Saturn›Aura›2009›Overview/saturn/aura/2009/base/

2009 Saturn Aura

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2009 Aura.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2009 Saturn Aura is a passenger car that, per its specifications, requires 5 quarts of 5W‑30 API oil. It accumulated 390 owner complaints over its lifespan, with steering problems topping the complaint list and five recall actions issued. This places the 2009 model year between the peak of 608 complaints in 2007 and the minimal two complaints recorded in 2010, indicating a mid‑range reliability standing for that 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 · 600 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 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12690386 alt 12580255
Engine air filter22676970 alt 19160306
Spark plug19300872 alt 12681663
Battery88866263
Front wiper blades19432583 alt 19432584
Serpentine belt12594450 alt 12639468
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
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 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

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.10 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity5.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number90
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number90

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-60
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)56-62
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Injector Primary Resistance1.25-1.75 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression100
Engine Oil Pressure20 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM3000 rpm
Intake Valve LashHydraulic in

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
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

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) · Vehicle Wiring Harnesses (inspect)
Every 50,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miEngine 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 2009 Saturn Aura sits amid a sharp spike in complaints that began in 2007, when the model first received 608 complaints and 4 recalls, and peaked again in 2008 with 432 complaints and 5 recalls. By 2009 the complaints had fallen to 390 but the recall count remained at 5, indicating a persistent, unresolved safety issue across the generation. The top complaint categories—Steering (148), Power Train (45), Steering/Esc (20), and Air Bags (13)—show that the vehicle’s handling and safety systems were the primary concerns, a trend that continued through 2010 when complaints dropped dramatically to 2. The 2009 model’s 12 crash complaints and 2 fire complaints are lower than the 2007–2008 peak, suggesting some improvement but still higher than the 2010 baseline. Overall, the 2009 Aura is the last year in a generation that experienced elevated safety and reliability issues, so a used purchase should be approached with caution and a thorough pre‑purchase inspection.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1015
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
390
Owner complaints
12 involved a crash · 2 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 390 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering148
Power Train45
Steering,Electronic Stability Control (Esc)20
Air Bags13
Steering,Electrical System8
Service Brakes7
Fuel/Propulsion System6
Steering,Electrical System,Electronic Stability Control (Esc)5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

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…

14V153000Steering:Electric Power Assist SystemReported 31/03/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1015 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 2009 Aura take?

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

Does the 2009 Aura have open recalls?

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