Right to repair is an umbrella term for laws and policies that aim to let product owners and independent repair shops fix products. They do this by making repair resources available and by limiting practices that block or discourage repair. It isn’t one universal right that covers every product everywhere. What you can actually demand depends on where you live, what you own, and which law or order applies.
What the term covers
The phrase describes a goal. It does not describe a single legal entitlement. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has described the barriers that right-to-repair measures target as restrictions on parts, repair manuals, and diagnostic tools or software. It has also named design choices that make repair difficult. One example in its testimony is “parts pairing,” where a manufacturer’s approval is needed before a replacement part can be fully integrated into a product.
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A law described as right to repair usually deals with one or more of these resources:
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| Resource | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Replacement parts | A repair can’t happen if parts are sold only to authorized providers or not at all. |
| Repair tools | Some repairs need proprietary or specialized tools. |
| Diagnostic information or software | Many modern products can’t be diagnosed, or a new part can’t be accepted, without manufacturer software. |
| Repair instructions and manuals | Without documentation, even a skilled technician is guessing. |
| Freedom to use independent providers | The owner can choose a local shop or do the work themselves instead of going to the manufacturer. |
Different laws pick different items from this list. Some give access to the owner, some to independent shops, and some to both.
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Why it isn’t one right everywhere
Three things set the limits of any actual right:
- Jurisdiction. A rule in the EU, in one US state, or in a federal settlement applies only within its own reach.
- Product category. Rules are often written for particular goods, such as farm equipment or electronics, rather than everything you can buy.
- The specific duties. A law may cover only certain parts, resources, dates, or exceptions.
When someone says “right to repair” without naming a place and a product, they’re describing the policy idea. Treat it as a claim about law only once both are named.
Right to repair and your warranty
Warranty protection is a separate question from access to repair resources. In July 2024, FTC staff sent warning letters about warranty language that implies consumers must use specified parts or service providers to keep coverage. Staff cited the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. They said such conditions are generally prohibited unless the warrantor provides the parts or service for free or obtains an FTC waiver.
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Samuel Levine, then Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in that release: “These warning letters put companies on notice that restricting consumers’ right to repair violates the law.” That is the FTC’s position on those letters. It is not a court ruling that every repair restriction is unlawful.
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Examples of how it works in law
United States
There is no single federal statute giving a right to repair every product. The FTC has used consumer-protection and antitrust enforcement, and has also discussed state legislative efforts. A state law applies in that state, and its product coverage varies.
The Deere matter shows how case-specific US action can be. In January 2025, the FTC announced a case against Deere that alleged it restricted access to a fully functional repair tool. Those were allegations in a complaint, not findings of fact. In July 2026, the FTC announced a settlement with Deere and five states. Under it, Deere must for ten years give farmers and independent repair providers specified resources equivalent to those it gives authorized dealers, including access to diagnostic and repair capabilities.
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Daniel Guarnera, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said of the settlement: “Today’s settlement enables farmers to do what they’ve done for generations—fix their own tractors and other farm equipment—without having to pay an authorized John Deere dealer to do it for them.” The settlement concerns Deere’s listed resources. It is not a nationwide right covering all equipment or consumer products.
European Union
Directive (EU) 2024/1799 was adopted on 13 June 2024. Member States had to turn it into national rules, which apply from 31 July 2026. For goods covered by EU repairability requirements and within the Directive’s framework, manufacturers must repair on a consumer’s request, within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price. There are also duties on repair-service information and access to spare parts under the applicable rules.
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The Directive ties these duties to products that have repairability requirements set elsewhere in EU law. So the manufacturer duty does not extend to every good sold in the EU. The European Commission gives household and electronic product examples, but the legal text defines the actual scope.
In its 31 July 2026 summary, the Commission also reports two further points:
- Choosing repair instead of replacement during the liability period extends the legal guarantee by at least 12 months.
- A European online repair platform is expected to become operational in 2027. That is a forecast, not a launched service.
The Commission also expects the new rules to generate €4.8 billion in growth and investment in the EU. That is the Commission’s expectation, not a measured result.
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Because the term covers very different measures, compare actual laws on the same questions. The EU Directive and the Deere settlement show why:
| Question | EU Directive 2024/1799 | Deere settlement (FTC, July 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Products covered | Goods with repairability requirements under EU law and within the Directive’s framework | Deere equipment, with specified resources listed in the settlement |
| Who gets access | Consumers, through manufacturer repair duties and repair-service information | Farmers and independent repair providers |
| Resources required | Repair on request, spare-parts access and repair information under the applicable rules | Resources equivalent to those given to authorized dealers, including diagnostic and repair capabilities |
| Terms and duration | Repair within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price; guarantee extended by at least 12 months when repair is chosen | Ten years |
| Form and enforcement | EU directive applied through national rules, from 31 July 2026 | US settlement between the FTC, five states and Deere |
Use the same questions for any other law, such as a state statute: which products, who benefits, what must be supplied, on what terms and for how long, and who enforces it.
Quick Recap
Does it apply to you?
- Name the product and the place. A tractor in a state covered by a settlement is a different case from a phone in an EU country.
- Find the instrument. Is it an EU directive as implemented in your country, a state statute, or a federal enforcement action? Each has different reach.
- Check the covered list. Look at the product categories, parts, dates and exceptions in the text itself.
- Read your warranty terms separately. Look for language tying coverage to specific parts or service providers, and remember the FTC’s position on that practice in the US.
- Have realistic expectations about DIY. Even where access is legally required, you still need device-specific instructions and compatible parts. Some repairs also need diagnostic access or a professional.
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