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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  2013 Dodge Dart 1.4 turbo - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By lauras6 - February 19 - 12:27 am

  I have had the car for a year now and have out over 27,000 miles on it. At 15K the transmission stopped working. Took it to the shop and they fixed it. At 16K the transmission quit again. Again the fixed it. No problems with the tranny since but the shifting is not as smooth. At 20K the centre console went black. Car ran drove fine but could not change anything, which was not fun since the defrosters were on HI. They reset the module and it has been fine since. Overall I really like the car but I think there are going to be a lot of problems with it. Thank goodness I bought the lifetime warranty on it, I think im gonna need it.

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  too many recalls - 2011 Dodge Challenger
  By gearheadbear - February 17 - 5:50 pm

  Ive had my 2011 Challenger since the end of 2011 and still have less than 15,000 miles. My wife stays at home and this is not a commute vehicle. I had problems with the door handles and wiring harness before the recalls even came out. Now the torque converter gave itself up internally. After taking back twice dealer is replacing the torque converter only and "flushing" the transmission. Antioch Dodge in Northern California is not the right place to get proper service done right the first time.

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  Low cost to own and fun to drive as 4 cyl. eco cars go - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By billman2 - February 13 - 4:34 pm

  Bought new in 03 4 cyl auto good value and to our surprize its cost to operate has been lower than our japanese car our mother drives, not as well refined but still fun to drive and quieter ride. No issues yet with 140,000 miles except rear struts were replaced. 4 cyl engine not real fast but simple to service and reliable.

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  Great vehicle - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By miller1980 - February 12 - 2:52 pm

  I got my caravan at 78,000 miles Ive only had a couple problems since owning the car. First the O2 sensor went out (kind of an expensive fix for a single mom) and the power steering pump is going out. Other than that it has been a gem. Ive driven it in the snow and curvy mountain roads for two years with no issues. The car is now at 130,000 miles and still running even after hitting a deer really hard.

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  13 years later - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By fishinoregon - February 12 - 1:38 pm

  Ive recently purchased a 13 year old Dakota Quad Cab. I looked for 6 weeks at all sorts of trucks but when it came down to it, this Dakota fit the bill best. Everything works and the truck runs strong with a good tight feel to it. Best part of this purchase was the truck had just 87,000 miles on it. It was well cared for and used during the previous owners summer vacations. The tan colored interior is in perfect shape and the bright red exterior has a nice shine to it. As long as the truck (and all others like it) is well cared for, it will be on the job for years to come. Happy traveling

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  I love my charger/hemi. - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By classygail - January 9 - 5:24 pm

  I purchased my red 07 with 9800 miles, barely broken in. I love love love it. did have the transmission part fixed its under recall warranty. Didnt pay a dime, no problem since. I have no problem merging unto hwy entrance. Watch your neck lol lol It holds 5 adults comfy. I have 40k miles now n I.m seeing a leak somewhere. Gotta have it looked at. Hope its not anything serious.

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  Its a Truck, not a Minivan! - 2010 Dodge Nitro
  By vlad_jv - December 29 - 2:44 pm

  Test drove a few before considering the 2010 SXT 4x4. Some of which included the Mazda CX7, and the 2008 Acadia. Mazda handled like a sedan, and the Acadia like a minivan (a little more fun). The Nitro handles like a truck! Its built on the RAM chassis, so dont expect anything less. Fuel economy is not impressive, but still within average for a 3.6L. The 2008 Mazda Tribute 3.0L was getting a little better but not too much. Overall, it handles like the truck but has the comfort of a large SUV. Its flexibility of offering exterior raw power with interior comfort makes it perfect option for looking to have 2 cars in 1. My commute includes 100km hwy and 100km city daily to work/home

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  Good, basic, reliable transportation - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By wk4x42007 - December 28 - 5:17 pm

  I purchased this car for my daughter back in 2010. It had about 30K miles on it. She drives 1.5 hours on the highway round trip everyday to school, so I needed good MPG, excellent safety and real reliability. The price was awesome ($10K) and this car has delivered. It has over 90K miles on it and all Ive done is change the oil, replace belts/tires/wipers and do brake jobs on a normal maintenance cycle. It has taken her through nasty weather without difficulty and protected her nicely through 2 occasions in which she has been hit by other drivers. For the price, its been a gem.

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  2003 Durango slt 4.7 - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By gasguzzlr - December 14 - 1:41 pm

  We bought our Durango new in 2003. It had a couple of issues which were covered under warranty.The exhaust manifold was leaking due to 3 broken bolts.Also,the a/c unit had a few issues. Since then it has been a very capable and reliable vehicle.We have the required maintenance done at the proper intervals and havent had any issues since warranty expired. I recently got an enclosed trailer to haul 2 snowmobiles.I am pleasantly surprised at how well it tows the trailer. We live in Utah,and towing sleds requires going up hills(mountains). On grades over 6%,I have to put it in 2nd,but it still maintains 40 mph no problem. Overall,we are happy with this vehicle.

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  Great, Good Looking U.S. Car - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By lameduck9 - December 14 - 8:36 am

  We bought this Avenger SE after looking at several others cars. We checked a few others that we liked the looks but they were 3K+ more. We loved the looks of the Avenger, outside and inside. I was surprised at the great ride, it was a little on the firm side which I prefer, like sports suspension. The 2.4 has adequate power for the average person but for the young at heart, the 3.6L has more than enough power for the amateur road racer. The 4sp Auto is standard on the SE, Dodge should dump it and make the 6sp. standard on all Avengers. Look for all the incentives for a great deal!