NHTSA Complaint #11183713 — 2008 BMW 335I

WENT TO REPLACE AN OBVIOUSLY BURNED OUT BRAND NEW XENON HID BALLAST. CONFUSED ABOUT WHY IT BURNED UP(FAILURE RATE OF 1 PER 1,000 QUOTED BY THE MANUFACTURER) I TOOK OFF THE BACK COVER FOR THE HOUSING. TO MY SURPRISE, THE POWER CABLE'S THAT PLUGS INTO THE HID BALLAST INSULATION WAS COMPLETELY GONE. BARE. WIRES. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN EXTREME FIRE AND SAFETY HAZARD. CURIOUS IF MY OTHER HEADLIGHT WIRING WAS THE SAME WAY, I POPPED THE BACK HOUSING OF IT TO INSPECT FOR ANOTHER HAZARD. LORD AND BEHOLD, IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. NOT JUST THE POWER SUPPLY INSULATION ON THE WIRES FOR THE BALLAST WAS CHIPPING, ALL OF IT WAS CHIPPING. THE DRL, ANGEL EYE AND TURN MAKER WIRING INSULATION WAS ALL..GONE. SOMEONE HAD RECENTLY DISCOVERED THIS ISSUE BEFOREHAND AS THERE WAS ELECTRICAL TAPE & SOLDER ON SOME OF THE WIRES KEEPING THEM TOGETHER. ---------------------------- THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD! ----------------------------