FTC sues John Deere alleging equipment repair monopoly

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with Illinois and Minnesota, sued tractor maker John Deere, alleging the company maintains a monopoly over its equipment maintenance, forcing farmers to rely on authorized dealers and burdening them with high repair costs.

At the center of the dispute is Deere & Co’s proprietary software tool, Service ADVISOR, which is essential for certain fixes but unavailable to independent repair shops, forcing farmers to use authorized dealers, who tend to charge more and may take longer. The FTC claims these practices boost Deere’s profits.

Deere has dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, claiming it misrepresents facts and penalizes innovation. The company highlighted its pilot program enables farmers and independent technicians to access repair tools and even allows the re-programing of electronic controllers.

The situation echoes past complaints against Apple’s now-reversed “parts pairing” policy, a software practice that limits the functionality of replacement parts.

Right-to-repair movement is expanding
New York, Minnesota, and California passed consumer electronics-focused right-to-repair laws in 2023.

Colorado and Oregon joined in 2024, with Colorado extending its law to include agricultural equipment and powered wheelchairs. Oregon introduced a groundbreaking ban on “parts pairing,” which took effect on January 1.

Meanwhile, incoming FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson criticized the FTC suit as politically motivated and lacking evidence, leaving its future under Donald Trump’s leadership uncertain.