Overview & Reviews
One of America's most storied automotive brands, Dodge has been around since the early days of the auto industry. In the past couple of decades, it has revitalized itself to be a producer of aggressively styled and performance-oriented vehicles.
Two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, began the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle company in 1914, after having worked as manufacturers of bicycles and automotive parts. Their first vehicle was a touring car that proved a fast favorite with car buyers; it was soon joined by a roadster and a four-door sedan. By 1917, the company's model line had grown to include trucks. Dodge cars and trucks were used as staff vehicles and ambulances in World War I.
Dodge was briefly owned by a banking firm and subsequently sold by its new owner to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. From there, the brand slowly evolved into the division responsible for trucks and performance-oriented cars. Post WWII, Dodge introduced vehicles like the military-inspired Power Wagon truck, Hemi-powered Coronet and the Royal Lancer; in addition, the manufacturer began offering dealer-installed air-conditioning.
Vehicles like the Dodge Dart and the Coronet kept the manufacturer in American driveways throughout the 1960s. That decade also saw the launch of one of Dodge's most iconic vehicles, the Charger. Dodge's muscle car was based on the Coronet platform, and featured a fastback roof line, hidden headlamps and a full-width taillamp panel. Best of all, the Charger could pack one heck of a wallop under the hood. A 318-cubic-inch V8 was standard, but buyers seeking maximum brawn could upgrade to a 426-cubic-inch, 425-hp Hemi V8. The company also introduced a Mustang-fighting pony car, called the Challenger, in 1970.
As with other American auto manufacturers, Dodge's fortunes started to slip in the '70s due to changing tastes and increased competition. The company was saved from extinction in the early '80s thanks to government loans and the sales success of its Omni and Aries economy cars (the former an attempted copy of the VW Rabbit). But 1984 was when Dodge made its mark in the history books with the introduction of the wildly popular Caravan. Ideal for families and able to seat up to seven, the space-efficient Caravan started a whole new vehicle segment -- the minivan.
The early '90s saw the company wow the public with the V10-powered Viper roadster and an all-new Ram pickup that set a new standard for big-rig-like styling. A few years later, Dodge came to be part of DaimlerChrysler, a result of the merger of the German company Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler.
The merger never really worked, however, and Daimler sold Chrysler and Dodge to a private equity firm in 2007. Soon after, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy. The federal government intervened and eventually Dodge came under control of Fiat, a European automaker known for its small cars, an area where Dodge's entries had been roundly criticized for mediocre build quality and unrefined performance.
More recent years have seen Dodge concentrate on the more practical vehicles in its lineup, making notable improvements to the performance and overall quality of its midsize Avenger sedan and Journey SUV entries. Dodge also spun off its truck line, making it a separate Ram brand. But make no mistake; Dodge is still considered Chrysler's performance division thanks to cars like the Challenger and Charger. Time will tell how successful Dodge's latest makeover is.
User Reviews:
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2007 dodge nitro SLT owner’s review - 2007 Dodge Nitro
By Jordan - August 24 - 7:16 amI’ve been a owner of a 2007 dodge nitro slt for about three months now which i bought with 82k miles on it for 9k. I’ve already had to replace my entire exhaust, brake lights, and my front turn signals outside of fluid changes. If you can find one for less than $10k with decent milage i would buy one again but be aware that electrical/wiring malfunction will happen as this car ages but overall it has a stong engine that won’t break down as long as your changing your oil. Suspension feels great as well i live in a area with lots of potholes and it takes them as well as a truck would.Radio system is outdated but works really well it has a impressive bass and audio system on it and comes with an aux adapter. Gas milage is average at best but that’s every SUV. Overall i’d rate it 6.5/10 i’d say 9 but the wiring issues i’ve had to fix for my model nitro within just a few months drops a few points.
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2003 Dodge Stratus Coupe - 2003 Dodge Stratus
By Rodrigo de la Vega - November 21 - 1:59 pmI bougth a eclipse with a stratus costume, it was in very bad conditions, with a large list of missing parts, doing its service a large truck spark plug appeared, the water pump was broken, one belt missing, radiator leaking, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, after severe repairs incredibly still working, and used it on highway constantly, good luck or a complete mystery, bought by 700 bucks, repairs for a cost of 300 bucks
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Nice Car - If You Can Get It Started - 2009 Dodge Journey
By Dennis Schulmeister - January 14 - 6:45 amFor some reason, after passing the 50,000 mile mark, the 2009 Journey decides if and when it wants to start. Dealers have numerous guesses - most of which make no sense - but no one seems to have found a permanent solution. Dodge doesnt seem to care if the owners are satisfied or not. They have known about this problem for several years and have offered no ideas. The dealers will tell you that their computer has determined that your battery is bad - even if you just spent several hundred dollars replacing it. In most cases it isnt the battery. For some reason the anti-theft starter lockout system engages and the starter will not operate. Another problem (in my estimation) is visibility. The windshield pillar/outside rear view mirror location combination allows for a significant blind spot where whole cars can disappear. The very large mirror (great size!) housing should be suspended from the top instead of the bottom. Mirror would still provide excellent vision to the rear of the car and it would substantially decrease the size of that blind spot. Bottom line is that the car is above average in almost everything including the frustration it causes the owner because of the unreliability issue. I suspect the resale value will come up quite a bit if the starting problem is ever solved. THANKS DODGE FOR MAKING A VERY NICE VEHICLE THAT BECOMES USELESS AFTER 50K MILES!
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think again - 2014 Dodge Charger
By melvin - January 5 - 8:31 amI purchased 2014 sxt plus in January 2015 In just 1 year the car has left me stranded twice. First time the battery and the key battery had died and couldnt be recognized by vehicle had to get it towed to service. Second time January 2016 car just cut off completely engine light came on in the middle of the road early morning on my way home from work.
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it ended to soon. - 2010 Dodge Caliber
By Anthony - January 4 - 9:26 amThere is a problem that causes these to shut off while you are driving on the hwy., my niece had the same problem, something about a cooling sensor keeping the transmission from overheating. And this should have been a recall issue.
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Total let-down. :( - 2014 Dodge Durango
By Zoomn - January 4 - 6:54 amThis car has been plagued with issues from week one of ownership when I was left stranded in an intersection two hours from home. Over my first year it spent over 45 days at the dealer for various repairs and has one electrical concern with the audio system that not only remains, but has no apparent fix available in the foreseeable future. The sad part is that its a really nice vehicle to drive and has some nice design touches, but between some of the dealer experiences and all of the problems I simply cannot, in good faith, recommend it.
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I have driven 5 of these buses - 2015 Dodge Journey
By Frank - December 18 - 8:34 pmFront seats stiff and not very comfortable, A-pillar blocks a lot of side view traffic. Large blind spots, mirrors not big enough, Rear seat headrests block view from rear window. Car tends to pull in one direction , doesnt seem to steer straight. Transmission is poor, takes for ever for the V6 to get up to highway speeds. Engine deserves something better than the current transmission. Cheap looking plastics inside, they crack or break. Windows seem to have a lot of noise at highway speeds. Could use better tires and better suspension too. I have had 5 of these as company vehicles since 2009. Overall design is OK but cant understand why Fiat cant fix these same old issues.
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My Review would have been better 1 year ago! - 2006 Dodge Charger
By Dor - November 19 - 2:24 pmOne year ago I thought I really loved my Dodge Charger with the Hemi engine. The navigation system was cumbersome and outdated, but I loved it anyways. Then June of 2015 out of nowhere I am driving and I see smoke coming out from under the hood. I immediately pulled over and opened the hood, smoke bellowed out. I had the car towed to the dealer and I was told a piston ceased and I needed a new engine. I was quoted $7k for a rebuilt with warranty and $3200 for a used engine. That just makes me mad! I took care of my car, why did the engine fail. The mileage is 120,000, I was hoping to drive it a few more years. Researching online I found several owner complaints of the 2006 Dodge Charger engine failure, all with similar experiences. The forums are saying that the engine design has caused premature engine failures. Nice. So I contacted Chrysler directly as my extended warranty was through a year prior. I was told that there is nothing they can or will do for me, they said it is unfortunate that it happened, but oh well. Anyone who is looking to buy a Dodge Charger should check out the online reviews and never purchase one without an extended warranty and unless you are a car enthusiast or mechanic, sell the car before the warranty is up! And so much for customer appreciation.
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Great looks with a very poor heart. - 2012 Dodge Durango
By Oscar Vargas - November 2 - 4:47 pmCurrently own a 2012 Citadel V8 5.7 Hemi. The vehicle looks great very attractive lines, comfort, technology and gadgets... However where it lacks is in its engine this vehicle came with a few problems and Dodge does very little to help customers. The engine suddenly turns off while driving." Be a Magician when this Happens " Or embrace yourself for a potential accident. What do I do? I put the vehicle in neutral and with a soft touch to the brake pedal Start the vehicle again and go. This was supposed to be a recall and dodge is fixing it ... BS I did took the car to the dealership, corrected the recall and still doing it. The other issue is the rattling whenever you try to accelerate to pass someone or to floor the car a bit. Check engine light comes and goes, the computer shows cylinder misfires. Like I said I have nothing to complaint in the looks or technology is the engine that came with issues and Dodge dont stand behind it.
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DODGE FIAT throw away cars - 2013 Dodge Dart
By olsenancy@gmail.com - November 1 - 12:19 pmBuying new, my 2013 Dodge Dart is a great looking great gas mileage car, however, there is no resale valve, a/c problem with moisture in car, dealer says they made the part small for better mpg , well I get very close to 40 highway if it was 1or2 less I wouldnt care if the a/c worked good... they have changed for 2015 knowing there was a problem, I tryied working with dealer from the second day I owned and I would of lost 10k in one day.. that is crazy .... now after paying 24k new it is worth 9k .... it is a garage kept car, always clean and detailed. 26k for mileage.... the 6 speed auto shift is very it shifts when it wants... it is not smooth at all... I would never rebuy this car any any of the line up check Edmond FIAT DODGE JEEP made 5 of the top 15 autos NOT TO BUY this year.... I got screwed...I love the car but the problems are terrible.... as I need a/c when I ask what happens when I go to California,,, they said dont go a/c will not keep you cool.. other than computer problems the dealer says needs to be flashed.... I love the car... I cant even sell mine for 14k and have had it ad for 2 years now. reline with lots of nice things...
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Dodge Avenger 443 Reviews
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Dodge Caliber 634 Reviews
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Dodge Caravan 577 Reviews
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Dodge Challenger 288 Reviews
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Dodge Charger 743 Reviews
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Dodge Dart 138 Reviews
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Dodge Durango 1,400 Reviews
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Dodge Intrepid 825 Reviews
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Dodge Journey 498 Reviews
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Dodge Magnum 598 Reviews
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Dodge Ram 2500 2 Reviews
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Dodge Ram 3500 1 Reviews
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Dodge Ram Wagon 20 Reviews
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Dodge Shadow 75 Reviews
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Dodge Spirit 65 Reviews
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Dodge Stealth 121 Reviews
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Dodge Stratus 783 Reviews
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Dodge Viper 215 Reviews