Eley et al. (1993) report that,
The reliability of electronic ballasts has been questioned since their introduction in 1981. Some manufacturers' initial products failed prematurely. Those manufacturers who were unable to improve their products are no longer producing electronic ballasts. Other manufacturers have been in production over ten years with documented ballast failure rates of less than 1% after five years of operation. At this time, it is apparent that long term usage has demonstrated the reliability of electronic ballasts.
