The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sued Deere over what the agency says are anti-competitive repair policies requiring tractor owners to use authorized repair shops. 

In the suit, filed in Illinois, the FTC claims that Deere’s policy artificially inflates repair prices by forcing customers to use only Deere-approved mechanics and shops. 

“Illegal repair restrictions can be devastating for farmers, who rely on affordable and timely repairs to harvest their crops and earn their income,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement.

Deere customers can get their tractors repaired at only its certified dealerships, where mechanics have access to the proprietary software used to perform maintenance on Deere equipment. The FTC says this policy has given Deere monopoly power over the repair market.   

“Deere’s repair restrictions allow it to reap additional profits through parts sales, as its authorized network of dealers almost always use expensive Deere-branded parts in their repairs in lieu of generic parts,” the FTC wrote. “Despite increasing public pressure to give farmers the right to repair their own equipment, including state legislative action, Deere continues to unlawfully withhold a fully functional repair tool from equipment owners.”

The repair restrictions imposed by Deere can also cause significant delays for customers, the FTC wrote, putting a further financial burden on farmers.

While Deere has voiced support for right-to-repair policies in the past, the company has been criticized by customers and federal regulators for failing to provide buyers and other shops with the tools to repair the machines. 

The FTC’s suit wants to force Deere to provide its repair software to independent repair shops and customers.

The Washington Times reached out to the Moline, Illinois-based company for a response.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.