John Deere
founded 1837
Sold farmers the tractor, then kept the software key — turning repair on their own machines into a dealer-only toll.
Deere & Company locked the software needed to fully repair its equipment behind its authorized dealers, so farmers who owned the machines often couldn't legally fix them. The FTC and five states sued in 2025; Deere paid $99 million to settle a related class action and, under a 2026 settlement, must open its repair tools to owners and independent shops.
What the record shows
Every entry is graded and links to the investigation that documents it. This page introduces no new claims — it collects what is already on the record.
It locked full repair behind a dealer-only software tool — and the FTC and five states sued.
FACTDeere's Service ADVISOR diagnostic tool works in full only for authorized dealers; the FTC and the AGs of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin sued in January 2025, alleging the lock inflated repair costs and stranded farmers at planting and harvest.
It paid $99 million to settle a monopoly-of-repair class action and agreed to open repair up.
FACTDeere settled the class action for $99M and, under a 2026 FTC settlement, must make its repair tools available to owners and independent shops — with no admission of wrongdoing.
Every investigation that touches John Deere
Resolved live from the investigations index — this list grows as new coverage lands.
Go deeper on John Deere
Books that document this record. Links are Amazon affiliate searches — buying through them supports the work at no cost to you.