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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  So Disappointed... - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By CivicSi2k - August 11 - 6:33 am

  For few years I asked myself when was Dodge going to change the minivan style 01-07, finally did in 08. So disappointed by Dodge by the design, power response, and gas mileage. As owner of 97 Grand Caravan Sport, I can say my 97 handles and get better gas mileage than the 08 model. The Stow-N- Go a plus. Having a handicap child with a wheel chair lots of room is a must. The 08 models lacks space. With my 97, I can place the wheelchair standing up without a problem. With the 08, I had to take it apart.

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  Poor Gas Milage - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Mike Garren - July 24 - 2:00 am

  This car was rated at about 26 miles per gallon, I have not been able to get above 20 MPG and that was when I never let it go above 2500 RPM.. so very slow starts..and then it only hit 20MPG, avg since I have had it is about 17 MPG. Very poor for small car with 4 cyl engine. I get 25 with my V-6 Chevy S-10 Pick-up 1993 model.

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  never again - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By hgmuc - July 18 - 2:00 am

  This is the second dodge ive owned and i should have learned the first time. THANK GOD i got the warranty when i bought this car used - Ive had to replace the transmision at 70,000 and have most of the valve gaskets replaced in the engine - there is still oil leaking into the air filter I think the fuel injectors are crapping out now as well-

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  Beware of Oil Gelling - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Big Mistake - July 11 - 10:00 am

  No problems with vehicle, except it is a gas guzzler. At 44,000 miles engine threw a rod and blew due to oil sludge buildup. There are over 182+ people with the same malfunction ranging from 3000 miles new to 60000 miles. Very common problem in the 5.2L. Research before you buy.

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  Wait till 2009 to buy - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Keith - June 17 - 5:20 am

  The car was fine until the weather changed to below freezing at night. When I start the car it idles rough and it wont "rev up" until the car warms up. The car bogs down instead. The dealership has no idea what the problem is. Not a car for people with climate changes in their hometown.

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  Nitro, a bust? - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Wahoo! - June 4 - 8:43 am

  Dodge can dress a vehicle up and give it some curb appeal but it ends there. Nitro underperforms for me. Quirky and cute looks on the outside are a plus. Interior is horrible. Stiff and uncomfortable seats, tight width spacing, odd foot room on both front driver and passenger. Overall ride fair, very stiff and bumpy. Handles very well in snow, but odd jerky-ness when in 4wd and moving thru parking lots (low speeds, 0-15). Heating system lacks power badly and direction. Lack of freeway power to pass, lags before speed engages. Overall not the vehicle I expected. Not recommended.

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  2015 Dodge Charger, great looking from the shop - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By Bryan T - June 3 - 9:40 pm

  Realize that maintenance costs are astronomical. Bought the car with 20k miles on it. Since that day, I have had to replace a transmission, grind the rotors twice, replace one set of rotors, and replace brake pads. Realize that the car has just hit 47k miles. The repairs on this car have been ridiculous and unaffordable. I have paid almost half of my car payment each month towards repairs. The vehicle has issues braking at high speeds and WILL warp the rotors.

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  Whats wrong with american cars? - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Warren - May 6 - 10:00 am

  This car has major reliability problems, I have replaced the battery, the altenator, the water pump, the device that raises and lowers the driverside window, a starter, and now I need to fix head and valve gaskets, a 600.00 repair. we bought the vehicle new and I havent driven it for more then 6 months without having to do some sort of repair. A 7 year old vehicle with 65,000 miles on it shouldnt be costing me an average of 1,000 a year to maintain. American car companies better wake up or companies like honda, toyota, and new arrivals like kia, and hyundai are going to put them out of business.

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  Want to drive this one off a cliff!! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By dj - May 3 - 10:16 pm

  I bought the car brand new. I regret this purchase everyday. Since its purchase I have had nothing but problem. Its needed new struts, tie- rod ends, has electrical issues, tires are shot after 20,000 miles, and at 30,000 the starter and relay is bad! This is just a bad car!!! If it would do me any good....Id park it right in front of the bank!! No need for the repo man....Im giving this one a special delivery!! Big ticket item with BIG PROBLEMS! Dodge went wrong on this one!

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  Looks nice, but dont tow with it! - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By sburkett - April 22 - 10:00 am

  Lots of interior room, even the third row seats are usable by adults. Interior quality is good, not flashy, but everything you need is right at hand and functional. Seemed like the perfect balance of size, seating capacity and towing capabilities. But two trips out with our 6000 pound trailer, and both resulted in a blown out rear end. Chrysler will only fix broken parts, refuses to look into cause, so well probably be on rear end number three next week. Truck has 3000 miles on it and is currently stranded 200 miles from home.