John Deere's controversial practice that requires farmers to use its dealer network for repairs draws a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission

John Deere’s “unfair” practices raised repair costs for farmers and kept them from being able to make repairs on tractors and other equipment they own, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges in a new lawsuit.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against agricultural equipment giant Deere & Company, alleging it holds a monopoly on repair services.

The Federal Trade Commission sued Deere, alleging the tractor maker limits farmers’ ability to repair their own equipment, giving Deere an illegal monopoly on repair services. The FTC’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Chicago federal court,

The Federal Trade Commission and two states accuse Deere of costing farmers time and money by unfairly limiting software access and forcing the use of only authorized dealers.

The sign outside a John Deere dealer is seen in Denver May 14, 2015. A weak global agriculture sector weighed heavily on quarterly results posted by Deere & Co on May 22, 2015, but earnings still topped expectations,

The Federal Trade Commission has sued the tractor manufacturer John Deere. The organization alleges “unfair” practices, high repair costs and an inability for regular consumers to repair devices on their own.

The lawsuit against the maker of John Deere tractors represents a final push in the Biden administration’s broader efforts to make repairs less costly for consumers.

The lawsuit comes after years of the equipment manufacturer locking farmers out of making basic repairs to their equipment.