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2008 Saturn Sky

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

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2008 Saturn Sky is a passenger car whose engine takes 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil, produced during a brief four-year run from 2007 through 2010. This model year drew 186 owner complaints and 5 recalls, with air bags standing out as the top complaint area — figures that slot it between the troubled 2007 launch, which amassed 284 complaints, and the significantly quieter 2009 model at just 46. For anyone studying the Sky's reliability history, the 2008 represents a clear midpoint: meaningfully improved over the first year, yet still a year away from the model's lowest complaint total.

Model year2010 2009 2008 2007

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.5 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 86 · 590 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12580255. 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 86 · 590 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12580255 alt 12605566
Engine air filter	15925738 alt 15287103
Spark plug	12681663
Front wiper blades	15214346 alt 25788743
Serpentine belt	12634321 alt 12585310
Thermostat	12622410 alt 03522676

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	161 in
Overall width	71.3 in
Overall height	50 in
Wheelbase	94.9 in
Curb weight	2859 lb
Track (front / rear)	61 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	50/50

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 75W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 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	9.4
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	75W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	2.5 qt
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	10 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order

1-3-4-2

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.03 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	4.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	86
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	86

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	57-67
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100
Engine Compression	100
Engine Oil Pressure	30-70 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	1000 rpm

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	25 ft-lbs / 20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	85 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.023 in / 0.465 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.023 in / 0.465 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.925 in / 0.413 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 125

74 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 125

74 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	155 degrees.	155 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	Tighten in sequence shown	22 ft. lbs
2	In sequence shown	155 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 mi	Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory 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.

Across the Saturn Sky's generation, federal complaints show a steep downward trend—from 284 in 2007 to zero in 2010—while technical service bulletins steadily increase from 820 to 1019, indicating progressive manufacturer refinement over the production run. The 2008 model year sits early in this arc, capturing a reduced but still significant 186 complaints compared to the debut year, and it carries the same elevated count of 5 recalls and 3 investigations as 2007. For the 2008 Sky specifically, complaint volume is heavily concentrated in critical safety systems, with 79 reports for Air Bags and 55 for Service Brakes, Hydraulic, alongside 8 crash complaints and 1 fire complaint. The provided data does not specify the root causes for these air bag and brake failures. Given the persistently high recall and investigation metrics and the concentration of safety-critical complaints, the 2008 model is not an optimal year to buy; shoppers should strongly consider a 2009 model instead, which offers a substantially lower complaint volume and fewer recalls.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

870

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

186

Owner complaints

8 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’07’08’09 ’10

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 186 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags79

Service Brakes, Hydraulic55

Service Brakes11

Electrical System,Air Bags7

Electrical System4

Engine3

Air Bags,Seats2

Electrical System,Unknown Or Other2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

17V061000Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant ClassificationReported 26/01/2017

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. The Passenger Air Bag Suppression System (PPS) sensor may become bent or damaged within the front passenger… Remedy: The remedy for this recall is still under development. A permanent remedy is currently under development. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Pontiac customer…

14V171000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 10/04/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In… Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 870 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 Sky. 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 86 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12580255 Engine air filter 15925738 Spark plug 12681663 Front wiper blades 15214346

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 Sky take?

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

Does the 2008 Sky have open recalls?

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