2008 Saturn Astra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Astra years
- Not enough data 1st of 2 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 162 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Saturn Astra. That is the most of any Astra model year in the database (2 years). The most reported problem area is air bags (96 complaints, 59%), typically at around 59,387 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 3 fires, 7 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 162owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 Saturn Astra problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 96 | 59% | 59,387 | “takata air bags” (38%) | — |
| Electrical System | 22 | 14% | 76,900 | — | — |
| Power Train | 17 | 10% | 49,569 | — | — |
| Engine | 8 | 5% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 4% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 4% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 3% | 51,750 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 2% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2% | 43,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 2% | 67,366 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 37,510 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 1% | 13,400 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 6,710 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 3,800 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Saturn Astra recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Astra. The contact stated that while shifted to park(P), the vehicle occasionally started rolling forward or backwards. The contact engaged the parking brake. Additionally, the contact was unable to start the vehicle and had to jiggle the key to start it. The contact…
The contact also stated that the vehicle would not shift out of reverse. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the shift bushing failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure
Lost power steering without any warning it got very stiff i could not steer the car it got electric power steering pump not mechanical. i want online and this vehicle is made by GM / Opel . many people having the same issue .and parts are discontinuned and only available as used or you can get it…
My right headlight, kept going out. I couldnt get a sticker because the mechanic stated the headlight kept burning. He reground the right headlight so it could get energy from the battery. Currently, everything in the diagnostic of the car says low beam.
I can't get in gear. Sometimes I can put it gear but after I have stopped and put it in park, it will not go into any gear so I get stuck. I am a senior and bought this second hand. It only has 47,000 miles on it. It appears it doesn't always go into park properly. This shift problem has been…
Other Saturn Astra years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Astra | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 | 162 | 1 |
See all Saturn Astra problems by year, every Saturn model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Saturn models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Saturn Astra?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 96 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Saturn Astra?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 Saturn Astra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Astra model years, the 2008 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.