John Deere is a leading manufacturer of agricultural and heavy machinery. Founded in 1837, the company is primarily known for its heavy-duty agricultural equipment, such as tractors and combines. Recently, its business practices, particularly concerning equipment repair, have faced criticism. These practices have raised concerns among farmers, independent repair technicians, and consumer-advocacy groups.[1]
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1837 |
| Legal Structure | Public |
| Industry | Agricultural Machinery, Heavy Equipment |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://deere.com/ |
Consumer impact summary
Repairability
Access to essential repair software and diagnostic tools is reportedly limited by John Deere.[3] Such restrictive policies can hinder farmers from performing repairs independently or utilizing independent repair shops, thereby necessitating reliance on authorized dealerships.[1]
Monopoly on repairs
Farmers have reported that without access to John Deere's proprietary tools, they're unable to address certain mechanical issues, even minor ones.[4] There are measures in place that prevent independent repair technicians from completing repair,[3] such as software locks that control user autonomy,[5] requiring access to proprietary software, and controlling access to repair resources and parts. Through eliminating competition in the repair market, John Deere has allegedly unlawfully inflated repair cost.[6] Mechanics and technicians are reportedly buying pirated John Deere firmware online to repair consumer tractors, at the risk of being scammed or clicking sketchy links.[7]
Opposition to right-to-repair legislation
John Deere has actively lobbied against right-to-repair legislation in multiple states, and on the federal level.[8][9] Despite signing a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2023, the company has been accused of undermining the spirit of the agreement.[10][11]
Incidents
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the John Deere category.
FTC Lawsuit (January 2025)
On January 15, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against John Deere, alleging anticompetitive practices in the repair market.[4][2] The lawsuit claims that:
- John Deere unlawfully inflated repair costs by monopolizing the repair-service market.
- The company's restrictive policies violated consumer-protection laws and limited farmers' ability to maintain their equipment.
Security flaws
A number of security flaws in the software John Deere provided could have allowed hackers to find and download the personal data of all owners of the company’s farming vehicles and equipment. John Deere downplayed the impact while simultaneously increasing their security practices, as security jobs opened and they started to partner up with security researchers.
Lobbying against right to repair
- Main article: John Deere dealerships lobby against right to repair
John Deere dealerships lobbyied against a right to repair bill that was discussed in Maine, stating a number of reasons. They question the definition of a motor vehicle, and regarding the legislation if it should apply to motor vehicles due to what they call safety concerns. One dealer argues that right to repair is a touchy subject, as "a lot of us dealers sit back, and say we really almost don't want in essence people possibly working on our equipment."
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Selyukh, Alina (16 Jan 2025). "John Deere faces U.S. lawsuit over farmers' ability to repair tractors". www.npr.org. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS WESTERN DIVISION (Archived)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Deere in the Headlights". pirg.org. 5 Feb 2021. Archived from the original on 4 Apr 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "FTC, States Sue Deere & Company to Protect Farmers from Unfair Corporate Tactics, High Repair Costs". FTC. 15 Jan 2025. Archived from the original on 29 Apr 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ O'Reilly, Kevin (18 Jul 2023). "Service Obstructor: John Deere software restricts farmer repair". pirg.org. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Byrnes, Dave (15 Jan 2025). "FTC accuses John Deere of unlawful equipment repair practices". Courthouse News Service. Archived from the original on 27 Apr 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Koebler, Jason (21 Mar 2017). "Why American Farmers Are Hacking Their Tractors With Ukrainian Firmware". Vice. Archived from the original on 4 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Proctor, Nathan; Sherwood, Will (27 Nov 2024). "John Deere and Right to Repair over the years". pirg.org. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Bamberg, Jennifer (17 Apr 2024). "Farmers' long fight for the Right to Repair gets little traction in John Deere's home state of Illinois". Wisconsin Watch. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Dickey, Dave (12 Nov 2024). "Is John Deere's day of reckoning soon at hand?". Investigate Midwest. Archived from the original on 28 Apr 2025. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Rossmann, Louis (10 Jan 2023). "John Deere memo: Farmers have NOT won, but that won't stop the news from pretending they did". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2 Apr 2023. Retrieved 24 Apr 2025.