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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  Worst Car Ive EVER Owned - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By kysmommy07 - February 11 - 5:06 pm

  I purchased this car because I wanted something. I previously had a pontiac g6 but after I gave birth to my son I needed more room for my son and all his accessories (car sear, stroller, diaper bag etc). I am a VERY safe driver. I checked for recalls, Ive tried different brake pads. NOTHING! I took it to multiple dodge dealerships and 3rd party mechanics. I finally contacted Dodges corporate office. I was told that I could be reimbursed for all my repairs up to 36,000 K-$500.00. Now my transmission went out at 46k. Its a 09 with 46K and no warranty. 110$ Junk! Several class action lawsuits. Worse car ever. Life threatening defects.

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  Not So Great... - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By ilab - February 7 - 10:08 pm

  My dad bought the car 1 year used in 2003, at about 20k. He drove it until last year, then I took over it when he passed away... After 114k, I got rid of it this year. Our family has had its roots in Chrysler vehicles since the 1940s, but this car as been by far the worst. The average MPG that both my dad and I got was less than the EPA estimated CITY MPG of 24! We were both very conservative drivers. Next problem was that the transmission had to be completely rebuilt twice! It needed new brakes about 3 times a year the rear suspension needed replaced. It had some bad electronic problems, as well as stupid problems. The safety rating for this is horrible as well. Dont buy one of these.

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  neon=lemon - 1999 Dodge Neon
  By foreveryoung14 - February 4 - 4:23 am

  Since summer 2010 I have put $2000+ dollars on that stupid car. First a bunch of gaskets blew, then it was the alternator, then it was the radiator, then the brakes, then finally the water pump...which doesnt seem like a big deal for any other car, but on a neon you have to take out the whole engine just to replace it. A $20 part turned into a $500 job. I used to love driving my car, but now when I drive it I am constantly listening for weird sounds and wondering about when it will break down next. The day the transmission goes will be the day that I scrap the car for parts. I wouldnt wish this car on my worst enemy.

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  Caliber should be called Calamity - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By azdave3 - February 2 - 6:05 pm

  We bought a used Caliber with 2300 Miles on it. Wife liked,wanted it. Was OK for 3 years and 60K. But then it started to self destruct. Wife was hit with $3300+ in repairs during which we were advised Tie Rods were shot. Hmmm? was my question as were in Az and dont deal with poor roads as elsewhere. Brakes went- $260+ during which we were told MORE suspension and Motor mounts shot. Then the Alternator went, $180+ 4 Hours labor and special tool to remove. I immediately sent it to a new Home...Far, Far away from mine. Horrible, Horrible Car.

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  If you want the devil following, choose this car. - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By nexxt - January 21 - 1:09 am

  I got this car at the beginning of 2010 when i was 15, & have been driving it ever since. Now im 17, & the first year of having my car it was so reliable & great. About a year after having it, alot of problems started happening. My sensors dont work, my engine light turns on all the time & when it does, if i go past 2 (RPM)s, my car will start jolting back & forth. Feels like stalling, & i have an automatic. When it rains, my meters dont work. My MPH, Gas, Car tempt, & RPM gauges wont even move. I dont know why, but my locks open & close at any time. They flip out & it locks & unlocks ALL the time by itself. I have 82,000 miles on it, & i dont feel safe driving it at all. Waste of $4000.

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  Giving my Journey back due to so many problems - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By costafamily5 - January 10 - 10:43 am

  I bought my 2009 journey about 6 months ago and it has been sitting in my driveway the last 2 months due to grinding when trying to drive and transmission fluid pooring out of it:(I bought it because its roomy and my family and I like to take road trips but this was a bad buy we had to replace 3 tires already and to me the problems we are having means its not a safe family vehicle.I am not paying on it anymore and I refuse to buy another one,not worth the headache or the money its sad to say but true.Good luck future buyers if you want a lemon this would be a good choice.

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  Its a Pile of Junk - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By carman97 - January 4 - 7:53 pm

  my family bought a 06 Durango SLT in December of 2010 for me when i turn 16, so far most of the plastic on the seat belts has fallen off, the motor and the transmission needs full replacing because it burns oil and its lazy and doesnt want to shift into second gear. What was Dodge thinking in 2006??

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  Terrible car. - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By ihatestratuses - December 10 - 3:49 pm

  terrible car. bought with 132,000 miles, put 30,000 on it and had nothing but trouble from day one. the brakes needed replaced twice, the master cylinder went, the ignition coil went, the transmission went, the power steering pump went, argh! I will NEVER buy another dodge car. I had trouble with mine, my brother has troubles with his, and my cousin and aunt both have had major troubles with their chrysler sebrings. stay away from the dodge stratus!!

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  Hhhmmmmm... - 2012 Dodge Durango
  By gib21043 - December 8 - 9:03 pm

  I have purhcased a 2012 Dodge Durango. The car I purchased made it about 9 miles before it was broken. It has taken the dealership nearly two weeks to repair. After 2 weeks of arguing with various people to get the issue resolved and being promised a replacement car they managed to fix mine. When I left the dealership the odometer had 56 miles on it (this is not a typo), by the time I got it back it had 75 miles on it.

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  Just dont do it - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By neverbuydodge - November 10 - 4:06 pm

  Bought my car new in Sept 08. Radio has been replaced 3 times now! First time the CD player refused to open/eject. 2nd time the radio mysteriously erased my collection of over 300 songs Id downloaded, and stopped loading my pics. 3rd time the radio started acting odd, then just died altogether. That was finally replaced with a "new" radio, on which the screen now randomly goes completely black so that you cant use the touch screen at all, and most of the buttons are on the touch screen. Tires were cracking and had to be replaced at around 30,000 miles. Transmission has a leak now. Dealership and Corporate both were a pain to deal with, very frustrating!