FTC Takes on John Deere: A Battle for Farmers’ Right to Repair Their Tractors

Tractor manufacturer John Deere is confronted with a federal lawsuit alleging the corporation is unlawfully compelling farmers to rely on only authorized dealers for essential repairs, thereby augmenting its multibillion-dollar earnings.

The legal action — filed on Wednesday by the Federal Trade Commission along with Illinois and Minnesota — intensifies a protracted conflict concerning farmers’ right to mend their own agricultural machinery and components.

As tractors and harvesters have become increasingly computerized, farmers have voiced concerns that Deere has restricted access to its software, complicating or nearly preventing owners from diagnosing and rectifying problems independently or with the aid of independent mechanics. Consequently, farmers are required to consult authorized dealers, who generally charge more and may also take longer.

The lawsuit claims Deere is withholding access to its technology and top repair tools while maintaining monopolistic control over numerous repairs. The complaint states Deere also profits more from selling components, as authorized dealers tend to offer expensive Deere-branded parts for their repairs instead of generic options.

“Unjust repair limitations can result in farmers experiencing unnecessary delays during critical planting and harvesting periods,” FTC Chair Lina Khan stated in an announcement. “In rural areas, these restrictions can sometimes necessitate that farmers travel for hours just to have their equipment repaired. For those who have traditionally fixed their own machinery, these artificial barriers can appear particularly inefficient, with tractors unnecessarily sitting idle while farmers and independent mechanics are hindered from utilizing their skills and expertise.”

It remains uncertain how the case might advance when Republicans assume leadership of the FTC following Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. The agency’s two Republican commissioners had voted against pursuing legal action against Deere; one of them, Andrew Ferguson, is Trump’s nominee to assume the new FTC chair position.

In their dissenting remarks, commissioners Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak expressed their support for the FTC “championing the cause of the farmer” but raised procedural objections to the lawsuit. They indicated that the timing, right before Trump’s swearing-in, casts “the odor of political motivation” over the case.

They also noted that the FTC did not compile sufficient evidence to feel “any genuine confidence in our ultimate likelihood of success” in litigation — and indicated that the agency was still in active discussions for a settlement with Deere.

Representatives from Deere did not promptly respond to NPR’s inquiry for comment on Wednesday. Earlier this week, the company announced it was increasing options for farmers to personally repair equipment in a pilot program.

The FTC has previously pursued comparable right-to-repair actions against motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson and grill manufacturer Weber.