Potential Problems With Hyundai's Gamma 1.4L Engine & Which Models Have One

Hyundai, a popular car manufacturer has become known for its affordable and feature-rich automobiles. The company is South Korean, but Hyundai makes their vehicles in facilities around the world. In fact, there are many Hyundai models made in the U.S.A. One of its engine's series, the Gamma, includes a 1.4L inline four-cylinder that comes equipped on some of its budget cars like the Accent. This variant of the engine isn't as widely available as the 1.6L and is offered in fewer vehicles.

Those with Hyundai vehicles that include the 1.4L engine have reported strange sounds that include knocking, ticking, and rattling, both in the manual and automatic transmission models. However, the Gamma 1.4L still makes our list for the most reliable Hyundai engines ever built.

The Gamma engine appeared in the fourth generation of the Hyundai Accent sedan and hatchback from 2011. North American Accents were only provided the 1.6L version of this engine, while other regions like Asia could opt for the smaller 1.4L. This small Gamma engine was also available in Hyundai models not released in the U.S., like the Solaris in Russia and the Verna in India.

While owners of the Gamma 1.4L-equipped Hyundai Accent report a 4.4 out 5 stars on productreview.com.au, there are some who are describing unusual engine sounds. One owner explained, "I opened my window and surprisingly the sound that I heard [was a] knocking engine sound." Another owner relayed, "Engine knock is worse when under heavy load, [going] uphill or doing a sharp turn." After taking a Hyundai Accent back to the dealer because of rattling sounds, one owner posted, "Talking with the technicians there, a lot of 2012 Accent owners already came back to the shop to complain about their rattling sound in the engine bay."

One potential source of the sound could be fuel related. If the spark plugs are showing noticeable corrosion, it could be due to poor gasoline quality. Installing a new set of spark plugs could eliminate the noise. However, valve timing could also be off with ignition occurring out of sync. An auto mechanic in the UK was troubleshooting the Gamma 1.4L engine experiencing noises and readjusting the valve timing solved the issue.

The Gamma series 1.4L engine is not only found in several Hyundais such as the i20, i30, Accent, Verna, and Solaris, it's also featured in some Kia models. If you check under the hood of Kia Cee'd models between 2012 and 2018, there is a good chance it'll be Hyundai's compact Gamma engine. The Cee'd is a Kia reserved for the European market and not available in the U.S. 

While Europe, Asia, and Australia all received the option for a Gamma 1.4L, the U.S. was only given the larger 1.6L engine. Over the decades Americans have favored bigger engines, so it's likely Hyundai and Kia didn't believe the smaller Gamma configuration would sell. However, drivers in the U.S. seem to be looking more favorably on engines with less displacement and fewer cylinders. In 2023 there were upward of 10 vehicles that came equipped with three-cylinder engines, according to WSILTV.com.