US Confirms $90 Billion Fine for Hyundai-Kia Theta2 Engine Recall... Uncertainty Resolved

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors have resolved the issue by agreeing to a fine imposed by the U.S. transportation authorities to conclude the investigation surrounding the engine recall process.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on the 27th (local time) that it imposed a fine of $81 million (approximately 89.9 billion KRW) following the investigation into the adequacy of the recall for Hyundai and Kia's Theta2 GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) engines.

The settlement amount was $54 million (approximately 59.9 billion KRW) for Hyundai and $27 million for Kia.

Under the agreement with NHTSA, Hyundai will invest $40 million (44.4 billion KRW) and Kia will invest $16 million (17.7 billion KRW) to strengthen safety performance measurements and develop quality data analysis systems.

NHTSA stated in a press release that additional fines will be deferred if safety conditions are met.

Brian Latouf, Hyundai's Chief Safety Officer, said in a statement, "We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation and NHTSA to proactively identify and resolve potential safety issues."

NHTSA has been conducting an investigation into the adequacy of recalls for vehicles equipped with Theta2 GDi engines, which Hyundai and Kia recalled in 2015 and 2017 respectively, since 2017.

Hyundai and Kia stated that this agreement allows them to resolve risks and uncertainties related to the Theta2 GDi engines in the United States.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.