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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  Flash2Speed - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By flashtube - November 27 - 10:14 pm

  The best mid sized truck I have purchased. Runs like a hot rod. Outside paint is a beautiful emerald green. When I turn the key on I can hear a deep thrum from the exhaust.

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  Life with my 2000 Intrepid - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Leahcim - November 27 - 2:10 pm

  My intrepid has 125000 miles and has been for the most part a reliable car. It still rides great and is the most comfortable car i have owned. Problems that I have had include the following. Both of the electric window motors went up at about 32000 miles which were covered under warranty. The rack and pinion went up in the car at 58000 miles $1200 to fix. The rubber door seals have shrunk so that they do not fit around the doors. The interior plastic trim around the doors has cracked and fallen apart.

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  I like it! - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Hikezilla - November 26 - 10:00 am

  We needed a new van for upcoming vacation and I had been impressed with a friends Grand Caravan. We didnt want to invest in a new 2003 so we were looking for 2001 or 2002 models with less than 30K miles. This one fit the ticket and had a decent price point.

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  100th Review - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By :yB - November 23 - 10:11 pm

  There is no option for a 2001 R/T for some reason but its essentially the same as a 2002. For the last 6 years my R/T has been completely reliable. I have had general maintenence repairs, tires, wipers, new battery, driving lights (headlights are still original) etc. but other than the gas cap failing to keep negative pressure in the tank, I have had no repairs. The only reason I am getting rid of my Durango is because the gas mileage is horrible (avg. 11.3) and its time to update. While trying to figure out what to sell my Durango for I noticed a lot of them have 100k+ up to 200,000 miles on them. The resale is not what I expected but definitely competetive with similar models.

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  Solid Truck - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By Dakota - November 21 - 8:43 am

  Overall a very reliable truck. Never had any problems w/ the drivetrain or any major mechanical issues. That said, the brakes are awful and the ball joints are junk - getting them replaced by Dodge, even with a recall, was a real hassle. Fuel economy averaged a disappointing 15mpg, and the 3.9 V6 just does not have enough power to get the heavier quad-cab moving or passing with enough authority. At highway speeds, the ride is smooth for a truck, but very noisy. Had to upgrade sound system just to hear the music. After 50k, it still runs great, but I shouldve opted for the V8 instead. This has been one of the most reliable vehicles I have owned, but more power is a must for a truck.

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  Engine oil sludge problem - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Eagle - November 19 - 7:47 pm

  The salesman pushed this car on me. Said I was getting a great deal. My Intrepid is beautiful, nice ride, and nice to drive however, shortly after I purchased it, the water pump went. All has been downhill since then. Because access was so difficult to replace the water pump, I spent over $600 on labor. My mechanic said he has seen this problem many times with this particular car. He recommended that I get rid of it ASAP. I am so disappointed because I love everything else about the car.

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  Fun and inexpensive - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By wax - November 18 - 8:51 am

  This is my second Neon. I love it. I blast around full throttle and still get close to 35 mpg. I think we drove every small car made before we made our decision. The only one that even came close to the performance of the Neon was the Mazda. I drive a lot of miles, and buy new cars often.

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  Yes, I read the other reviews, but this van wont die! - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By paulsnj - November 17 - 1:36 pm

  I bought this van certified used in Jan of 2008 with 47,000 miles on the clock after my lovely 2002 Chrysler Town and Country Limited was wrecked parked in front of my house. So I gained Stow N Go and Sirius radio in the dash but lost my leather seats and pimped out factory chrome spoke wheels. That being said, the trans had to be rebuilt and/or worked on three times the first two years, all under certified warranty and all I had to pay was one $100 copay. Since then, no issues at all except for a left power sliding door that works off and on, and a front end that badly needs a complete rebuild. I am on the original timing belt, shocks, and struts and just turned 175,000 miles.

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  Nice Improvement from 2007 - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Bill - November 15 - 11:43 pm

  I bought my 08 Caliber after totaling my 07 Caliber in a deer collision. the deer actually got hit into me from a vehicle going the other way and it caused quite a bit of damage (airbags and all), nobody was hurt though. I liked my 07 so I went to the dealer and bought an 08 for about 500 dollars more. I couldnt be happier. What I lost in gas mileage (approx 5mph) I gained in comfort and ride. The 08s come with dark grey interiors which are much easier to keep clean. The 6 speed auto transmission is alot quieter. The whole car seems smoother and stabler on the road. It cruises smoothly and quiet. It handles the snow with no problems. Gas mileage was 27mph on my last tank. Great car!

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  Why change? - 1994 Dodge Caravan
  By Joe - November 15 - 3:23 pm

  I purchased this van with 53,255 miles & B-4 the 7 yr/70K was up, transmission failed. Our local dealer only offered a factory rebuilt, so I decided to have Aamco repair it & pay for repair myself, + get their "life time warrenty" as my experience with Chrysler rebuilts was not good. No more problems. This is a handi-cap van & does not handle in winds as good as my previous non-handicap van, but with the 3.8 it runs out great. Ive decided to have it re-painted, upgrade suspension, brakes & just keep driving it.