YearToAvoid

2008 Saturn Astra Airbags Problems

NHTSA has 96 owner complaints about airbag problems in the 2008 Saturn Astra, 59% of all 162 complaints for this model year. That is the highest airbag complaint count among 2 Astra model years. These complaints report 4 crashes and 5 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 59,387 miles.

Airbags complaints
96
59% of 162 complaints
All complaints this year
162
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
5
Median mileage
59,387 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2008 Saturn Astra airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Mar 8, 2009, latest May 18, 2021.

2008 Saturn Astra airbags complaints: complaints filed per month10Mar 2009May 2012Jun 2016Sep 2016Dec 2016Mar 2017Dec 2017Aug 2019
96 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2009 to May 2021; peak Sep 2016 (10).

Airbags recalls for the 2008 Saturn Astra

  1. NHTSA 16V063000Feb 3, 2016Airbags113,716 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

Airbags complaints by Astra model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200896 (59%)
  2. 20091 (50%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Saturn Astra have airbag problems?
NHTSA has 96 owner complaints about the airbag in the 2008 Saturn Astra, 59% of all complaints for this model year, including 4 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 59,387 miles.
Which Saturn Astra year has the most airbag complaints?
The 2008 Saturn Astra has the most airbag complaints (96), compared with 96 for the 2008.
Is there a airbag recall for the 2008 Saturn Astra?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2008 Saturn Astra concerns the airbag: 16V063000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.