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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  must be the worst car ever made - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By littleGST - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I got the neon cause i didnt want a honda. i shouldve bought a honda! the after 2 months of buying it, its been ground through repairs every single month! Every month something breaks! Good thing I had a dealer warranty, but even thats not worth it. I became a mechanic by necessity fixing many of these problems... and the car only has 50K!!! So I got a Eclipse GS-T and I havent had a problem with anything!

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  RT Fan - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By Tyna Batten - July 3 - 8:52 pm

  Im not a car person and intended for my next vehicle to be a truck. Ive never been a Dodge fan. After test driving I loved it! The U Connect is awesome. The only improvement would be better gas mileage. 16.7 in town, 25.6 on the road.

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  Brakes & Rotors Out After 18 Months! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Jen - July 3 - 3:56 pm

  I just read all the reviews and wish I had BEFORE we bought this car... I have accepted the minor problems (broken visor, inconvenience of early recalls, and panic alarm going off when using the keyless entry); but the expense incurred for brakes and rotors going out after 18 months is just NOT acceptable! And to be told it is a "normal wear and tear" problem not covered by warranty adds insult to injury. I wish dodge understood that people buy new because they dont want to deal with these types of problems. I dont know how to do it, but I am hoping someone reads this and know how to get a recall effort going because this is seriously concerning!

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  I am scared to drive my car - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By VeryDisappointed - July 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new and have had nothing but problems with it. It has 34,000 miles on it and I already had it break down on me SEVERAL times. The transmission was replaced before the car even hit 30,000 miles. I am scared to drive my car most of the time because I am scared of what may happen.

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  Very Impressed - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By ABP - July 3 - 2:00 am

  I own a 1997 dodge and my wife lease was up on her Toyota. I looked at the Kia van and like it very much but its the first year Kia is making a van and the first year in production. Chysler has been making vans for a long time and this new one shows they know what they are doing. The car is tight, handles excellent, well designed, powerful and a lot for the money.. With the 100,000 warrenty, you dont have to worry about the big ticket items cost you money if they break.

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  Repairs and more repairs - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By jscnurse - July 2 - 2:00 am

  Purchased used with 38000. Has a 3.0 V6 engine. Purchased an extended warranty with the bank loan, our saving grace. Have repaired/replaced: valve cover gaskets, loose hose over sol pack, rack and pinion steering and sway bar. Now it is leaking oil again and looks like a head gasket at 67000 miles, dont think that we will wait for the tranny to go...

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  I Love My Truck - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By gadgetlawyer - July 2 - 2:00 am

  Four years ago, my wife threatened to divorce me if I bought my Durango. I bought the Durango and she left. I still like the truck better than her. The gas mileage keeps improving with age. The Durango now has 91K and gets about 18.3 mpg on a straight run @ 70 mph. It has been very reliable. with few major repairs. The truck pulls my sailboat (~3600 lbs) with ease. The truck is great on out-of-state hockey trips for my son. It has loads of cargo room for handling goalie equipment. The third seat is great, reducing inter-sibling fights by 40% when kids sit in different seats. I love my truck, and would buy another Durango.

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  Best medium sized SUV under 40k - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Robert - July 1 - 2:40 am

  I got the R/T model after looking at nearly every SUV under 40k (and even a few over. I was looking for something that didnt look emasculated & not too big either. I was also looking for something that didnt look boring or generic-I had it narrowed down to the new LR2 or the Mercury Mariner/Ford Escape when I saw the Nitro R/T version; I went and drove it & was convinced- it is suprisingly smooth and quiet, at 80mph it feels like its quietly cruising; its got peppy pick up, and just a smooth quiet ride all around. The R/T model is clearly the most unique small SUV out there. I got a late 2007 model so no problems that early models seemed to have. Its a great buy overall,esp for the money.

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  A Fun Lemon to Drive - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By Geodon - July 1 - 2:00 am

  I bought my lemon....I mean Neon in 97 off of a lease. Problems began to surface immediately. I replaced the passenger power window. The brakes made these ungodly noises. It sounded like a garbage truck but this is normal. My battery cable disintegrated, followed by water flooding the rear passenger cabins floor every time it rained (bad weather stripping). Luckily this was under warranty. After the warranty, no major problems until 85,000mi. The head gasket blew leaking oil into the radiator, plugging it up. I sold it for way less than it was worth. It was fun to drive and race around in, but not reliable and very disappointing.

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  Our new (used)1999 Dodge Caravan SE - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By BlueSonix - July 1 - 2:00 am

  We just purchased a used 1999 Dodge Caravan SE...74,000miles at time of pickup, this van sounds, looks, and feels like its brand new (of course, my thanks to the previous owners for the care). But the van is absolutely impressive...agile and responsive V6 (3.3L). Very comfortable and spacious. We love the 2-Sliding Doors, the quad seating and the ability to easily move and reposition the seats. Oh, btw it comes with a towing package...just have to figure out how to get a boat...so i have something to tow.