A recent antitrust lawsuit settlement between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and John Deere was a huge win for farmers, independent repair shops, and many small businesses that rely on John Deere products for their day-to-day operations. The settlement resolves restrictions to necessary equipment repair resources that forced individuals and businesses to only use authorized dealers for repairs instead of being able to fix the equipment themselves or use their preferred local repair shop.

NFIB released a statement urging Congress to build upon this momentum to pass the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act, which guarantees vehicle repair access and maintenance data for independent auto and electronic repair shops to provide small businesses with options for more affordable and faster vehicle repairs.

The right to repair is one of NFIB’s top legislative priorities for 2026 and will be critical for injecting competition into the market and lowering costs for business owners who depend on vehicles to operate their business. NFIB recently published an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner with more information on the need for this legislation.

Take Action: Let Congress know how access to repair data would lower costs and repair times for your small business.