[THE INVESTOR] South Korean authorities are looking into Hyundai Motor’s Theta II engine over complaints of engine failure, and abnormal levels of noise.

According to local news reports, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ordered the Korea Transport Safety Authority to analyze the Theta II engine on Oct. 4.

Since 2012, five complaints concerning the engine have been filed with the recall center operated by the Korea Transport Safety Authority. 




Complaints regarding the Theta II engine have been raised both in Korea and abroad, and Hyundai Motor recently agreed to repair and compensate owners of concerned vehicles in the US.

The affected vehicles are fitted with 2-liter and 2.4-liter Theta II gasoline engines produced at Hyundai’s plant in Alabama between 2011 and 2014.

Although the complaints filed in Korea concern the same engine model, the company maintains that the faults in the US-produced engine occurred due to conditions at the Alabama plant, and that the engines produced here would not develop similar faults.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)