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2008 Saturn Aura

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

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2008 Saturn Aura is a passenger car with a 5-quart oil capacity requiring 5W-30 API viscosity. It accumulated 432 total owner complaints, with the top complaint area being the Power Train, and was subject to five recalls. Within the model’s complaint history from 2000 to 2010, the 2008 sits between the highest-complaint year of 2007 (608 complaints) and the lowest of 2010 (2 complaints), indicating a moderate but notable reliability concern for this model year.

Model year200920082007

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 torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 90 · 590 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. 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 90 · 590 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12690386 alt 12731179
Engine air filter22676970
Spark plug19300872 alt 12681663
Battery88866263
Front wiper blades19432583 alt 19432584
Serpentine belt12577771 alt 12594450
Thermostat03522676 alt 12622410

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length190.9 in
Overall width70.5 in
Overall height57.5 in
Wheelbase112.2 in
Curb weight3530 lb
Track (front / rear)59.4 / 60.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

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 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 22.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. 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 FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity6.3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts10 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug22.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Type41-100
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.10 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity5.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number90
Standard BCI Cranking Performance590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number90

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature194-225 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-60
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)55-62
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)56-62
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket26 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle96 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.023 in / 0.551 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.023 in / 0.551 in
Rotor Minimum Machining0.906 in / 0.472 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 12574 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Installation pass old bolt. Step 292 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 15074 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
1Tighten in sequence shown22 ft. lbs
2In sequence shown155 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
1Tighten in sequence shown22 ft. lbs
2In sequence shown155 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
144 ft. lbs.44 ft. lbs
2140 degrees.; Do not re-use old bolts.140 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep M11 Bolts:

122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2150 degrees.; M8 Bolts 9-10:150 degrees
111 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
275 degrees.; Do not reuse cylinder head bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head, head bolt bosses.75 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 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 miExhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · 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.

Federal records place the 2008 Saturn Aura in the middle of the model line’s peak defect-reporting period, with 432 complaints representing a decline from 2007’s 608 but remaining drastically higher than the 5 logged in 2005. The recall burden reaches its generation maximum in 2008 at 5, matching 2009 and exceeding 2007’s 4, while investigations moderate slightly to 1 from the prior year’s 2. Technical service bulletins stay near their height at 999, indicating sustained manufacturer-directed service activity that trails only 2009’s 1,015. For 2008 specifically, the highest complaint volumes fall under Power Train (92) and Steering (71), with smaller counts in Electrical System (20) and Air Bags (15), alongside 18 crash-related and 1 fire complaint, though the data does not specify underlying causes. Relative to the broader arc, 2008 shows modest improvement over 2007 yet remains firmly within the elevated 2007–2009 plateau before 2010’s sharp drop to 2 complaints. Given that it carries the joint-highest recall count and complaint rates well above the low-precedent years, 2008 is not the most favorable year to buy compared with the cleaner 2010 record.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
999
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
432
Owner complaints
18 involved a crash · 1 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’00’05’07’08’09’10

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 432 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train92
Steering71
Electrical System20
Air Bags15
Service Brakes14
Exterior Lighting13
Seats10
Unknown Or Other8

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V224000Power Train:Automatic TransmissionReported 30/04/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule…

14V252000Electrical System:WiringReported 14/05/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 999 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
135982025-09-09Unknown Or OtherNew Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M2025-08-06Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis 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 Aura. 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 90 batteryVehicles taking 5 qtEngine oil filter 12690386Engine air filter 22676970Spark plug 19300872Battery 88866263

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Aura take?

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

Does the 2008 Aura have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.