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:

• 

  Good, but not Great! - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By ChadM - October 30 - 12:24 pm

  Overall I have been happy with the vehicle. I have had one recurring problem that no one has been able to resolve. This vehicle will "bog down" and stutter, and possibly stall periodically. I believe it is a lack of fuel, but it could be an air flow problem or all 6 cyclinders amy not be firing properly. The check engine light comes every time this occurs (it has happened 15-20 times). Every time the code has been checked it indicates that the gas cap needs to be replaced because the air seal and therefore the air pressure is not being maintained properly.

• 

  Cant trust the power windows - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Magic Dragon - October 30 - 9:44 am

  I bought the car when it was a year old. Two years later, the drivers power window went bad and Ive had that same window fixed a total of 5 times in the last year. I can no longer use the window because I dont trust it to operate correctly.

• 

  Journey Review Part 2 - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Vince&Sara - October 29 - 6:50 am

  As promised we were going to write another review of our Journey when we came back from our road trip. We went on a 8700 km (5400 mile) 10 state trip. We came back about 2 weeks ago . Our Journey now has over 17,000 km(11,00 miles on it.) To date we have had no problems with it! Everything is working great. Sorry to hear others are having problems with yours. Gas mileage was better than we expected, the seats were great, the a/c kept up to 106 degree Las Vegas temps, even with the 2.4 L it easily cruised the interstates at 70-75-80 mph. Only the steep hills of Colorado made the 4 cyl work really hard. We had already knew the 4 cyl version was a little underpowered though, so we expected it.

• 

  A lucky find or a total bomb - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By Allen - October 28 - 11:27 pm

  Dodge isnt consistent in this model. Some people get lucky and have no engine problems and some people dont. If your considering a stratus that has minor engine problems DONT GET IT PERIOD! Bought mine with a small oil leak. Ended up replacing the OEM headgasket ($1500 no biggie considering what I paid for it at the time--it was a common problem) fixed that and in a week the rear main oil seal went out. I knew I had problems and tried to sell it but now the transaxle quit and the engine is missfiring. After $3000.00 into it I cant sell it for a cent!

• 

  Love it But could use a little more room - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Sam - October 27 - 9:11 pm

  Great Truck, Drives Smoothly, Accelerates quietly, room on the interior, V8 is a must though, drove the V6 and it had no pick up. There are a few major blind spots, but its a fix that takes about $5 to fix. bed is useable but could be a little deeper, I have a cover on it and have trouble putting some coolers underneath it. Only complaint, theres no where to put things, the glove compartment doesnt even fit the owners manual! Dodge is normally good with storage, but not in this case.

• 

  Stay away - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Travlnmn41 - October 27 - 1:27 pm

  Do not buy this car. My AC went out after 3 years and it was no minor problem -- it was a $2,700 problem. Also had to completely replace my brakes and one part unique to the coupe was hard to find. The shop had to special order it and I was without a car for a week.

• 

  This van is the bomb! - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By gail39 - October 27 - 2:19 am

  Weve purchased this van brand new in 2006. It has over 117,000 miles in it! Other than the interior cosmetic issues such as flimsy cup holders and shortage on the automatic windows and lights in the front- in terms of its reliability, its great as it has never left us stranded anywhere weve been! My kids grew up riding in it and we have all loved it! No transmission or engine issues so far! Were hoping to another 100,000 miles in it!

• 

  Sporty Good! - 2014 Dodge Avenger
  By ANDIE - October 25 - 1:03 pm

  The SE model I recently purchased is a great car. I love the Sporty look, it rides good, and runs good mechanically. The radio is a the basic stereo for this vehicle. No rear view camera, no navigation or touch screen options. Im thinking about upgrading just for the rear view assistance. The windows arent as wide as what Im used to in a suv. But all in all Im pleased!

• 

  Dakota - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By snowman - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Truck has worked out really well for light hauling, running around town. Rides well.

• 

  Dakota - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Snowman - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Truck has worked out really well for light hauling, running around town. Rides well.