What Is Split Responsibility?

A very common situation in automotive repair looks like this.

A customer visits one shop. The vehicle is inspected, and the conclusion is given: “This part is bad. It needs to be replaced.”

The customer then begins shopping by price.

They go to another shop and ask: “Can you just replace this part? The other shop already diagnosed it.”

From the outside, this sounds reasonable. From the inside, this is where problems begin.

Split Responsibility Explained

Split responsibility is a situation where one shop performs the diagnosis and another shop performs the repair.

At first glance, this may seem efficient. In practice, it creates a fundamental mismatch between responsibility and control.

The shop performing the repair is expected to deliver results, but it did not verify the diagnosis. The shop that made the diagnosis is no longer involved in the outcome.

If the repair does not solve the problem, responsibility becomes unclear.

Why This Creates Problems

To be clear, the second shop has no objection to replacing the requested part. Replacing parts is normal repair work, and there is nothing wrong with performing it.

The issue arises when the part is replaced and the original problem remains.

At that moment, the customer understandably asks: Why didn’t this fix the issue?

Now the repair shop has only two options.

Option one: start diagnosing the problem for free. This means real diagnostic work—time, tools, experience, and attention. From a business perspective, this time is not recoverable. No one is paying for it. When this happens repeatedly, it becomes unsustainable.

Option two: explain that the repair did not solve the problem and that proper diagnostics are now required. This means adding a diagnostic charge after the customer has already paid for a repair that did not help.

From the customer’s perspective, this feels unfair: “I already paid, and now you want more money?”

This is the core problem with split responsibility.

Working for free damages the business. Charging afterward damages the relationship.

Either way, the repair shop loses.

Why “Cheap Diagnostics” Are an Illusion

Diagnostics are difficult to sell. Because of this, some shops undercharge for them, offer flat fees, or advertise free inspections.

The cost does not disappear. It is simply shifted elsewhere—into higher parts prices or additional labor.

This creates the illusion that diagnostics are inexpensive, until something goes wrong and the real cost becomes visible.

Our Policy

We avoid split responsibility.

We do not offer free diagnostics. And we do not replace parts based solely on conclusions made by another shop.

If we diagnose a vehicle, we take responsibility for that diagnosis. If another shop diagnosed the issue, they should perform the repair and stand behind it.

This approach avoids confusion, conflict, and disappointment.

Two Clear and Fair Options

There are only two reasonable paths:

If another shop diagnosed your vehicle, let them complete the repair. If you want us to work on your vehicle, begin with diagnostics here.

Both options are fair. Mixing them is not.

Final Thought

We are not trying to be difficult or inflexible.

We are trying to prevent situations where repairs fail, expectations collapse, and everyone involved ends up frustrated.

Avoiding split responsibility protects the customer, the repair process, and the outcome.