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

WASHINGTON, DC – The Federal Trade Commission, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the Illinois A-G are suing tractor manufacturer John Deere over its equipment repair policies. The lawsuit claims that the company has violated both state and federal laws by not providing customers with adequate options to repair their farm equipment.

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.

John Deere is facing a new federal antitrust lawsuit over its equipment repair practices as of Wednesday, this one filed by an arm of the federal government itself. The Federal Trade Commission, joined by the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota,

The suit alleges that Deere tried to increase the cost of repairing its equipment while also forcing customers to rely on Deere-approved dealers to make the repairs.