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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  Unreliable & Disappointed - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By Princess_Di28 - July 8 - 2:00 am

  I have had my neon for 2.5 years- I have had several repairs. Many issues with electrical problems- pluggs, wiring,etc. The brakes are noisy- I keep getting told that it is just how neons are!? The framless doors make the car seem very flimsy and creates a horrible noise when you close the door if the window is open. Furthermore, the front speakers to the radio do not work half the time, and the back ones died! These cars seem nice and economical- until you find yourself taking them into the garage to get fixed every month!!!!! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR!

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  Better than the Liberty or Nitro - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By NJH - July 4 - 6:03 am

  Was this or the Nitro (Liberty). The Journey is quieter, drives smoother and has far more features. No contest.

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  jinxed? - 1995 Dodge Stratus
  By Beth - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Ive had nothing but problems since purchase. Luckily I got an extended warranty, which Chrysler has lost A LOT of money on. The powertrain control module was replaced twice, and took six trips to the dealership to be completed properly. Keyless entry unit has not worked since just after purchase. Apparently the computer will not respond. The body control module was just replaced last month (NOT under warranty) and transmission soleniod replaced this week. I would enjoy the car if not for the almost monthly trips to the mechanic(milage is 80k-not 100s) Wish could recommend a Stratus to other buyers, but would be VERY wary at this point.

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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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  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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  blown engine at 45,000mi - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Louis Quaranta - June 26 - 2:00 am

  I leased the truck new and changed the oil every 3000.At 45000mi the engine died.Ive had a very bad experience with the truck. I had to replace 3 catalitic converters in 3yrs. Ive had nothing but problems since I bought it. This is to bad because it nice to look at but ran bad. I will never buy a dodge again. Dodge might not even help me with the repairs. So Im very dissapointed in the company.If anybody has any sugestions please let me know.

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  Watch Out!! - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By mad - June 25 - 2:00 am

  Not a bad car until about 43k miles (warranty runs out at 35k). Now, AT THE SAME TIME, the rear main seal blows and its spewing oil everywhere, AND the dealer tells me it needs a new steering rack. That adds up to over $1,000 worth of repairs and Im not even over 50k miles. Ill fix it then sell this stupid car before anything else goes wrong. I will never buy another Chrysler product again if I can help it.

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  Neon - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By byron_caroline - June 24 - 2:00 am

  My Neon has held up relatively well over the years. Most of the ks are highway driving. I have, however, been extremely disappointed by Chrysler and their lack of help. I have had to have the seals on the rear lights replaced because water was leaking into the trunk. I have also had constant issues with the head gasket. In both cases, Chrysler has refused to help at all. I will not buy another Chrysler product.

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  Dodge-Never Again - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By R Webb - June 21 - 12:53 am

  After 66,666 freeway miles, the CVT transmission has failed and needs to be replaced at a cost of $4,500 in a vehicle worth approx $13,000. It will be dumped on another unsuspecting sap before the replacement transmission fails, which is certain.

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  buy a honda! - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By donnnnnn - June 19 - 2:00 am

  looks good - reliability is low