CVT Fluid Change Cost: Dealer Prices, Fluid Price and Capacity
By the editorial desk. Prices and sources checked on November 13, 2026. How the figures are built.
A CVT transmission fluid change costs from $165.00 to $599.95 among the 5 dealer prices we found printed, as of November 13, 2026. Bianchi Honda in Erie, PA, starts at $165.00. Colonial Subaru in Danbury, CT, prints $599.95 for a CVT flush. Twelve quarts of Nissan NS-3 at a Walmart.com listing price come to $179.98 (our calculation).
- Lowest printed price$165.00Bianchi Honda, Erie, PA: CVT fluid change, starting price
- Highest printed price$599.95Colonial Subaru, Danbury, CT: CVT transmission flush
- Nissan NS-3 fluid$89.99Six quarts, a listing on Walmart.com
What dealers print for a CVT fluid service
Dealer service menus print a CVT service at from $165.00 to $599.95 among the 5 prices we found printed, as of November 13, 2026. In the lines we read, only Newton Nissan names a fluid quantity.
| Dealer | Name of the service on the menu | Printed price |
|---|---|---|
| Bianchi Honda, Erie, PA | Transmission Fluid Change, ATF/CVT | Starting at $165.00 for CVT, before tax |
| Braman Hyundai, Miami, FL | CVT Transmission Treatment Service | $229.99 |
| Newton Nissan of Gallatin, Gallatin, TN | Premium CVT Fluid Exchange, up to 12 quarts of Nissan synthetic CVT fluid | $399.95 |
| Liberty Subaru, Emerson, NJ | Transmission Service, CVT | Starting at $485.00, before NJ sales tax |
| Colonial Subaru, Danbury, CT | CVT Transmission Flush | $599.95 |
Sources: Bianchi Honda, Braman Hyundai, Newton Nissan, Liberty Subaru, Colonial Subaru. Checked November 13, 2026.
Bianchi Honda also prices a conventional automatic, as of November 13, 2026: it starts at $142.00 for ATF, $23.00 below its CVT price (our calculation). Liberty Subaru prints $199.95 for an automatic. Those services are on the home page. The Braman Hyundai line we read is a name and a price only. Subaru of Kennesaw, Kennesaw, GA, prints no price and says to call.
Fluid price times quantity
The fluid prices below are Walmart.com listings, not prices from an automaker's parts store.
| Fluid | Printed price and where | Per quart (our calculation) | Quantity a source prints | Fluid cost that follows (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda HCF-2, listed as "Genuine OEM HCF-2 CVT" | $119.95 for 6 quarts, Walmart.com listing | $119.95 ÷ 6 = $19.99 | No Honda quantity in our sources | $119.95 for the pack |
| Nissan NS-3 | $89.99 for 6 quarts, Walmart.com listing | $89.99 ÷ 6 = $15.00 | Up to 12 quarts, Newton Nissan menu; the 2023 Rogue manual prints dashes | 12 ÷ 6 × $89.99 = $179.98 |
| Idemitsu SB2, listed as "Subaru CVT Type SB2" | $67.79 for 5 quarts, Walmart.com listing | $67.79 ÷ 5 = $13.56 | 12.4 US quarts total, 2026 Outback 2.5 L; 12.6 with the 2.4 L turbo | 12.4 ÷ 5 × $67.79 = $168.12 |
Sources: Newton Nissan; Walmart listings for HCF-2, NS-3, Idemitsu SB2; 2023 Rogue manual; 2026 Outback manual. Checked November 13, 2026.
As of November 13, 2026, Newton Nissan prints $399.95 for up to 12 quarts; 12 quarts at the Walmart.com listing price is $179.98, and the difference is $219.97 (our calculation). This is a check, not a breakdown.
The Subaru figures are total capacity. The Outback manual calls its number "only a guideline"; we found no drain-and-refill quantity in it. Ask the shop how many quarts are on the quote.
What moves the price
- The fluid. From $13.56 to $19.99 per quart in the table above, as of November 13, 2026.
- The quantity. Up to 12 quarts at Newton Nissan.
- The method and the shop. The lowest printed price is called a change, the highest a flush.
- The model. Bianchi Honda and Colonial Subaru state that prices vary by model.
The fluid must match the transmission
CVT fluid is not interchangeable with ATF. Nissan and Subaru put this in writing.
- Nissan, bulletin NTB14-077, August 18, 2014: "NISSAN recommends using Genuine NISSAN NS-3 CVT Fluid ONLY in NISSAN CVTs. Do not mix with other fluids." Damage from other fluids is not covered under Nissan's New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
- Subaru, Service Program bulletin WTJ-70 for the 2017 Forester with CVT: "Always use specified CVTFII. Using other fluid will cause malfunction."
The 2026 Outback manual names no fluid. It says "Consult your SUBARU dealer." So the Idemitsu row is a price reference only: it is an Idemitsu fluid, not one the manual names. Lucas Oil prints that its Transmission Fix is "Not recommended for CVT transmissions".
Before you accept a quote, ask which fluid goes in and how many quarts. Check the name against your owner's manual.
Drain and fill or flush
The five menus use five names: change, treatment, exchange, service, flush. The lines we read do not describe the procedure. The Nissan and Subaru bulletins we opened print no statement about fluid exchange machines. Honda does, in Service Bulletin 16-061 of August 3, 2016, for the 2013 Accord V6 automatic and other listed models: flushing is "draining and filling the transmission with a drive cycle three times", and Honda does not recommend aftermarket flush systems. More on the flush versus change page.
Change interval by make
These schedules print a fixed replacement interval only for severe use or a listed condition.
| Vehicle | Standard driving | Severe use or listed condition |
|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic Sedan, 2023, CVT models | No fixed interval; Maintenance Minder sub item 3 | Every 25,000 miles, mountain driving at very low speeds |
| Nissan Rogue, 2024 | Inspect every 7,500 miles or 12 months | Replace every 60,000 miles |
| Nissan Altima, 2024, 2.5L | Inspect every 10,000 miles or 12 months | Replace every 60,000 miles or 72 months |
| Subaru, 2025 model year schedule, CVT except BRZ | Inspect only; no scheduled replacement | Replace every 24,855 miles; repeated trailer towing |
Sources: Honda Maintenance Minder, 2023 Civic; Nissan USA schedules for the 2024 Rogue and 2024 Altima; Subaru 2025 maintenance booklet. Checked November 13, 2026.
The 2024 Rogue owner's manual ties the 60,000-mile replacement to a car-top carrier, towing a trailer, a camper, or rough or muddy roads. Check the owner's manual for your model year. Other transmissions are on the interval page.
Signs of old fluid
We did not find a list of symptoms of old CVT fluid in the manuals and bulletins we read. The 2024 Rogue manual gives a measure instead: the dealer can read the fluid deterioration data, and above 210,000 the manual says to replace the fluid.
Warranty extensions and the price of a CVT
Nissan extended CVT coverage from 60 months/60,000 miles to 84 months/84,000 miles, whichever occurs first, on listed models that include the 2014-2018 Rogue, 2013-2018 Pathfinder, 2013-2016 Altima and 2013-2017 Sentra. Subaru extended it from 5 years or 60,000 miles to 10 years or 100,000 miles on listed 2010-2015 models and, by a letter dated June 30, 2025, on certain 2019-2020 vehicles.
As of November 13, 2026, Reman-Transmission.com lists a remanufactured CVT for a 2017 Honda Civic at $4,221.00 and for a 2017 Nissan Rogue 2.5L FWD at $3,173.00 to $4,326.00. More on the replacement cost page.
Sources: Nissan bulletins for Rogue and Pathfinder, 2013-14 Pathfinder, Altima and Sentra; Subaru bulletin 16-107-17R and 2025 letter; Reman-Transmission.com, Civic and Rogue. Checked November 13, 2026.
Questions and answers
How much does a CVT fluid change cost?
The five dealer menus we found print from $165.00 to $599.95, as of November 13, 2026. The lowest is at Bianchi Honda, Erie, PA, the highest at Colonial Subaru, Danbury, CT.
How often should you change CVT fluid?
Follow the schedule for your model. For severe use, Nissan prints every 60,000 miles for the 2024 Rogue and Subaru every 24,855 miles for 2025 models. Honda prints every 25,000 miles for a 2023 Civic CVT driven regularly in mountains at very low speeds.
Can I use regular ATF in a CVT?
Not in a Nissan CVT. Nissan bulletin NTB14-077 says: "Do not use Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) or Manual Transmission fluid in a NISSAN CVT, as it may damage the CVT."
Is my CVT covered by an extended warranty?
It may be, if the model and year are on a list. Nissan extended coverage to 84 months/84,000 miles on listed models, Subaru to 10 years or 100,000 miles.