law when it is approved and signed by the district court judge. The available FTC materials establish that a settlement was filed, not that the judge had approved it. The settlement is therefore not described here as a final court-approved order.
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What did the FTC allege about Deere repairs?
The FTC alleged that Deere restricted farmers’ and independent repair providers’ access to a fully functional software tool and relevant information, steering customers toward authorized dealers. The agency said those restrictions could increase repair costs and delay service. These are allegations in the complaint, not findings of liability by a court.
The FTC said authorized dealers had access to Service ADVISOR, which could perform all repairs on Deere equipment, while Customer Service ADVISOR could not perform all repairs. In its 2026 settlement announcement, the FTC described the proposed remedy more broadly as access to repair resources equivalent to those provided to Deere dealers.
When announcing the lawsuit, then-FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said: “Illegal repair restrictions can be devastating for farmers, who rely on affordable and timely repairs to harvest their crops and earn their income.” That was Khan’s statement accompanying the lawsuit announcement, not a judicial finding.
What would the proposed settlement require Deere to provide?
Under the FTC’s July 8, 2026 announcement, Deere would have to make dealer-equivalent repair resources available to farmers and independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms. The stated order term is 10 years, under FTC and state supervision.
- Tools to read, clear, and reset electronic fault codes.
- Software to reprogram electronic components, including pairing newly installed parts.
- The ability to restart a machine after an emissions-related shutdown, sometimes called “limp mode.”
- Technical manuals, troubleshooting solutions, and other diagnostic, maintenance, repair, or upgrade guidance.
The proposed order also addresses future resources: Deere would have to make similar resources, or resources reasonably necessary for repairs, available once it provides them to more than 50 percent of its authorized U.S. dealer network. Deere would be required to instruct dealers to promote the resources and not discriminate or retaliate against owners or independent repair providers for using them. Reporting and oversight would apply, and the FTC says the order term may be extended if Deere violates it.
FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera described the aim this way: “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.” This is the FTC’s characterization of the settlement’s purpose, not evidence that farmers have already achieved particular savings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can farmers repair John Deere equipment themselves?
The FTC’s stated purpose for the settlement is to enable farmers and independent providers to make repairs using dealer-equivalent resources. The described provisions cover software functions and repair information, not just printed instructions. Whether the proposed requirements are legally in effect depends on judicial approval and signature of the stipulated order.
For a specific repair, a manual may help with procedures, but it is not a substitute for software functions such as resetting fault codes or pairing a newly installed component. The FTC’s settlement announcement does not identify a particular tractor model or say that one manual alone provides the full bundle of resources.
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What the settlement does—and does not—establish about repair costs
The FTC said the alleged restrictions could lead to higher costs and delays, and the agency presents expanded repair access as a way to let farmers fix equipment without necessarily paying an authorized dealer to do so. But the settlement announcement provides no independently measured savings estimate. The 10-year term, more-than-50-percent dealer-network trigger, and five states joining the settlement are provisions and case details—not measured consumer outcomes.
The case concerns Deere’s practices and the proposed obligations described by the FTC. It does not establish the terms of repair access for other equipment manufacturers.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission case page, last updated July 8, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission settlement announcement, July 8, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission lawsuit announcement, January 15, 2025.
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