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2008 Saturn Astra

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Astra.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2008 Saturn Astra is a passenger car equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring 5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil at service intervals, delivering EPA fuel economy of 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined. On the reliability front, this model year has drawn 162 owner complaints with air bags as the top complaint area, accompanied by a single recall — a profile that places the 2008 among the more troublesome entries in the Astra's history and signals that any used example warrants a careful inspection of its air bag system before purchase.

Model year2009 2008

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque81 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy24/30/27 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 91 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 55593191. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. 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.

Battery groupBCI 91 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	55593191 alt 55594651
Engine air filter	93192885
Spark plug	95519058
Front wiper blades	93194629 discontinued
Serpentine belt	55350420 alt 55350421
Thermostat	25189205 alt 24435102
Cabin air filter	95528292 alt 13175554

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	170.5 in
Overall width	68.9 in
Overall height	57.5 in
Wheelbase	102.8 in
Curb weight	2921 lb
Track (front / rear)	58.3 / 57.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	24 / 30 / 27 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 81 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	4.2
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Manual Transmission Fluid	GM part number 88862472
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity	3.4

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

81 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order

1-3-4-2

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	5.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	91
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Thermostat Opening Temperature	Electrical: 194, Thermic: 221 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Engine Oil Pressure	18.5 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	Idle rpm
Intake Valve Lash	Hydraulic in
Exhaust Valve Lash	Hydraulic in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	18 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	74 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.005 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.984 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.984 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.867 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

1	18 ft. lbs.	18 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees.	90 degrees
3	90 degrees.	90 degrees
4	90 degrees.	90 degrees
5	45 degrees.	45 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 25,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 75,000 mi	Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Timing Belt (replace) · Timing Belt Tensioner (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2008 Saturn Astra exhibits a dramatically higher complaint volume compared to the following model year, with a steep drop from 162 federal complaints in 2008 to just 2 in 2009, indicating the target year sits at the troubled apex of this generation's problem arc. The vast majority of the 2008 model's issues—93 out of 162 complaints—center on the Air Bags, a concentration suggesting a systemic flaw, though the data does not specify the root cause. Additionally, the 2008 Astra logged 14 Power Train complaints, 9 Electrical System complaints, 5 crash complaints, and 3 fire complaints, alongside 1 recall, 1 investigation, and 793 technical service bulletins. While the steady recall and investigation count into 2009 shows continued regulatory scrutiny, the massive spike in 2008 complaints highlights it as the problematic inaugural year of the generation before these issues were largely mitigated. Given the disproportionate concentration of severe airbag and power train complaints relative to the vastly improved 2009 model, the 2008 Saturn Astra is a poor choice for a used buyer seeking reliability and safety.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

793

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

162

Owner complaints

5 involved a crash · 3 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 162 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags93

Power Train14

Electrical System9

Unknown Or Other5

Steering3

Tires3

Engine3

Steering,Electrical System2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

16V063000Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator ModuleReported 03/02/2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 793 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
13598	2025-09-09	Unknown Or Other	New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M	2025-08-06	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Astra. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 91 battery Vehicles taking 5 qt Engine oil filter 55593191 Engine air filter 93192885 Spark plug 95519058 Front wiper blades 93194629

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Astra take?

5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 Astra have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Astra get?

EPA figures are 24 city / 30 highway / 27 combined mpg.