Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2006 COOPER S - Hardtop R53.
The 2006 Mini COOPER S – Hardtop (R53) is a passenger‑car built around the R53 engine, requiring 4.8 qt of 5W‑30 oil and mated to an S6 automatic transmission. It delivers EPA‑rated fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. With 413 owner complaints logged for the model year, air‑bag problems top the list and the vehicle carries one recall, indicating a reliability record dominated by that single safety issue.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.
From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 480 CCA battery, OE oil filter 11427562249. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.
| Engine oil filter | 11427562249 alt 11427509211 |
| Engine air filter | 13721477840 alt 13717558382 |
| Fuel filter | 16146757196 alt 16146765122 |
| Battery | 61218377139 |
| Front wiper blades | 61610028137 |
| Thermostat | 11537596787 alt 11537512733 |
| Cabin air filter | 64319257505 |
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Transmission | Automatic (S6) |
| Overall length | 143.3 in |
| Overall width | 66.5 in |
| Overall height | 55.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 97.2 in |
| Curb weight | 2701 lb |
| Track (front / rear) | 57.5 / 57.5 in |
| Weight distribution (front / rear) | 61/39 |
| EPA city / highway / combined | 21 / 29 / 24 mpg |
| Drivetrain | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Recommended fuel | Premium Gasoline |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 4.8 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 88 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 23.0 ft-lbs.
| Automatic Transmission Fluid | With CVT: BMW part number 83220136376 |
| Brake Fluid | DOT 4 |
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | SYNTHETIC · 5W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4.8 qt |
| Engine Oil | SYNTHETIC · 5W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 5.1 qt |
| Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity | 3.6-4.0 |
| Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs | 22 ft-lbs |
| Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts | 85 ft-lbs |
| Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts | 19 ft-lbs |
| Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts | 36 ft-lbs |
| Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug | 23.0 ft-lbs |
| Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs | 13 ft-lbs |
| Lug Nuts | 88 ft-lbs |
| Curb Idle Speed (No Load) | 770 rpm |
| Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load) | 50 rpm |
| Spark Plug Manufacturer | BMW |
| Spark Plug Gap | Not adjustable in |
| Spark Plug Torque | 16.0 ft-lbs |
| Refrigerant | R134a |
| Refrigerant Capacity | 0.89-1.00 lbs |
| Standard BCI Group Number | 47 |
| Standard BCI Cranking Performance | 480 cca |
| Pressure Test | ----- psi |
| Radiator Cap Pressure Relief | ------ psi |
| Thermostat Opening Temperature | ------- °F |
| Engine Compression | 167-247 PSI. |
| Torque Caliper to Bracket | 22-25 ft-lbs |
| Torque to Knuckle | 81 ft-lbs / 48 ft-lbs |
| Minimum Pad Thickness | Front: 0.118; Rear: 0.0118 in |
| Rotor Nominal Thickness From | 0.866 in / 0.394 in |
| Rotor Nominal Thickness To | 0.866 in / 0.394 in |
| Rotor Minimum Machining | 0.031 in |
| Rotor Discard at or Under | 0.803 in / 0.331 in |
| 1 | 4 ft. lbs., Step 2: 7 ft. lbs., Step 3: 130 | 4 ft. lbs |
| 1 | 6 ft. lbs., Step 2: 22 ft. lbs., Step 3: 90 | 6 ft. lbs |
| 1 | 22 ft. lbs., Step 2: 150 | 22 ft. lbs |
Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.
Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi.
| Every 100,000 mi | Oxygen Sensor (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill) |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 2006 Mini COOPER S - Hardtop dominate in one area — the air bags, 145 of 413 reports (35%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the air bags are also the target of recall 15V-205 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 13 of the reports describe a crash and 17 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 413 complaints on record, top 8 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to November 28, 2006, and 2005-2008 MINI Cooper Convertible and Cooper S… Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2015. Owners may contact MINI…
Showing 5 of 56 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| M511616 | 2023-11-02 | Structure | Cavity protection applied to underside of the hood is leaking out onto the wheel arch… |
| M610607 | 2023-10-25 | Electrical System | MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result… |
| M240112 | 2019-07-12 | Electrical System | Programming a Replacement EGS Module with ISTA/P. Programming a replacement electronic… |
| M650610 | 2018-06-01 | Equipment | NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is… |
| M650610 | 2018-05-01 | Equipment | NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS MISSING OR INCORRECT ROAD MAP DATA: The route guidance is… |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
4.8 qt of USE MINI SYNTHETIC 5W-30 MOTOR OIL, per the factory manual.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.
EPA figures are 21 city / 29 highway / 24 combined mpg.