The FTC is concerned the OEM has withheld key information and diagnostic tools from farmers and independent repair shops, reports Bloomberg. 

According to the filing: 

鈥淒eere鈥檚 increasingly sophisticated agricultural equipment requires a software tool to diagnose and repair problems that relate to electronic functions, and only Deere has the information and knowledge to create this essential tool. By making this tool available only to Deere dealers, Deere forces farmers to turn to Deere dealers for critical repairs rather than complete the repairs themselves or choose an [independent repair shop] that may be cheaper, closer, faster, or more trusted.鈥�

The suit goes on to claim that Deere鈥檚 business practices are unlawful and have inflated farmers鈥� repair costs and 鈥渄egraded farmers鈥� ability to obtain timely repairs, which is especially critical in times of planting and harvesting.鈥� 

The state of Illinois and state of Minnesota join the FTC as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. 

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The investigation, which began in 2021, is focused on repair restrictions placed on equipment hardware and any software, filings show. The probe was made public last week after data analytics company Hargrove & Associates Inc moved to quash an FTC subpoena associated with the case.
Deere said in a statement to Agriculture Dive that it is 鈥渃ooperating with the FTC鈥� and cannot provide further comment during an ongoing investigation.

The FTC is investigating whether Deere violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits companies from misleading consumers or engaging in unfair practices that affect commerce. Nathan Proctor, PIRG鈥檚 U.S. senior right-to-repair campaign director, said in a statement the investigation is 鈥済ood news for farmers.鈥�

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