FTC Sues John Deere Over Alleged Repair Monopoly, Farmers Cite DIY Solutions

Farmers across the United States continue to grapple with restrictions on repairing their John Deere equipment, leading some to resort to unconventional methods to keep their machinery operational. One such instance, highlighted by user avi brown on social media, describes circumventing a John Deere GPS system with an Arduino Mega, stating, "> you can let john deere brick your tractor for not buying their new gps or you can spoof the controller with an arduino mega and get back to work it ran this way for over 4 years in the rain and snow." This individual farmer's ingenuity underscores a broader "right to repair" movement gaining momentum.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), alongside the Attorneys General of Illinois and Minnesota, filed a lawsuit against John Deere in January 2025, accusing the agricultural equipment giant of unlawfully restricting farmers' ability to repair their own tractors and other machinery. The complaint alleges that Deere's practices have inflated repair costs and caused significant delays, forcing farmers to rely solely on authorized dealerships. This reliance can lead to substantial financial losses, with a 2023 U.S. Public Interest Research Group report estimating farmers lose $3 billion due to tractor downtime and pay an additional $1.2 billion in excess repair costs annually.

John Deere's control stems from its proprietary diagnostic software, Service ADVISOR, which is fully functional but only accessible to authorized dealers. While a less capable "Customer Service ADVISOR" tool is available to farmers for a fee, critics argue it is insufficient for comprehensive repairs. This limitation has fueled class-action lawsuits from farmers like Jared Wilson, who accuse John Deere of creating a repair monopoly and making most fixes nearly impossible without dealership intervention.

In 2023, John Deere signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the American Farm Bureau Federation, promising to provide farmers with access to tools, software, and documentation for repairs. However, skeptics, including the FTC in its recent lawsuit, contend that the company has fallen short of these commitments. The FTC's complaint seeks to compel John Deere to make its fully functional Service ADVISOR tool available to equipment owners and independent repair providers, aiming to lower costs and prevent critical delays during planting and harvest seasons.

The ongoing legal battles and farmer-led workarounds highlight the significant economic and operational impact of repair restrictions in modern agriculture. As technology integrates further into farming equipment, the debate over who controls repairs—manufacturers or owners—remains a critical issue for the industry's future.