DEPO Complaints

PURCHASED AN AFTER MARKET INSIDE DOOR HANDLE FROM AN EBAY VENDOR: INSIDE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE FOR A 1997 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS GS. THE RETURN SPRING ON THE ORIGINAL OEM HANDLE BROKE, BUT THE ORIGINAL HANDLE EVEN THOUGH BROKEN, STILL REMAINED OPERATIONAL. I ORDERED AND INSTALLED A REPLACEMENT AFTERMARKET DOOR HANDLE "DEPO" 330-500006-002 PURCHASED FROM AN EBAY VENDOR. 10 DAYS AFTER INSTALLATION, THE REPLACEMENT DOOR HANDLE FAILED AND THE DRIVERS DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR MAKING THIS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD HAD THERE BEEN AN EMERGENCY. OBVIOUSLY THE AFTER MARKET PART WAS NOT PROPERLY TESTED BEFORE SALE TO THE PUBLIC. *TR

JULY OF 2008 I PURCHASED REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS (NOT LAMPS) FROM AUTOPARTS WAREHOUSE.COM. I BELIEVE THE BRAND NAME WAS "DEPO". I BELIEVE THE PART NUMBERS ARE 331-1117R & 331-1117L. THE METAL REFLECTORS INSIDE BOTH UNITS MELTED THEIR PLASTIC STANTIONS AND BECAME LOOSE WHICH ENABLED THEM TO REPEATEDLY HIT THE HEADLAMPS BURNING THEM OUT. I CALLED THE SUPPLIER TO GET NEW UNITS WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE PURCHASE AND TO INFORM THEM OF THE DEFECTS. THEY ALLOWED FOR A COMPLICATED RETURN/EXCHANGE WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO UTILIZE. NOW I NEED IT EXCHANGED TO SELL THE CAR. IT IS A HAZARD TO DRIVE FURTHER IN THIS CONDITION. THE PARTS CARRIED A ONE YEAR WARRANTY AS DO THEIR NEW BRAND OF THE SAME ITEMS. *TR

REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY P/N 341-1107L-US MADE BY DEPO FOR 2000 AUDI A4 HAS THE CENTER BULB ROTATED 180 DEGREES FROM THE ORIGINAL. A BULB ENGINEER AT SYLVANIA/OSRAM SAID THE PARTICULAR BULB LIGHT PATTERN IS DEPENDENT UPON ORIENTATION DUE TO THE FILAMENT STRUT AND A REFLECTOR IS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH THE BULB IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION. THE POTENTIAL ISSUES ARE 1) WAS THE REFLECTOR DESIGNED AND TESTED TO WORK WITH THE BULB THAT WAY, AND IF NOT 2) WAS THIS SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST OVERLOOKED OR IGNORED WHEN THE LIGHT WAS COPIED FROM THE ORIGINAL AUDI DESIGN, OR 3) WAS THIS A MANUFACTURING MISTAKE THAT HAPPENED TO A BATCH OF PARTS. A US DISTRIBUTOR THINKS #1 IS THE CASE, BUT HE MADE THE COMMENT WITHOUT SPEAKING TO THE ENGINEERS IN TAIWAN. IF THIS CONDITION IS IMPROPER, THERE ARE MANY LIGHT ASSEMBLIES OUT THERE LIKE THIS AND THEY MAY NOT PASS REGULATORY TESTS. I HAVE A PICTORIAL COMPARISON OF THE DEPO PART ALONGSIDE THE ORIGINAL THAT I CAN EMAIL AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. UPDATED 07/23/09 *BF *TR PICTURE RECEIVED. UPDATED 07/27/09