In the same week it was announced the Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. intended to launch a lawsuit against John Deere for violating competition laws by withholding repair procedures and required tools from the general public, Deere announced new “self-repair solutions” for owners and independent repair shops.
In a January press release, the green brand referred to the announcement as “another significant step forward in supporting customers’ ability to maintain and repair their machines across the agricultural and construction industries.”
So owners and independent repair shops should be able to get machines back up and running in relation to more types of problems without the aid of a dealership technician.
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The announcement explained Deere has developed a new suite of digital features, which “will further empower customers and independent repair technicians by, among other things, enabling them to reprogram Deere-manufactured electronic controllers.”
Deere says these new capabilities will be integrated into the John Deere Operations Center and will offer more options for diagnosing and repairing equipment. All of that can be done, it adds, while still ensuring machine reliability and safety.
The announcement didn’t offer much in the way of specifics. Those, however, may come later in the year with the expected rollout of a customer and independent repair technician pilot program, which is set to launch in the U.S. and Canada by the second half of 2025.
“As our equipment has become more technologically advanced, so too have the repair tools needed to advance customer capabilities,” Deere’s vice-president of aftermarket and customer support Denver Caldwell said in the press release, adding the company is “committed to offering customers the best equipment ownership experience.”
