The FTC and five states announced a settlement with Deere & Company on July 8, 2026, that would require the company to give farmers and independent repair providers access to repair resources equivalent to those available to authorized Deere dealers. The terms include diagnostic and programming capabilities, technical information, and protections against retaliation. But the FTC’s case page still lists the matter as “Pending,” and the announcement says the order gains force of law when approved and signed by a federal judge. The available official pages do not establish that approval has happened.
What the Deere right-to-repair case is about
This is an antitrust enforcement case, not a new federal right-to-repair statute. The Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota filed suit on January 15, 2025. Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin joined Illinois and Minnesota in the July 2026 settlement announcement.
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The plaintiffs alleged that Deere restricted access to fully functional Service ADVISOR repair software, limiting farmers’ and independent repair providers’ ability to fix Deere equipment and steering necessary work to authorized dealers. The FTC also said Customer Service ADVISOR could not perform all repairs. The complaint alleged that those restrictions contributed to higher costs and service delays; those are the plaintiffs’ claims, not findings that Deere broke the law. The FTC’s January 15, 2025 announcement summarizes the allegations.
The case page records a June 9, 2025 order denying Deere’s motion for judgment on the pleadings, followed by a July 8, 2026 joint motion seeking entry of a stipulated order. Neither procedural step is a ruling that Deere is liable. The FTC case page labels the matter “Pending.”
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What repair access the announced settlement would require
Under the FTC’s July 8 announcement, Deere would have to make repair resources equivalent to those currently provided to authorized dealers available to farmers and independent repair providers on fair and reasonable terms. The announcement identifies these capabilities:
- Reading, clearing and resetting electronic fault codes.
- Reprogramming electronic components, including pairing newly installed parts with equipment.
- Restarting machines after emissions-related shutdowns, often called “limp mode.”
- Viewing and searching technical manuals, troubleshooting solutions and other guidance useful for diagnosis, maintenance, repair or upgrades.
The deal also addresses tools Deere may provide in the future. Similar or reasonably necessary resources would have to be made available once Deere provides them to more than 50 percent of its authorized dealer network in the United States. Deere would have to instruct dealers to promote and support the covered resources and not discriminate or retaliate against farmers or independent providers who use them instead of dealer repair services. The announcement also calls for public and customer notice, FTC and state oversight, and reporting. The FTC’s settlement announcement describes the terms.
Has the settlement taken effect?
That is not established by the cited official pages. The FTC says the stipulated order was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and explains that such an order has force of law when the district judge approves and signs it. The FTC case page, last updated July 8, 2026, still labels the case “Pending.” A filed settlement and a signed, approved order are not the same status, so readers should not treat the announced obligations as already effective without confirmation from the court docket or a subsequent FTC update.
How long would the order last?
The FTC describes the stipulated order as running for ten years under FTC and state supervision. The announcement says it may be extended if Deere violates it. Those are terms of the announced order; their legal effect depends on court approval and signature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the announcement does—and does not—establish for farmers
The announced terms focus on access to tools and information that can enable farmers and independent providers to perform repairs without relying on an authorized dealer for every covered function. They do not establish that every repair will be possible outside a dealership, or quantify any expected savings, turnaround-time improvements or number of affected farmers. Access terms, implementation and the order’s court status matter alongside the listed capabilities.
FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera said the 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.” That is the agency’s description of the intended effect, not a measured result. At filing, 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.” Her statement described the plaintiffs’ concerns, not a finding of Deere liability. Khan’s January 15, 2025 statement is available from the FTC.
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