Most common 2008 Saturn Sky problems
Share of the 186 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saturn Sky complaints by model year
Best Sky years: 2010, 2009. Years to avoid: 2007, 2008. Compare all years →
2008 Saturn Sky recalls (4)
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
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 seat, possibly disabling the front passenger air bag.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall is still under development. A permanent remedy is currently under development. The recall began February 26, 2018.
Electrical system › Ignition
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 the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
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 redesigned part, dealers will replace the…
Air bags
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207, "seating systems." and standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." these vehicles May have one to four inboard seat stud fasteners that do not meet specification for strength.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the inboard seat studs and, if necessary, remove the stud and install a bolt free of charge. The recall began on October 10, 2007.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2008 Saturn Sky:
Inadequate brake power assist
In model year (my) 2007, Pontiac solstice and Saturn sky vehicles equipped with the 2.0l turbocharged engine used an auxiliary vacuum pump to supplement the engine as a source of vacuum to the brake booster during low vacuum conditions, such as immediately after a cold start.the vacuum pump operation was controlled by switches that sensed booster vacuum, turning the pump on when booster vacuum dropped below a…
HVAC Blower Motor Connector
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Defect Petition received December 12, 2019 requesting an investigation into the possibility of passenger compartment fires attributed to overheating HVAC blower motor connectors in Model Years (MY) 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky vehicles.An analysis of General Motors (GM) complaint data and information in NHTSA?s databases identified…
Passenger Sensing System Sensor Mat
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting the opening of an investigation into the air bag system on model year 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky, the subject vehicles.The petitioner raised the issue of failure of the Passenger Sensing System for the front passenger seating position.On January 26, 2017, General Motors filed a defect information report recalling the…
What 2008 Saturn Sky owners say
Air bags all 94 →
The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Sky. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the module kit, the OCS sensor, and the four retainers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V061000 (Air Bags); however, the vehicle had experienced the failure stated in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Had recall# 17036 performed for PPS system and dealer could not clear fault codes after adding tape to the PPS seat. Why will the dealer not complete the recall by making sure the faults are no longer present. 1- 004A-00 Communication fault 2- 0033-00 Internal electronic performance 1 3- 0031-00 Internal electronic performance 2 4- 0039-00 Internal electronic performance 1 5- 0034-00 Internal electronic performance 1 6- 0059-00 Preload failure region 1
Brakes all 72 →
When pressing on the brakes in reverse, they fail to stop the resistance is very hard, like stepping on a brick, and it does nothing to slow the vehicle. I had to throw the emergency brake on and put the car in gear in order to stop it from rolling backwards.
My car was parked in the driveway on an incline, emergency brake was set. My car rolled down the driveway and off an embankment. The emergency brake was still up when it stopped. The car was a total loss.
Electrical system
2008 saturn sky the key keeps getting stuck and cannot remove unless manual button under steering wheel is pushed and pull the key at same time only way to release key now Is anyone else having problem is there a recall?
The air bag warning light is on at all times and "service air bag" appears in the driver information center and must be cleared after each start. The issue has been determined to be a faulty passenger presence sensor located in the bottom of the passenger seat. This has now rendered the passenger airbag inoperative at all times and possibly affects the safe operation of the entire SRS system. After doing some research online, this is a very, very common problem with the Saturn skys and Pontiac solstices. It is very expensive to fix (around $800-$1000 for parts and labor) and apparently the replacement part has an equally short life expectancy and seems to develop the exact same problem for most of those that have replaced it thus far (according to research done online). …
2008 Saturn Sky engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Sports car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Saturn Sky a good car?
Based on 186 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Sky rates avoid: 4.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sky at the same age. It is one of the Sky years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Saturn Sky?
The air bags — 94 complaints, 51% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the brakes (72) and electrical system (18).
How many recalls does the 2008 Saturn Sky have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2008 Saturn Sky, the most recent from January 26, 2017 (occupant classification). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Saturn Sky?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007 and 2008. See the full Saturn Sky years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Saturn Sky problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 28,000 miles; 69% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.