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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  99 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By DLandry - January 6 - 10:00 am

  I used to really like this van until the problems started shortly after the warranty period....A/C repair (1,400),transmission sensor(140), back door latch(150),fan belt tensioner (130). It seems like after the warranty period is up the vehicle starts to fall apart. Poor quality typical of most American products. It will definitely be my last Dodge/Chrysler purchase and probably my last American vehicle purchase...EVER!

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  too many repairs - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By Very displeased - January 6 - 2:00 am

  I do not suggest buying this car unless you are a mechanic, or someone else who gets cheap parts and labour, because otherwise you will probably spend more money repairing it than you did buying it! short list of problems I have had -leaky trunk -framless windows that dont seal and leak into car -faulty head gasket -smelly AC -squeaky brakes that never shut up -radiator fan relay died -steering seizes up when you drive through puddles -bad wiring

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  Not Satisfied! - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By stephaniequeen2 - January 3 - 2:00 am

  I just read all of the complaints on here and I wish I wouldve read up on a neon BEFORE I bought it! I have had many problems and the car is in the shop right now. I do not say anyone should buy this car unless they like fixing it all of the time! Problems include: headgasket (reimbursed under a "secret warranty"), oil leaks and burns, alternator, battery (twice!), tires, brake pads, air conditioning switch ... do not buy this car!!

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  Annoyance - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By MHPeach - January 2 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Durango in April,1999 because I loved the look of the vehicle. I had problems from the get go - AC leaked on the passengers floor, Rear CLANKED when put in reverse, Rear door wouldnt unlock with remote control open, interior trim panel was not placed back on properly, etc... Stay away from F.Beans, Doylestown, PA. They were very not helpful and made me feel like I was not important. They are far from a 5 star dealership!

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  terrible - 1996 Dodge Caravan
  By cfrustrated - December 31 - 2:00 am

  This van has been a lot of trouble- leaking engine gaskets/seals fixed 3 times and is currently leaking again, ac fixed 3 times and is broken now, fuel gauge sensor, air bag sensor,check engine light on due to bad catalytic converter, and transmission going bad. Front wipers turn on intermittently. Bye bye dodge!

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  Turd Mobile - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By SteveTheBluesman - December 25 - 2:00 am

  I own this car via marriage...my wifes car, I maintain it and deal with its probelms, which have been few. The car does burn oil, creaks like an old man, is slow as molassas running uphill in January, has horrid build quality but at 71000 miles, the car starts every day.

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  Work Truck - 1994 Dodge Dakota
  By SWC - December 23 - 2:00 am

  It really is a comfortable vehicle, rides well and mine has every option so it has neat toys. However the build quality is terrible (such as my headliner caving in, the paint falling off, the interior fading to 4 differant shades of grey plus my dashboard turning blue). It has been driven hard and it is almost 10 years old, so I do expect things to go wrong... it just seems to happen more often then it should. As for safety, its built like a tank... I wouldnt even consider a 1997 or newer because they are like tinfoil with plastic bumpers. Overall, I will keep this truck until I can get a nice old Toyota Tundra Quad-Cab at a reasonable price...

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  Ive Been Duped - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By NeonHater - December 16 - 2:00 am

  Trouble from the beginning, that summarizes the ownership of this Neon. Ive had the entire AC replaced twice. In warranty the first time, out of warranty the second time. Now, at 39,000 miles (I only drive it to work and back about 100 miles a week) the head gasket went out. Cost me $1405 to get it fixed. I went to Edmunds and found out its only worth about $1600. Yes, I was duped. But, you can avoid it by staying away from Chrysler.

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  Trading in Iroc for Z-24 - 1992 Dodge Daytona
  By Ex-Dodge Dude - December 16 - 2:00 am

  The looks sold me right away on the car and I figured being the little brother of the Iroc R/T, this bird should fly... NOT. The seats dont support the upper back and visibility for shoulder checking is almost nil. Use stick-on convex mirrors. Dodge holds up to its name in rust, although all the flairing holds in alot of junk. Since some bad experiences on icy highways with almost new tires, this Iroc is getting replaced with the same year Z-24. Just goes to show, looks arent everything.

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  not worth it - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By dawg774 - December 13 - 2:00 am

  I dont know where to start with this car. I have had it for 4 years. It has blown 2 head gaskets, had a transmission go out, engine light is constantly on, put 2 new batteries in it, it leaks oil very badly and it wouldnt pass emissions this year...I could go on. Surprisingly, though, through all of that, it has never totally crapped out on me and left me stranded. Ill give it some credit there. This particular year model has a problem with the engine and head gasket so, dont buy it. You people who wrote a positive review about this car are crazy.