Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Saturn Sky owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Saturn Sky. While driving approximately 55 MPH on normal road conditions, the check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. Immediately, white smoke appeared from the instrument panel, which resulted in reduced visibility. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road with caution and roadside assistance was called to the scene. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection and they stated that the heating and air conditioning system caused the failure. The system was replaced. The contact smelled a strong odor of coolant inside the vehicle following the repair and the traction control failed to operate. Whenever the vehicle was in operation, the ABS warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. …
I started my 2008 Saturn Sky and while backing the car out of the garage I almost hit the garage because there is virtually no power assist on the brakes upon startup. I have seen that there si a TSB out on this for cars sitting extended periods of time. This car only sits overnight at most. This is not a one off event. If my wife or daughter were driving the car they would defiantly hit something because of their inability to apply enough pressure to the brake this could easily lead to an accident .
I was traveling at 20 MPH about 25 minutes into morning commute when the vehicle in front of me impacted another vehicle. At this time I applied my brakes to the floor along with my clutch. I felt my ABS working, but the car did not stop in the approximately 30 feet of space and I impacted the car in front of me. Inspection and damage report to follow. I felt the car should have stopped with room to spare given the distance and pressure applied. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Brake failure. Hard brake pedal resulting in the brakes not holding the car at a stop. On July 4, 2012 while stopped at an intersection the brakes failed to hold the car inplace resulting in the car creeping into the center of the intersection into oncoming traffic. A Jeep with 6 people and an infant hit the right front side of the car and flipped over. The infant and 2 of the people in the Jeep are in the hospital. The accident happened on hwy. 84 in daleville, alabama.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Saturn Sky. While reversing down a hill, the brake pedal was depressed and started to shake without warning. The contact stated that the brakes failed and the vehicle rolled backwards and stopped at the bottom of the hill. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
Brakes fail to work on start-up. For the first 60 seconds it takes excessive pressure to bring the car to a stop. I have had numerous close calls and one small accident where I could not stop for a bicycle in my drive way. Just a matter of time before someone gets serious injured. Saturn claims it is normal for the car brakes not to work properly for the first minute.
Manufacturer:GM model: Saturn Sky redline 2008 brakes become ineffective after car sits idle for an extended period of time over 7 hours. Essentially occurs every day when the car initially starts after sitting idle for a period of time. It is a safety hazard everytime you start your car and attempt to drive off straight away as the brake pedal becomes very difficult to use and the stopping response time is significantly increased. I almost crashed into another car driving past my driveway and as I was reversing out a parking lot. Just imagine if that was a small child that ran out and you could not stop in time! I took it the dealer, he left it overnight and experienced the same problem yesterday. I know he was surprised but all he did was print out the Saturn service bulletin that states it is normal which instructs the dealer not to do anything. …
I own a Saturn Sky redline 2008.. The brakes become ineffective after the car sits idle for an extended period of time overnight. This occurs every day when the car initially starts after sitting idle for a period of time. It is a safety hazard every time you start your car and attempt to drive off or back out of my driveway . The brake pedal becomes very difficult to use and the stopping response time is significantly increased. I have to be very careful that cars driving past my home are no where in site before I attempt to back out of my driveway or when I leave my place of employment no car is parked behind or in front of me. I took my car to the Saturn dealership and reported the failure and the service technician printed out a service bulletin that states it is normal which instructs the dealer not to do anything. …
NHTSA investigations
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…
Brake complaints in other Sky years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2008 Saturn Sky?
NHTSA has 72 complaints about the brakes of the 2008 Saturn Sky, 39% of the model year's 186 complaints. The component named most often is power assist › vacuum (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Saturn Sky brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2008 Saturn Sky, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Saturn Sky brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 0 miles, and 90% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.