John Deere has reached a right-to-repair settlement with the FTC and several states, requiring the company to provide diagnostic and repair tools to farmers and independent shops, ending years of complaints about restricted repair services.
John Deere has reached a right-to-repair settlement with the FTC and several states, requiring the company to provide diagnostic and repair tools to farmers and independent shops. This follows a class-action settlement and addresses complaints about restricted repair services.
The FTC and five states settled with John Deere, requiring the company to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the same repair resources as authorized dealers for 10 years. This addresses allegations of unfair practices limiting repair options and increasing costs.
Colorado's SB26-090, a bill that would have created a "critical infrastructure" exception to the state's landmark right-to-repair law, has failed after a 7-4 vote in the House State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. The bill was backed by tech companies including Cisco and IBM, which argued repair tools could pose cybersecurity risks. Repair advocates successfully argued that cybersecurity experts debunked the notion that providing repair documentation would enable hacking, noting most attacks are remote rather than through physical parts.
The right-to-repair movement has achieved unprecedented bipartisan support, with seven states now having passed comprehensive regulations. New York led in 2022, followed by California, Colorado, Minnesota, Connecticut, Oregon, and Washington in May 2025. Advocates track 57 bills across 22 states. Federal legislation including the REPAIR Act and Fair Repair Act has bipartisan sponsorship from Senators Luján and Hawley. The movement challenges manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and John Deere who control proprietary repair tools, with supporters arguing it could save families $400 annually and boost independent repair shops by 15%.
