SEOUL, Nov. 11 (UPI) — A whistleblower who reported a faulty Hyundai Motor engine to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will receive more than $24 million from the U.S. agency.
The NHTSA announced the award — which amounts to 30 percent of the $81 million collected from Hyundai and Kia following the whistleblower’s report — on Tuesday. It is the first ever whistleblower award issued by the agency.
The whistleblower provided information related to Hyundai and Kia’s violations of the U.S. Safety Act to the NHTSA.
As a result, the agency issued consent orders to the two South Korean automakers last year regarding the defects in their Theta II engines.
The NHTSA said the two carmakers carried out untimely recalls of more than 1.6 million vehicles powered by Theta II engines and inaccurately reported crucial information regarding the engine defects to the agency.
The NHTSA said it encourages more reports from whistleblowers.
“Whistleblowers play a crucial role in bringing information to NHTSA about serious safety problems that are hidden from the agency,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Steven Cliff said in a statement.
“This information is critical to public safety, and we are committed to rewarding those who bring information to us,” he said.
Hyundai and Kia officials declined to comment.
“As far as road safety is concerned, the U.S. regulations are very strict and set the norm for other countries,” Daelim University automotive Professor Kim Pil-soo said. “Hyundai and Kia have to wake up.”