FTC sues John Deere for ‘unfairly’ raising farm equipment repair costs

John Deere’s “unfair” practices have increased repair costs for farmers and prevented them from repairing their tractors and other equipment they own, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claims in a new lawsuit.

The FTC and the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota filed suit today as part of a long-running fight for the right to repair – a battle that is growing more heated as Deere is integrating more and more software into its agricultural equipment. The complaint accuses John Deere of “decades” of illegal practices that forced farmers to turn to the company’s own network of authorized dealers for repairs.

“Restrictions on illegal repairs can be devastating to farmers, who rely on affordable, timely repairs to harvest their crops and earn their income,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement today. press. “The FTC’s action today is intended to ensure that farmers across America are free to repair their own equipment or use the repair shops of their choice, reducing costs, avoiding ruinous delays and promoting fair competition for independent repair shops.”

Deere has produced “the only fully functional software repair tool capable of performing all repairs” on its equipment, according to the FTC. He says the tool was only made available to the company’s resellers, who charged higher prices than independent stores. This illegally gave Deere “monopoly power” over certain repair services, the FTC alleges.

Deere says it supports customers’ right to repair equipment. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) in January 2023, intended to make its software, tools and documentation available so that farmers and independent shops can perform their own repairs.

“We are and remain committed to enabling customers to repair the products they purchase,” John Deere CTO Jahmy Hindman said in a 2021 statement. Decoder interview.