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Deere right-to-repair settlement opens claims process for farmers

Deere right-to-repair settlement opens claims process for farmers

Rule Changes

FTC antitrust order forces John Deere to share repair software for a decade

2 days ago: ENR reports on settlement, Volvo CE, and ECHO news

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

John Deere makes the only software that can fully repair its own tractors and combines. For years it sold that capability only to authorized dealers, letting it monopolize the repair market, regulators alleged.

A Federal Trade Commission antitrust case and a $99 million class settlement now require Deere to share those tools for a decade. The claims website opened August 28, farmer notices went out the same day, and a Rockford, Illinois judge weighs final approval January 19.

Why it matters

If approved, the deal gives American farmers and independent shops dealer-level access to Deere's repair software for a decade.

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Key Indicators

$99M
Farmer class settlement fund
Deere agreed in April 2026 to fund the settlement, though payouts are allocated by dealer labor hours, not dollars spent on parts.
10 years
Repair-access order term
The FTC consent order requires Deere to share dealer-level repair tools for a decade, with possible extension if it violates terms.
5
States joining FTC lawsuit
Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, and Wyoming sued alongside the FTC in January 2025.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 2025 January 2027

9 events Latest: 2 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. ENR reports on settlement, Volvo CE, and ECHO news

    Latest News

    Engineering News-Record covers the Deere claims phase alongside the Volvo CE production shift and ECHO product launch.

  2. Volvo CE delivers first U.S.-built excavators and loaders

    Industry

    Volvo Construction Equipment ships its first American-made excavators and large wheel loaders from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

  3. ECHO adds light towers and generator to industrial line

    Product

    Outdoor equipment maker ECHO expands its industrial portfolio with three LED light towers and a 400 kVA generator for rental fleets.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 2012, November 2020

Massachusetts auto right-to-repair (2012, 2020)

Massachusetts voters approved a 2012 law forcing automakers to share diagnostic codes with independent repair shops. In 2020 they passed a follow-up extending access to wireless telematics data, over automaker objections.

Then

Automakers adopted a national memorandum of understanding honoring the 2014 model-year standard.

Now

The state ballot model became the template for repair-access campaigns in other states and sectors.

Why this matters now

Massachusetts proved states could force manufacturers to open repair data, the same lever the FTC used against Deere.

July 2021

Executive Order 14036 on Promoting Competition (2021)

President Biden signed an executive order that explicitly urged the FTC to curb anticompetitive repair restrictions in farming and other sectors. The agency responded with a policy statement targeting repair monopolies.

Then

The FTC made right-to-repair a priority and voted to enforce against unlawful repair restrictions.

Now

The order laid the regulatory groundwork for the Deere enforcement action filed in 2025.

Why this matters now

It links the Deere case directly to a decade of federal competition policy.

December 2022

New York Digital Fair Repair Act (2022)

Governor Kathy Hochul signed the first U.S. electronics right-to-repair law, requiring manufacturers to sell parts, tools, and documentation to consumers and independent shops.

Then

The law applied to devices sold after July 2023, after the state weakened parts-pairing provisions.

Now

It set a state-level precedent for electronics repair access even as federal action stalled.

Why this matters now

The law showed repair-access mandates work state by state; the Deere settlement enforces the same principle at the federal level.

Sources

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