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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  Too many problems - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dodr33 - June 18 - 11:16 am

  We liked this van alot to start but after the many problems we have had I think we should have held off. sliding doors kept re-opening on thier own- scraping in sliding door windows- remote key fob had to be replaced/reprogrammed- rubber body stips on roof falling off- 3 trips to dealer to fix trans leak- AC broken, defective high pressure line- radio would not upload music, had to be replaced- brakes squeeling at 12000 miles- tire pressure monitoring warnings on cold mornings- traction control warnings on cold mornings- difficult to operate radio/dvd system

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  Be Careful - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Tigger - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought the Durango in February 2001 and traded it in September 2001. I got a horrible vehicle that was in the shop from June until August 2001 with A/C problems and then was not fixed correctly still! I dont know if it was the dealership or the vehicle, but my advice for $30,000 sticker price go buy a Tahoe or an Explorer and you will get better gas mileage and the insurance will not be as high! Good luck if you have one!

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  Good with looks but thats it! - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Yolanda Rodriguez - June 16 - 6:30 pm

  I bought my Nitro in 12/07 and its a head turner and I was exited but not for too long. It is up to the second recall. The first was for the brakes and the second for engine stalling. I do not feel safe after these recalls. The engine makes a noise that the service dept. does not know what to do, I have to attempt to buckle my seatbelt several times before it locks, the stain guard on the seats do not work because Ive tried to remove stains that do not come off. All the service lights have come on twice so I need to get that checked. I also think that it has poor quality paint because a pigeon pooped on the hood and I didnt wash the car right away and It ruined the paint in that area.

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  Cant get fixed - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By RonLiv - June 14 - 2:00 pm

  Decent car but cant get fixed. Dealer says cant get parts due to Dodge bankruptcy. Car in shop almost 3 weeks. Wont give loaner. Contacted Dodge and they will get back to me in 3 or 4 days. This is my first Dodge and it will be my last.

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  Wish I never bought this car - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jen - June 11 - 11:20 am

  Ive spent over $8,000 in engine repairs & maintenance the 5+ years that Ive owned this car. Unfortunately, Ive had endless mechanical problems and the car has litterally spent weeks in the shop over the 5+ years, meaning that I had to pay for a rental car out of pocket, while van was being repaired. I wish I never bought this car. I wish I would have gone for the Honda Odessey or the Toyota Sierra instead for a van. It frustrating dealing with the local Dodge Dealer for repairs, as they dont seem to value the customers time enough. On the positive side, the interior of the Caravan is nice enough and comfortable for my family of 4--but my mechanical problems outweighed this.

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  transmission trouble - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By jmm - June 9 - 2:43 am

  We had the Journey one day and every time we braked the car would feel like it jumped into another gear. To make a long story short, the car had less than 300 miles and the transmission needs to be replaced. Yes, that is right. We requested the dealer please just give us a new vehicle but they explained since it was already titled in our name they cant. We were assured they have the top service center at this dealership. Very dissappointed and upset.

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  Nice truck - if its built right - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By ipatrick - June 5 - 10:00 am

  THe 5.9L v-8 is powerful, and the truck moves fast even with 6 passengers and luggage. 3rd row seat is fairly comfortable although legroom is lacking, and theres room behind the third seat which is nice. However, we have needed to replace virtually the entire drive train and continue to have problems. Fortunately, the work was covered by warranty, but the continual problems just arent worth it.

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  Dodge Caravan Sport, NOT RECCOMENDED - 1997 Dodge Caravan
  By RocketMazda - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Van is very roomy, even though it is not the grand caravan. Controls were confusing and hard to get used to sence they were all symbols. Had to replace tranny and differential at 50,000 miles (which is bullcrap) And after that was repaired, the van died 200 miles away from home at a rest area a few days later. I had no power and all the relays were clicking. We treat the fan good, and dont drive it hard. the passanger sliding door comes out of allignment frequently and is very hard to shut unless u push down on it. Passenger side door (front) panel is loose/cracked.

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  A love-hate relationship - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By Susky - June 3 - 2:00 am

  I have the 3.5 liter with the larger wheels. Almos the ES, without the nameplate. Plenty of power, and not bad to drive. BUT...I had to REPLACE the tranny at 80,000 miles, my paint is peeling (the dreaded de-lamination problem), and the AC compressor is dead. Im afraid to shell out for a compressor, for fear that something else will die. This car is a potential money pit. When it works, its great. But the problems have turned this Mopar fan into a Mopar hater.

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  Could be better but... - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Texas Mama - June 3 - 2:00 am

  Thought I would offer my experience...For the first 2 years we had no trouble, just regular maintenance. When we hit 45K the trouble started. We had a leak in the radiator core which cause the floor to rot, found out from the dealer it was a common problem - would have been nice to know. We also had problems with gaskets, which caused a major oil leak. Transmission went at 70K, Air conditioning at 79K. Brakes have always been loose. Had a problem with tires as well – once they were replaced, they have been OK