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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  Chrysler should still make them! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By sharong60 - March 3 - 7:45 pm

  I bought my SXT brand new and have had her almost 5 years now and still love her! I love the fuel economy and can get 400 miles on a full tank! She handles great except on ice! I think its the lightweight body. I love the interior and exterior styling! Great stereo, well lit dash, great heater, a/c, like the pull down back seats, which make it almost a hatchback! Parts are cheap. Good warranty. Have had to put very little maintenance on her. Did get new tires last summer. And had a motor go out on my power window, replaced free thru warranty. Had to get a new battery last year. She starts even when left outside in extreme cold. Right now, Chrysler would have a goldmine in the Neon!

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  Love/Hate - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Bought used hate it - March 2 - 1:25 pm

  Well I bought this car used.. I had one as a rental car and thought it was neat. The design and such. I use it to commute 90 + miles a day.. lets see it has been in the shop 30 days already waiting on a new transmission, which thankfully was covered by the warranty I paid for. Then needed new tires, it has less than 40,000 miles on it. Which I am glad because the new tires seem to make it a quieter ride. Now recently I am noticing shifting problems with my new transmission! UGH!!

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  Love my newest Charger - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By RamRay - March 2 - 10:41 am

  I am a big Mopar fan and had an69 Charger. I got a returned lease SXT with the 3.5 V6 for a great price and only 16K on the odo. I proceeded to upgrade it with a K&N CAI, magnaflow catback exhaust, dark tint, spoiler, custom 20" chromes, 6 Sony speakers and a nice faux wood dash kit. While I wish I had an R/T, the 3.5 is adequate and in all back looks baaaaaad! I am very happy and can haul the family anywhere in style. While my wife hates the loud new exhaust, she is now a fan of Mopar and will get a 300C after years of Ford ownership. Critics be damned, this is a fine car!

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  A ONE TON PAPERWEIGHT! - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By laura - March 2 - 8:49 am

  loved my car until I reached the 79000 mile mark. My water pump failed allowing antifreeze to mix with oil which fried out all the bearings. Had to pay $600 just to cover the labor for the mechanic to get to the part. It will cost more to replace motor than the car is worth. I never imagined a car could fail so completely at this low of miles. Now that its fixed my mechanic says I should dump the car because their transmissions have a 50% failure rate. Nice work Dodge! You can be sure I wont be purchasing your product again.

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  I am done with Dodge Vehicles - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Cpittman - March 1 - 10:46 pm

  I stumbled upon this site just now and cant believe how many others have had the exact same issues with their Nitro as I have. Snapped door handles, wipers that just quit (at the worse times), window motors that went out (a yr into owning the vehicle), uncarriage leaks from the front and rear, TERRIBLE gas mileage, dashboards lights that would all go out and vehicle stall. I was in a bad situation when I got the truck and pressed for time so I wasnt able to research this thing like I should have. If I could go back, I NEVER would have purchased this truck and the moment I am able, Im getting rid of it!

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  2010 Challenger SE Rallye Group - Update - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Joe From Amarillo - March 1 - 8:11 pm

  It has been about three months with my new 2010 Dodge Challenger SE with the Rallye Pack. I have driven this rear wheel drive in the snow storms of 2010. I have not gotten stuck or even spin – out. The ESP, ABS and all the safety stuff has been a blessing. The driving experience is like going back to the old school days when people knew you by your car. I must say I still get excited every time I get in to go somewhere. My MPG is about 16 – 18 city and about 26 – 28 highway.The Nav system with the I-Pod hook up in the center console rocks, and the steering wheel control are a must. The V-6 has a lot of power I have to tell myself to slow down it may not be a Hemi but it will take off.

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  Budget Wheels in KC - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Bill in KC - February 27 - 11:46 pm

  We bought our Neon new off the lot. I wish we would have ordered it out the way we wanted it, but all in all we did OK. We have taken this car on several road trips and found it to be excellent on the highway (except for a bit of road noise). Driving in snow is a bit of a challenge though. The trick is to keep excellent tires on the car! I find the engine weak, but reliable and I am always concerned by the clatter she makes when she starts up. To my surprise, a weak battery caused several sensors to go nuts and report three different codes. Thankfully, an excellent mechanic figured it out, replaced the battery and we are ready for another 70K in this little car!

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  Dont hit anything - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By Phavens - February 27 - 8:52 pm

  My dodge was working fine - did have to replace brakes pretty often - but was for the most part satisfied...until it slipped on the road due to snow - and hit a drain - which totaled the car. TOTALED THE CAR! one jolt - and the entire underside was busted to pieces - so i question the strength of the engine. Ive read other reviews saying the same thing. So if you never get hit nor hit anything, you might be okay...just be really really careful.

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  1997 Neon by Brian - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By BrianGriffis - February 27 - 8:17 pm

  love the milage, style and handling

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  Automatic Woes - 2009 Dodge Charger
  By Ray - February 27 - 12:41 pm

  I have a drone from the transmission at 1500 rpm and under a slight load (4 & 5 gears. When I change to manual mode it goes away. Shifts just fine otherwise. Chrysler will not fix the noise so I have contacted a lawyer to help resolve this issue. By the way I drove a 2010 R/T and it had the same noise.