DDM Tuning HID problem rant!

[mikeb33]

I found my right headlight not on sometimes recently. I swapped bulbs and it stayed on the right side. If I turn them off and back on one or twice, it usually comes in. I emailed DDM Tuning about getting a new ballast and they said I had to send the old in first. I hoped they could have took a card number and get it to me right away, but they call that an “advanced RMA†and there is an extra charge for it, even under warranty.
So I send it in and put an oem bulb back in. Not thrilled to have one yellow and one blue light, but whatever. After sending the old ballst in and waiting a few weeks, I’m told it works satisfactorily. I argue that it is intermittent, but I am sure it is the ballast because of swapping the bulbs and that I am an ASE certified Auto Tech and can properly diagnose things. After two more weeks I am told it is fine and I have to pay $8 to have it returned. Meanwhile the OEM light has never failed to come on.
They finally tell me it must need a wiring harness for $15 plus $12 to ship it and the ballast back to me. I agree and send them $27. A week later I get it and install it. Within a week I am driving along and realize the right headlight is not on. I am pissed. Just to be sure I now swap the ballasts side to side. A few days later the left headlight is not on. Is there any doubt I need a ballast?
I contacted them again through their tedious “repair ticket†process. This time they said I may need some “EMI cables†which they sent for free. It took about 3 weeks to get and maybe another week to get time to install them. A few days later, I find my left headlight not on again! I emailed again and they said I should send the ballast in. I was livid! I already sent it in, paid to have it returned and also bought a harness I didn’t need. So I email back that after all this, the very least they could do is just send me the damn ballast ASAP, and if they want the old one, send a return label too.
This was their most recent response: “We apologize for the situation but unfortunately we cannot provide you with a return shipping label on the ballast since you did not report any issues with the EMI cables until a week and a half later. We only provide shipping labels if an issue is reported within a week upon receipt of the EMI cables. I have spoken to both my supervisor and business manager and both had declined my request to provide you a shipping label to send the ballast back.â€

Unbelieveable. I started this process in September, and in December I have an unresolved problem. I took the whole kit off and threw it away. I have oem bulbs in now and I will order another kit from somewhere else.

 

[dexx00420]

Wow! I'm glad that I'm not the only one with issues like this! I made the mistake of buying a DDM kit for my Tundra and I regretted it from the start. The money one saves on the kit is not worth all the trouble and hassle you have to go through once things go wrong. I had ballast issues, bulb issues, and wiring issues. They even sent me two "identical" 5k bulbs but once plugged in one was white and the other yellow. Even with pictures of the two tone headlights, they still didn't want to own up. Finally I just threw them away, went to a reputable shop, and paid a little more for a more reputable brand. Good luck with your situation...

 

[TahoeJo]

Hey man,

This is exactly why I believe "you get what you pay for". How much was this HID kit? I'm Going to replace my low beams and fog lights with HID kits, and replace the high beams with piaa "HID" halogens. I have been researching them lately as I want to avoid problems like this. Obviously the higher end philips, matsu****a, denso kits have a much lower failure rating, and so they come with a longer warranty but are significantly more epensive. I want a 55w kit, but most of the "high end" ones are 35w, so i have to find a middle of the road kit with a good record. Definately won't be buying from these guys you mentioned.