FTC Sues Deere & Company Over Alleged Monopoly on Farm Equipment Repairs

The Lawsuit

The Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday it is suing Deere & Company, alleging the agricultural equipment maker holds a monopoly over repair services for its tractors, combines, and other machinery. Illinois and Minnesota joined the FTC as co-plaintiffs.

At the center of the complaint is Deere's "Service ADVISOR" software, which the FTC says is required to fully repair the company's equipment. According to the lawsuit, this tool is only made available to Deere's network of authorized dealers — not to farmers who own the equipment or to independent repair providers.

Alleged Cost Impact

The FTC alleges that because repairs are funneled through authorized dealers, those dealers frequently use Deere-branded replacement parts rather than cheaper generic alternatives, which the agency says increases costs for farmers while boosting Deere's profits.

The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring Deere to make Service ADVISOR and other necessary repair resources available to both customers and independent repair providers. The FTC noted that companies in the trucking and auto industries already provide comparable technical information to third-party tool developers, framing Deere's practices as inconsistent with broader industry norms.

Deere's Response

Denver Caldwell, Deere's vice president of aftermarket and customer support, called the lawsuit "meritless." He said recent discussions with the FTC showed the agency lacked accurate information about the agricultural equipment industry and Deere's business practices, and was relying on incorrect assumptions. Deere said it has introduced tools and resources intended to help customers and independent technicians perform maintenance and repairs.