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Remanufactured Hyundai 2.4L L4 Engine - Sonata; Kia Sorento
2.4L · L4 · Part 272G
Call for availability
4-year no-fault nationwide warranty — includedOn gas engines in non-commercial use, at no extra charge. The builder’s standard cover is 3 years, parts only. Every gas engine we sell includes the 4-year no-fault warranty with labour, at no extra charge.
- “No fault” means we do not investigate why it failed — if a covered engine fails inside the term, it is covered.
- Labour is paid up to CAD $95.00 per hour — a cap on the rate, not a flat payout — and only for the remove-and-replace hours in the Mitchell labour guide. Diagnostic time is covered up to 2 hours, and fluids up to CAD $200.00. Towing and a rental car are not covered. Anything not listed here needs to be agreed with us before the work starts.
- The 4 years start the day the engine is installed, and a claim needs proof that a professional shop installed it.
- Unlimited kilometres, and no deductible.
- Call us before any warranty work starts, so we can authorise it. Labour paid on a repair we were not asked about first is not covered.
- A claim starts with a call to us. We file it with the manufacturer, and the manufacturer pays it.
Diesel engines, and engines put into commercial service, are not covered by this 4-year warranty — the terms vary by engine, so call us for the terms on the unit you’re pricing.
Add an install kit. Thermostat, water pump, belts, hoses, filters, plugs and leads — the parts that should not go back on a new engine. Ask for one with this engine and we quote it on the same order. What a proper install replaces
Warranty included — terms above
Core deposit refunded on return
Call us to confirm availability before you count on a date.
Shipping is freight-quoted after purchase, or pick up free in Edmonton.
Fits
- Hyundai Sonata 2015–2015 · 2.4L L4
Not sure it fits? Call (780) 473-2424 with your VIN and we'll confirm.
4-year warranty included
Refundable core
Ships Canada-wide
Engine guide
Hyundai/Kia Theta & Theta II 2.0/2.4
Also known as: Theta II, World Engine, G4KC, G4KE, G4KH, 2.4 MPI, 2.0T GDI
Overview & history
Few four-cylinder engines have powered more Hyundai and Kia vehicles — or generated more headlines — than the Theta family. Hyundai introduced the original Theta in the 2004 NF Sonata, and its architecture became the basis of the "World Engine" developed through the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, a joint venture with Chrysler and Mitsubishi. The improved Theta II arrived for 2009 with dual continuously variable valve timing, followed by direct-injected (GDI) and twin-scroll turbocharged versions from 2011. Built in Korea and at Hyundai's Montgomery, Alabama plant, Theta II 2.0 and 2.4-litre engines carried both brands' bestsellers through the 2010s: Sonata, Santa Fe, Tucson, Optima, Sorento, Sportage and Forte. The family is equally famous for its Achilles heel — machining debris left around the crankshaft during manufacturing could restrict oil flow and starve the rod bearings, leading to engine seizures, millions of recalled vehicles, a US$1.3-billion class settlement and the first whistleblower award in NHTSA history. That history is exactly why a quality remanufactured Theta II makes sense: remanufacturing strips the block completely, cleans every oil gallery, and installs new bearings on a properly machined crank, addressing the original factory defect at its source. If you are replacing a failed Theta II, you are in good company — it remains one of the most-replaced engines in North America.
Specs & engineering
- •All-aluminum, open-deck block with cast-iron cylinder liners and an aluminum DOHC 16-valve head — Hyundai's third all-aluminum engine design.
- •2.0L versions are square (86 mm bore x 86 mm stroke, 1,998 cc); the 2.4L runs an 88 mm bore with a long 97 mm stroke (2,359 cc) for low-end torque.
- •Chain-driven double overhead cams with silent-type timing chains (BorgWarner Morse TEC); no timing belt to replace.
- •Original Theta used intake-side CVVT; Theta II added continuously variable valve timing on both cams (dual CVVT).
- •Shimless bucket tappets with no hydraulic lash adjusters — valve clearance should be inspected around every 96,000 km (60,000 miles).
- •Counter-rotating balance shaft module in the oil pan keeps the big 2.4 four smooth at highway speed.
- •Fueling: multi-point injection on G4KC/G4KE at 10.5:1 compression; direct injection (GDI) on later variants, up to 11.3:1 on the 2.4 GDI.
- •The G4KH 2.0 T-GDI pairs direct injection with a twin-scroll turbo for 245-274 hp — the most powerful engine in this family.
- •No domestic-style casting-number system: Hyundai/Kia blocks are identified by the engine code (e.g. G4KE) and serial stamped on the block.
Generations & variants
- •Theta, Gen 1 (2004-2010): G4KA 2.0 MPI and G4KC 2.4 MPI (approx. 162 hp), intake-only CVVT — NF Sonata, first Kia Optima/Magentis applications.
- •Theta II MPI (2008-2015+): G4KD 2.0 and G4KE 2.4 (approx. 175-178 hp) with dual CVVT — the volume engine in Sonata, Santa Fe, Tucson, Optima, Sorento, Sportage, Forte and Rondo.
- •Theta II GDI (2011-2019): G4KJ 2.4 direct-injection, 188-201 hp — Sonata, Santa Fe Sport, Optima, Sorento.
- •Theta II Turbo GDI (2011-2019): G4KH 2.0 twin-scroll turbo, 245-274 hp — Sonata 2.0T, Optima SX 2.0T, Sportage SX, Santa Fe Sport 2.0T.
- •Theta II FR Turbo (2009-2014): G4KF 2.0 turbo in rear-drive form for the Genesis Coupe 2.0T, 210-274 hp depending on year.
- •Related offshoots: G4KK 2.4 hybrid and LPG versions (mostly Korean market), plus the later RWD G4KL 2.0T used in the Kia Stinger and Genesis G70.
Vehicles it powered
- •Hyundai Sonata (2006-2015)
- •Hyundai Sonata 2.0T (2011-2015)
- •Hyundai Santa Fe / Santa Fe Sport (2010-2015)
- •Hyundai Tucson (2010-2015)
- •Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T (2010-2014)
- •Kia Optima / Magentis (2006-2015)
- •Kia Optima SX 2.0T (2011-2015)
- •Kia Sorento 2.4 (2011-2015)
- •Kia Sportage / Sportage SX Turbo (2011-2015)
- •Kia Forte / Forte Koup SX 2.4 (2010-2013)
- •Kia Rondo 2.4 (2007-2012, Canada)
Known issues & fixes
Rod-bearing failure and engine seizure (the famous one)
What to watch for: Metallic knocking at idle or light throttle that gets louder as the engine warms, oil-pressure warnings, glitter in the drained oil, or a flashing check-engine light after the KSDS software update. Failures can be sudden — in the worst cases a rod exits the block.
The fix: Root cause was machining debris from crankshaft manufacturing restricting oil passages to the rod bearings. Once bearings are damaged there is no repair short of replacement. Check the VIN first — many vehicles qualify for Hyundai/Kia's lifetime engine warranty under the class settlement. Outside warranty, a complete remanufactured engine with fully cleaned oil galleries and new bearings is the permanent fix; do not just replace bearings in a debris-contaminated block.
Oil consumption at higher mileage
What to watch for: Oil level dropping noticeably between changes with no external leaks, especially on 2011+ GDI engines past 150,000 km. Low oil accelerates the bearing problem above.
The fix: Check the dipstick monthly and top up — never let a Theta run low. Shorten oil-change intervals to 5,000-6,000 km with quality 5W-30. Heavy consumers need piston rings or, more economically, a reman engine.
Intake-valve carbon buildup (GDI and T-GDI only)
What to watch for: Rough cold idle, misfire codes on startup, and gradual power loss on G4KJ/G4KH direct-injection engines — fuel never washes these intake valves.
The fix: Walnut-shell blasting of the intake valves roughly every 100,000 km restores drivability. Regular highway driving and quality fuel slow the buildup.
Valve-lash and timing-chain wear when maintenance slips
What to watch for: Light tapping from the top end (lash) or rattle on cold start (chain) on high-mileage, long-interval-oil-change engines. The Theta uses shimless buckets with no hydraulic adjusters.
The fix: Have valve clearance inspected around 96,000 km intervals and keep oil changes short and consistent — the timing chain and CVVT system depend on clean oil. Both are addressed with new components during remanufacture.
Did you know?
- ★The Theta was the 'World Engine': Hyundai led the base design for the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance with Chrysler and Mitsubishi, so close cousins of this engine powered Dodge Calibers, Jeep Compasses and Mitsubishi Lancers.
- ★The Theta II saga produced the first-ever whistleblower award in NHTSA history — former Hyundai engineer Kim Gwang-ho received US$24 million in 2021 for reporting the defect, the largest auto-industry whistleblower payout in the world.
- ★The resulting US$1.3-billion class settlement gave qualifying owners a lifetime engine warranty — worth checking any used Hyundai/Kia VIN before you buy an engine.
- ★The turbo branch of the family went on to genuine performance fame: the G4KH architecture underpins the 275-hp turbo four in the Hyundai Veloster N and i30 N hot hatches, and its RWD sibling powers the Kia Stinger.