Newbie help please!!

[Beermaker]

This is probably an odd first post but I need opinios...

My 2006 X5 was vandalized at Home Depot a couple weeks ago. Pretty good scratched across hood bumper and headlight. Almost caught the kids but anyway! So I take it in to a shop I have used before the fix it alland buff out the headlight. I pick it up and all looks good. Pull in my garage and one headlight doesnt turn on. Take it back to the collision center and they cant fix it. They say it needs to be "reset". They take it to the dealer and I get a call saying the headlight, controller and ignitor are burnt out. Says it is not related to the vandalism so Im on the hook for $1700. I tell the collision center it worked when I dropped it off. He says they didnt touch wiring just removed assembly and buffed lens.

Now for the back story. 2 years ago I hit a plastic lawn chair on the freeway. Jacked up my passenger front corner hood, bumper and light. The same collision center did the work and did an excellent job. Got it home and the headlight didnt work. Took it back and they said the bulb was bad. They ordered a new one. It didnt work. They took it to the dealership and had them fix it. I asked him what was wrong he said a wire was pulled and they rewired the light. No biggie, no cost to me they rolled it up into the insurance claim. So I ended up happy with the work the first time.

I am researching info for the battle tomorrow with the insurance co/collision center. Insurance co says they will stand behind the work if their reinspector feels it was caused by their certified collision center. So my question is what could they be doing wrong? What is the proper removal/installation for active HID headlights? Thanks for any help....

[PersonaNonGrata]

I would venture a guess that whatever fix they did the first time was a bit of a jerry rig job and when they pulled the light this time, it undid whatever they rigged up last time. Perhaps the controller is bad but it could be related to something that was improperly repaired the first time. I have taken out my headlights several times and actually polished my lenses a week or two ago. I have never had any problems as a result of anything I described and my X5 is 9 years old.

[Beermaker]

Thanks for you help.

Actually the problem 2 years ago was with the passenger side light. This times its the driver side.

I was thinking something like it is required that you disconnect the battery before removal or install and they didnt both times or something like that? Dont know, just irritated. I have had car since new and now have had 2 headlight failures and both were when it had work done that required removal of that headlight...At the same body shop!

BTW the shop is pretty well known and highly regarded which is why I chose them.