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:

• 

  True Review on my 07 Charger - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Micah Chambers - October 22 - 10:31 pm

  I have had this car since January of 2013. At that time, it had 89,700 miles and it currently sits on 140,000. I have only replaced one part in 50,000 miles. My main issue with the car is the lack of power. Obviously I bought the smallest engine but I used it for commuting for a while. I added a K&N cold air intake system to it and also an exhaust package to boost air flow, gas mileage, and sound.

• 

  Cant afford to keep it on the road!! - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Jessica - October 22 - 11:58 am

  This vehicle is sleek and the Hemi is awesome but thats as far as the perks go. We have only had this vehicle for 2 years and already had to replace the transmission and head gasket. Now having issue with coolant system. Have already had water pump repaired and the check engine light is on again. Taking it in for service for the 4th time in 2 years. Its so pretty sitting in the driveway but not reliable for any type of driving. Will never buy another Dodge and am currently in the market for a different make of SUV.

• 

  Fantastic example of modern muscle car! - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By Michael Arnold - October 22 - 3:50 am

  Its a crowd pleaser everywhere it goes. Unbelievable driving characteristics and performance. Will certainly become a valued classic!

• 

  Cant believe I bought a Dodge either - 2015 Dodge Durango
  By Vivien Baty - October 20 - 6:06 pm

  I was looking at BMW, Mercades, Lexus!! Saw a used Dodge Durango Citadel and didnt stop until I was driving one!! Best decision I ever made! I love it!!!

• 

  Love my 2015 Durango - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By Mark - October 20 - 5:08 pm

  In my 42 years I have owned more cars than most. I have had many Chrysler/dodge products with a mix of Ford, Volvo, and Honda products. I love my Durango SXT with the sport appearance package! Im so tired of hearing from foreign car owners about how American cars are junk and foreign cars are the greatest. This is what Ive learned. I could have gotten a Toyota or Honda, comparable to my 2015 Durango for a minimum of 10-12k more than what I purchased mine brand spanking new. If you do the maintenance that is absolutely required of you whether its foreign or domestic, cars now are build to last. I also switched to Mobile 1 synthentic oil (silver) My SXT is a "base" car, but base today in 2015 is nothing like a base car of just 5 years ago. It has way more toys that my 2011 Ford 150 XLT Crew Cab, which I also love. I love how it drives, how it looks, and its perfect for a family. We tried a more gas efficient, small car for a year and a half and it was plain miserable with 3 young, but growing boys. I cant say enough about this SUV and I would purchase another. My plan is to keep this one for a very long time. Ive had Chrysler products through 110k miles with NO major issues---Pacifica, Dakota, Plymouth Breeze, and LaBaron GTC. The only one I considered junk was my 2010 Dodge Caravan SXT---Junk!

• 

  Car never stops - 1998 Dodge Avenger
  By Dusty whitford - October 20 - 9:02 am

  My Dodge Avenger has been to hell and back with me driving it and I had to replace some thing but honestly I can tell you what I did to have to replace everything on my car and its at 200*** miles and still runs strong. I havent done any motor work except change to oil so say what you want about this car but if you dont want yours give me a price [contact info removed]

• 

  luvinflorida - 2015 Dodge Journey
  By Karen - October 19 - 9:36 pm

  I bought my Dodge Journey Crossroads brand new in April 2015, I was so disappointed that it did not come with navigation or DVD player but did come with a big 8" screen...for what if you can`t watch a movie or follow navigation ?? The radio is something cheap and not a Bose. I would have also liked to have seen it come with a sunroof, this car offers nothing really for a $35,000 price tag !!!! NO WOW factor at all. I did buy the 4 cyl model which was a Big mistake as it has NO power and takes forever and a ton of gas to get up to speed. I`m waiting for the time when I can trade this SUV in as I will do it with a Smile on my face as I will Never buy another one again !!!!!!!

• 

  14 Years and 177K Miles - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Rob Baber - October 19 - 4:01 pm

  I bought the truck new in 2001 and raised two boys during our tenure with the truck. It has been to countless sporting events and too many road trips to number including weekend camping trips and Boy Scout Summer Camps (Dont ask/Dont tell). Never let me down on the road. My two boys both learned to drive in this truck and both used it as a first vehicle. Note: Dont let your kid deliver pizza in this truck unless you own a gas station. It drinks the gas, but so do all vehicles of this size and age. I have pulled boats, cars, U-Haul trailers, etc. The 4WD works great for those very occasional snow/ice days in Texas. I have had the transmission serviced every 30K miles, as I heard this was a weak link in the truck. I have replaced numerous items such as the front drive shaft, radiator, driver window motor (X3 I think), starter sensor and ECM. I probably should replace the rear leaf springs, but I have not. With 177K miles, it drinks a little oil and the A/C needs charged about once a season, but it has been the best vehicle I have owned. No major problems. I hesitate to get rid of it, but time to pass it to another family... I would not hesitate purchasing another Durango, but going smaller and sportier, 2008 Chevy Trailblazer SS.

• 

  This car is my baby. - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By August Greth - October 19 - 12:58 pm

  My parents bought this car brand new in 2007 and I began driving it in 2011. It has been a fantastic family car and commuter car for all of us. Together weve put 142k miles on it with a good mix of highway and city miles averaging about 27 mpg. It has been extremely reliable and hasnt needed a single major repair. The only minor repairs included replacing the gas cap sensor which went out at 140k, wheel realignment at 120k(tire wear had been normal until then), and minor break repairs around 130k miles. A few cons... as a 6 tall adult my head brushes against the ceiling of the car. I also have to tuck my head above the steering wheel to see stoplights. Like any small car it also had a tendency to hydroplane when there is a significant amount of water on the roadway. Also, as I had the FWD model it didnt handle too well on unplowed roads or on steep icy roads. However, it still has managed to get me home during a few snow storms. All of these issues are what you would expect from a small FWD cars. Also to address some of the other reviews on here... The CVT transmission has never had an issue. It changes speed without delay and rarely makes any clunking noises. When it does it has been a case where I had to slam on the breaks and immediately slam on the gas. As for acceleration it holds up well if Im the only person in the car. However... with 1-2 passengers acceleration decreases noticeably. Its not great but has never inhibited my driving capabilities. Also tire wear has been completely normal. The struts, ball bearings, etc have been inspected and still hold up fine. It has been a great investment for my family and I can easily see myself buying with Dodge in the future. For now I plan to continue driving it until the wheels fall off.

• 

  Ooops I did it again. - 2015 Dodge Durango
  By Mark - October 18 - 2:31 pm

  Only other vehicle I have had this kind of trouble with in my life was my last Chrysler product, a Jeep Grand Cherokee 20 years ago. I swore then that I would never buy another Chrysler product. The design of this SUV is great. Love the way it drives, ergonomics and gas mileage. Smooth, quiet, solid, predictable ride and handling. The gas mileage exceeds expectation: 18 under hard city driving, 20 normal city driving, 25 around town and have been able to go over 30mpg with a mix of suburb/hwy relaxed driving. Have not read the manual or watched the CD provided but find the controls intuitive. Bluetooth pairs with everyone in the familys phone quickly though sound quality playing music is very poor (not sure why). Best logical/practical operation of controls than any car I have owned. Now the bad: plastics and chrome interior surfaces are scratched easily. This is more wear/scratches appearing than my Kia with 75,000 miles or my VW with 100,000. At 6 weeks old a few thousand miles this is unsustainable. Loud squeak in the drivers seat and what sounds like a phone on vibrate going off in the front passenger dash. This is over certain roads so cannot be reproduced at the dealer (of course) so may never be remedied. Check engine light came on so back to dealer, unfortunately dealer took two weeks to get into due to so many Dodge recalls. Broken fuel line was fixed but oil change was over $62 or twice what I pay for other three vehicles I own. Spent all day at dealer so lost day of pay = $300. Considering I have never needed a repair call for Kia or VW after 75k miles am disappointed. Better brakes requiring less pressure would go a long way. More bite would really shrink this SUV and be more in line with its responsive characteristics. Too much pressure required to stop vehicle and I find the vehicle beginning to creep forward at stop lights requiring more pressure. If GM buys Chrysler they would have a great matchup. Dodge design team deserves A+ and GM could bring a lot of quality control and better materials/brakes to the equation. Reviews about getting into third row of Durango are poor but big reason I bought this is that I have adults using these seats and found the Durango to be the easiest ingress egress over, Ford, Acura and Kia. If Dodge can shed 300lb+ using this engine and new structure they would go a long way to dominating MPG + performance in this segment. As noted in other reviews, transmission clunks in lower gears if you accelerate, lift off, then accelerate again (I dont know if this is going to worsen with age). LOVE the large gas tank and dont know why other non german SUVs dont incorporate them.