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The RE5R05A is the Jatco-built five-speed longitudinal automatic (Jatco designation JR507E) that Nissan and Infiniti used across a huge chunk of the lineup from the early 2000s into the mid 2010s. It sits behind the VQ40DE in the Frontier, Xterra and Pathfinder, behind the VK56DE in the Titan and Armada, and shows up in the Infiniti QX56, FX, M and G platforms as well.
It is a strong transmission when it is looked after. It is also one of the most heat-sensitive automatics of its era, it usually has no dipstick, and Nissan's published maintenance schedule told a lot of owners they never needed to touch the fluid. That combination is why so many of these trucks show up at a transmission shop at 130,000 miles with a burnt 3-5 clutch pack and a $4,000 estimate.
Cost, short version: $70 to $130 DIY for a drain-and-fill, $110 to $200 DIY with a filter and pan gasket, $180 to $300 at an independent shop for a drain-and-fill, and $280 to $480 for a shop pan drop with a new filter.
Cost Breakdown
| Service | DIY Parts Cost | Independent Shop | Nissan Dealer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drain and fill (fluid only) | $70 – $130 | $180 – $300 | $260 – $400 |
| Pan drop, filter and gasket, refill | $110 – $200 | $280 – $480 | $400 – $650 |
| Three staged drain-and-fills | $210 – $390 | $450 – $780 | — |
| Machine fluid exchange | Not practical DIY | $320 – $520 | $450 – $700 |
The reason a DIY drain-and-fill on this truck costs twice what the same job costs on a domestic transmission is the fluid. Nissan genuine ATF runs roughly $13 to $22 per quart depending on where you buy it, and you need four to five quarts. There is no way around that number if you use the correct fluid, and using the correct fluid is not optional here.
Shop labor on the drain-and-fill is short — under an hour of wrench time — but the fill procedure adds time because it has to be done at a specific fluid temperature with a scan tool connected. That is what you are paying the extra labor for, and it is worth paying for if you do not have the tool.
Which Fluid: Matic-D, Matic-J, or Matic-S
This is the question that generates the most bad advice on Nissan forums, so here is the straight version.
Early RE5R05A applications were filled with Nissan Matic-D. That is what the earliest service information listed, and it is still what some parts catalogs show if you look up an early build. Nissan later introduced Matic-J and then Matic-S, and Matic-S supersedes the earlier Matic D/J/K fluids in RE5R05A applications. Most later Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder and Armada service information calls for Matic-S directly.
What to do: look up the current specification for your specific VIN and model year rather than trusting a decade-old forum post or a jug label. If your vehicle's information lists Matic-S, use Matic-S. If it lists Matic-D, Matic-S is the current supersession in this family. What you must not do is substitute a fluid from a different family.
Fluids that are wrong for this transmission
- DEXRON VI. Different friction specification entirely. It is the right answer on a GM unit and the wrong answer here.
- MERCON LV. Same problem in the other direction.
- Nissan NS-2 or NS-3 CVT fluid. These are CVT fluids for the Jatco continuously variable units in the Altima, Rogue and Sentra. They are not interchangeable with RE5R05A fluid and putting CVT fluid in a stepped automatic will destroy it. This mistake happens more often than you would think because "Nissan transmission fluid" gets treated as one category at the counter.
- Universal multi-vehicle ATF. Formulated to be tolerable across many specifications and optimal for none. On a transmission this sensitive to clutch friction characteristics, that is a real compromise.
If the wrong fluid already went in, do not just top it off and hope. Our guide on what to do after adding the wrong transmission fluid covers the dilution procedure.
Capacity: Buy Five Quarts, Use Four and a Half
| Measurement | Approximate Volume |
|---|---|
| Total capacity (case, converter, cooler, lines) | ~9.5 to 10.5 quarts (about 9 to 10 liters) |
| Drain-and-fill volume | ~4 to 5 quarts |
| Additional released by dropping the pan | ~0.5 to 1 quart |
| Retained in the torque converter | ~3 to 4 quarts |
A single drain-and-fill replaces roughly 45 to 50 percent of the fluid. That is why one service on a badly neglected truck does not turn the fluid red again — you diluted the burnt fluid, you did not remove it. Three staged services over a few weeks is the standard approach, and it is why the "three drain-and-fills" line shows up in the cost table above.
The No-Dipstick Fill Procedure
Most 2005 and newer RE5R05A applications are sealed. There is no dipstick and no dipstick tube. The level is set by an overflow plug inside the charging pipe, and it is only valid inside a narrow fluid temperature window — roughly 95 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit on most applications, which is barely warm. Above or below that window, the same amount of fluid gives a different reading because the fluid expands with heat.
The procedure in outline:
- Remove the drain plug, drain, reinstall with a new crush washer.
- Remove the filler/charging plug and add the measured amount you drained out.
- Start the engine, cycle the shifter through all positions with your foot on the brake, and return to Park.
- Watch ATF temperature on a scan tool. When it enters the specified window, pull the overflow plug inside the charging pipe.
- Fluid should trickle out and stop. A steady stream means overfilled. Nothing at all means underfilled — add until it trickles.
- Reinstall the overflow plug and the charging plug and torque them properly. These are aluminum threads.
Skipping the temperature step is the most common way this job goes wrong. Set the level with hot fluid and you end up chronically underfilled, which starves the pump on grades and under load. Set it cold and you overfill, which aerates the fluid and causes exactly the flare and slip you were trying to prevent. If you do not have a scan tool that reads transmission fluid temperature, this is the one service where paying a shop the extra hour is genuinely worth it.
The Filter and What the Pan Tells You
The RE5R05A has an internal filter in the pan. It is not a lifetime item regardless of what a maintenance schedule implies. Replace it at every second fluid service at minimum, and at the first service if you bought the vehicle used with no records.
When the pan is off, spend the ten minutes to read it:
- Gray paste on the magnets is normal steel wear.
- Black flakes or fibrous material is clutch friction material. That is a transmission telling you it is partway through failing.
- Bronze or brass glitter means bushings or thrust washers. That is a rebuild conversation, not a fluid conversation.
- Pink, milky, or milkshake-colored fluid is coolant contamination. Stop. Read the next section.
Why This Matters So Much on Titan, Frontier, Xterra and Pathfinder
The radiator cooler failure
On a large number of 2005 to 2010 Xterra, Frontier and Pathfinder models, the transmission cooler is built into the radiator end tank. When the internal barrier between the coolant side and the ATF side cracks, engine coolant enters the transmission and ATF enters the cooling system. The result is a pink, opaque fluid that owners nicknamed the strawberry milkshake. Ethylene glycol destroys clutch friction material and paper filter media very quickly, and a transmission that has ingested coolant is usually finished within a few hundred miles.
Two practical takeaways. First, look at your ATF and your coolant overflow bottle regularly on these trucks — oily film in the coolant is the early warning. Second, if a transmission on one of these platforms is ever replaced or rebuilt, the radiator gets replaced too and the cooler lines get flushed, or the new unit ingests the residual contamination and fails again. This is not a corner anyone should cut.
Heat and towing
Titan and Armada owners tow with these trucks, and Frontier and Xterra owners take them off-road at low speed where airflow through the cooler is minimal. Both conditions cook ATF. Oxidized fluid loses its friction characteristics, the clutch packs slip a little on every shift, that slip generates more heat, and the cycle accelerates. A supplemental transmission cooler is one of the best-value modifications on any of these trucks — see our notes on a transmission cooler for the Nissan Frontier.
What failure looks like
The usual progression on a neglected RE5R05A is a harsh or delayed 1-2 shift, then a flare on the 2-3 or 3-4, then codes in the P0745, P0744 or P1730 range, then limp mode. By the time it is in limp, the clutch material that caused it is already in the pan and circulating through the valve body. Our RE5R05A problems and cost page walks through each symptom and what the repair runs.
Service Interval
Nissan's published schedule for many RE5R05A applications listed no fluid replacement under normal driving conditions and roughly a 60,000-mile interval under severe conditions. In practice almost every truck qualifies as severe: towing, hauling, off-road, dusty conditions, stop-and-go traffic, or sustained high ambient temperature.
Practical interval: 30,000 to 45,000 miles. Filter every second service. If you tow, go to 30,000. Given that a fluid service costs a couple hundred dollars and a replacement transmission for one of these runs $3,500 to $6,000 installed, the math is not close.
RE5R05A Parts, Shipped Same-Day
Filter and pan gasket kits, solenoid kits, valve bodies with TCM and solenoids, TCMs, and full master rebuild kits for the Nissan and Infiniti RE5R05A. Same-day ship on orders before 2pm Eastern.
Shop RE5R05A Parts → Core Transmission Parts →FAQ
How much does an RE5R05A fluid change cost?
A DIY drain-and-fill runs about $70 to $130 for fluid alone, or $110 to $200 with a filter and pan gasket kit. An independent shop charges roughly $180 to $300 for a drain-and-fill and $280 to $480 for a pan drop with a new filter. Dealer pricing typically lands $80 to $150 higher.
What fluid does the Nissan RE5R05A take?
Early applications were filled with Nissan Matic-D. Nissan later released Matic-S, which supersedes the earlier Matic D/J/K fluids in RE5R05A applications, and most later Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder and Armada service information calls for Matic-S. Check the specification listed for your VIN, and never substitute DEXRON VI, MERCON LV, or Nissan CVT fluid.
How much fluid does an RE5R05A hold?
Roughly 9.5 to 10.5 quarts total including the converter and cooler. A drain-and-fill only moves about 4 to 5 quarts because the converter does not drain. Buy five quarts for a drain-and-fill, six if you are dropping the pan.
Does the RE5R05A have a dipstick?
Most 2005 and newer Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder and Armada applications do not. The level is set through an overflow plug inside the charging pipe with the fluid inside a specific temperature window, so you need a scan tool that reads ATF temperature.
How often should RE5R05A fluid be changed?
Every 30,000 to 45,000 miles in real-world use. Towing, off-road use, and hot climates put nearly every truck in the severe-service category regardless of what the published schedule says.
What is the Nissan strawberry milkshake problem?
On many 2005 to 2010 Xterra, Frontier and Pathfinder models the transmission cooler is inside the radiator. When the internal barrier fails, coolant and ATF mix into a pink milkshake-colored fluid that destroys the transmission quickly. If your fluid looks pink or milky, stop driving it, and never reuse the original radiator when replacing the transmission.
Can you flush an RE5R05A?
You can, but on a high-mileage unit with unknown history a series of drain-and-fills is lower risk. Drain and fill, drive 300 to 500 miles, repeat twice more. That gets you most of the way to fresh fluid without hitting a worn unit with a sudden full-volume change.