2017 Kia Optima vs 2017 Nissan Altima
Two midsize cars, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2017 Kia
Optima
5/10
Great value on paper, but the Theta II engine's rod bearing lottery makes this a car you buy with a lawyer's eye, not a shopper's.
VS
2017 Nissan
Altima
5/10
Great seats, decent gas mileage, and a transmission that's basically a ticking time bomb past 80k miles unless you can prove otherwise with paperwork.
Dead heat: both score 5/10. The tiebreaker is which specific car you find.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Kia Optima |
Nissan Altima |
| Known failure points | 5 | 5 |
| NHTSA complaints | 254 | 390 |
| Safety recalls | 3 | 3 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 42 | 48 |
| Cheap to own | 45 | 45 |
| Fun factor | 48 | 30 |
| Holds value | 38 | 40 |
| Enthusiast cred | 25 | 15 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2017 Kia Optima
Catastrophic engine seizure from unresolved oil consumption/rod knock (the failure mode owners report on forums and to NHTSA)
$5,000–$8,50080k–120k mi
2017 Nissan Altima
CVT (Jatco JF017E/RE0F10 variant) shudder, whine, and failure — the transmission gets hot, the fluid degrades, and torque converter/chain wear leads to slipping or outright death
$150–$4,80060k–100k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2017 Kia Optima
2017 Optima SXL 2.0T with full documented service history, clean UBPI (used bearing/piston inspection) or dealer oil consumption test, and confirmed enrollment in the Theta II engine settlement — loaded, quicker, and the least likely to burn oil catastrophically.
✅ 2017 Nissan Altima
A 2017 Altima 2.5 SV or SL with full CVT fluid change records and remaining Nissan extended CVT warranty coverage — the four-cylinder is the safer long-term bet and the SV/SL trims add real comfort features (heated seats, better infotainment) without the SR's pointless premium.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.