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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  Broken Record - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Afager - October 26 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car in December of 09 used w/ 15,000 miles on it after looking mainly at GMC Acadias, this came along and I liked the look of it. The price was considerably less and it ended up being a same day purchase. I agree with many of the above comments, little interior things break frequently which is annoying but not a big deal. The BIG deal is the front brakes & rotors. We replaced them at 25,000 and are now having to replace them again at 36,000. We also got the calipers replaced at the same time as the first brake job since we were told they were sticking which was supposedly the cause of the first brake job. This time they have no excuse and its the same shop.

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  AWD heaven - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By scogg - October 26 - 2:00 am

  Who knew you could get Mercedes AWD underpinnings with a HEMI? Worried about traction in snow/rain given power and AWD takes that worry away. Interior is roomy, got used to the visibility, and rear view mirror in my old Acura now feels too close! Dont understand not having mirror with microphone for bluetooth capability as part of nav package, mine doesnt and is an exam $550 for the mirror.

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  Not happy about my neon! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By unhappy in ohio - October 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car new in 2005 and only have 46,000 miles on it 5 years later. I have had to have the front control arm bushings replaced 4 times now. The first time I only had 15,000 miles on the car. It would stall out in the middle of traffic and the highway at 20,000 miles. Had it in three times before they could figure out why. I bought the extended warranty but the only thing that has helped with is a loaner while it is being repaired: ( I have had to pay for labor out of pocket even though the parts were covered. I now have a problem with a seal in the rear drivers door. It fills with water every time it rains. I will not purchase another Dodge vehicle.

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  Time to Trade - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Mr. John Lennon - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I like the sport car type driving this Rango has, I removed the Du on the back. I have not had the problems that everyone has noted. 73k I do all the maintenance. Because of the 5.9 slug blogs I used a produce called Auto RX. I just removed the valve cover today 10/21/10 very clean. But because of the comments on transmission problems I am thinking of something else and not a Dodge. Murphy might be just around the corner because of this post. I might chop it up and call it ART, or have a fund raiser shoot out. All in the name of Government Bailout. Now you got me going.

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  Great SUV - 2010 Dodge Nitro
  By rjinsac - October 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive have my car 10 months, with zero problems. love its handling and its so fun to drive, no blind spots which I love, so easy to change lanes.

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  Fun to drive - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Terry - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Challenger R/T (6 speed) for 4 months now and love it. I enjoy the smooth ride, the power and the look of this car. The only drawback I can note is the skip shift, but this can be overcome by waiting a second for the slow car to get some distance and laying into the gas pedal. I rev at 1600 RPM doing 70 on the highway in 6th gear and love the sound of the Hemi when I hit the throttle. Great car.

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  Turning Heads Everywhere That I Go! - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Corey Allen - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I traded my 09 RT in for my 10 SRT8 I am very pleased with my decision. The suspension is stiffer and the Brembos make the car stop on a dime. The car is very quick and the exhaust note is sublime. The car is definitely an attention grabber and my color choice of Detonator yellow adds fuel to the fire. The Challenger is a car that is great for cruising around town or putting on the road for a few hours. The trunk is big enough for a couple of large suit cases and the cabin is spacious. It definitely oozes American muscle and makes you feel like youre king of the road. The market is not over saturated with Challengers which is also a plus. Mustangs and Camaros are everywhere.

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  GPS will cost you! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Give me my Liberty!! - October 20 - 2:00 am

  It is not made known to you up front, but it will cost $250.00 to update your GPS. After 1.5 years, my GPS begins to flash signs at me stating "Map Location Unknown". Funny, it is my home location and it recognized it for a long time. Finally, dealerships do not even know how to direct you in getting it updated. I had to call around.

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  Seat cover stains - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By PHIL COMER - October 20 - 2:00 am

  From the day I drove my new car off the lot I have had problems with water stains on the seat cover material. I have been trying to get the company to do something about it for over a year now. They are supposed to let me know by 10/21/2010. This is clearly a defect in the material. Even condensation from a cold soda can will leave a stain.

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  Great Car, whats with the paint? - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Erica02 - October 19 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for two years and love it! But I have had the roof painted and now and going to have to have the hood painted. The paint is just fading right off my pretty black car!