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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  ehhh - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By evie - July 19 - 12:16 am

  I purchased this vehicle with about 90,000 from my Aunt and Uncle who always kept up with the maintenance on this car and had no problems, because the problems were waiting for me. I have had the vehicle for 3 years and I replaced the struts (which my aunt and uncle had already done), brakes, rotors, tie rods, water pump, hood hydraulics just dont work, serpentine belt 3 times and the tensioner pulley. And then there is the AC, the vents up by my windshield blew out that hottest heat ever all the time full blast and would not stop! Of course I couldnt afford to fix it right away so I just had to drive around all sweaty until I shelled out $750.

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  The good and the bad - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Scott - July 18 - 6:53 pm

  I have had positive and negative experiences. The van has run well, with good acceleration and a smooth comfortable ride. The handling is very good. The Stow N Go seats are a great option. Electronic doors and liftgate work well. A/C is powerful and easy to regulate. On the negative side, my fuel economy is poor. At best Ive averaged 18 mpg per tankful, and lately its dipped down below 17mpg, even though a good part of my driving is highway. Im also disappointed with the interior craftsmanship. Pieces of plastic have broken off the Stow N Go seats even though I havent folded them away very much. Factory stereo is just fair. Various taillight bulbs have needed replacement already.

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  Speed Demon - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Scott - July 18 - 3:18 am

  Overall I would have to say I like this car. The acceleration is awesome, but the engine is too loud. Brakes are nice. Shifting is too stiff, and acceleration in first gear is difficult since its FWD. If you accelerate too fast, the front tires bounce so it slows you down a little. The car seems to make some funny noises in the motor which Im praying are just noise and not an upcoming problem. I had a 2001 Neon SE, and they are very similar in driving (except for the turbo). It kind of scares me though, since after 70,000 miles the Neon SE began losing power and the brakes got worse.

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  power loss on electrical components - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By IS - July 10 - 2:30 am

  scary moment when 3 weeks ago the back up camera, A/C & heating vents, radio, speedometer & other dash reading disappear & nothing worked, along with power windows, power door locks. 43000km on this baby & under warranty, took to the dealer shop, they refused to look into because I wasnt having an issue now, but they did do the upgrades on computer for free (which they apparently charge for),also have chronic problems of locking the van, I have to push down on the button 3 or 4 times & had it check out but they never find anything wrong. its been great, no problems otherwise, love all the features, rear seats uncomfortable. Great for camping, can easily sleep 2 adults comfortably.

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  4 years, 86000 miles, and few problems - 2001 Dodge Caravan
  By Mark - July 9 - 3:11 am

  This vehicle is not fancy, but it has been dependable transportation for my family. The only time its been in the shop is for regularly scheduled maintenance, and for a failed power window motor.

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  Valuable advice - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Badintrepid - July 5 - 5:15 pm

  I bought my Dodge Intrepid used a few years ago. I loved it despite the window problems I had initially. It was very comfortable to drive and a fun car in general. But then one thing broke down after another and they were all major concerns. My transmission has died costing $2,000 plus the speed sensors and other problems you can find online very easily. The oil system is also a major concern in most models because it was designed very poorly. Although this car seems great at first - try asking repair people their opinions on this car. Youll get a good laugh. Although my family members are employed by Chrysler, after this experience, I will never ever buy a Chrysler/Dodge product again!

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  10 year review - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Tony S - July 5 - 8:21 am

  I’ve had my caliber R/T for 10 years now, and overall it’s been a decent vehicle. Like a few others, I to had to replace the ball joints around 50,000 miles. I’ve replaced the battery twice. Replaced tires numerous times. Replaced the master and slave cylinder for transmission. That’s about it. I bought the car used in 2007 with 14,000 Miles. The dealer had a number of calibers on the lot, but I wasn’t fond of any until I saw this one. It looked great (still does), was an R/T, plus had many of the SRT upgrade features. Finally, it was a manual transmission which I love. Over the years, I’ve racked up more an 100,000 Miles on this car, and although I’ve had a few repairs, I’ve never regretted buying it. Any car 10 years old will be be in the shop sooner or later. Even with the expense of repairs, it’s been the most economical and reliable car I’ve ever owned. Time and time again it’s got me where I needed to be, and never let me down. I was looking for a economical car when I found the Caliber. Many told me not to buy it, but those same people were spending thousands more on a car than I wanted to. I bought it anyway and have never regretted it. Maybe I was lucky. Maybe I found the only decent Caliber out there. I don’t know. I like to think I took care of her, and she took care of me.

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  Awesome looks - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By mike - July 3 - 3:20 am

  I previously drove a 2003 Honda Accord coupe with a 4 cylinder. While the Dodges acceleration is not quite as good as the Hondas, its handling is far superior, and it has a lot less body roll. The tires are too eager to squeal on the Accord on turns. The interior of the Accord is nicer, but the Dodge looks a lot better on the outside. For as long as I have had this car, nothing has gone wrong. This car is an overall good buy and very sporty, if thats what your looking for.

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  Known engine problem - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By mh - July 2 - 1:02 pm

  I always enjoyed the car. It was comfortable, roomy, and the 2.7L is economical. It was reliable in Chicago winters, and only had minor repairs. At 70,000 miles it threw a rod. Dodge wants $6300 for a new engine. Turns out small oil ports sludge up and kill the engine. Dodge says the problem is poor maintenance, but dealer changed the oil every 4-5,000 miles without warning me that 4-5,000 mile changes are only good on the Hondas, Toyotas, Volvos & Pontiacs on which weve put 125-150,000 miles each in the last 20 years. Who knew? Oh - wait - Chrysler did. If youve got one, find out what you can do to de-sludge it, or trade it in by 50,000 miles.

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  Had some bad luck. - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By IdahoBogeyBoy - July 1 - 2:50 pm

  Bought as a "program" car with 27K miles. Kept up all routine maintenance. At 103K I had to replace the engine, found a 70K mile engine and had it installed. The timing chain failed at 126K, with 23K on second engine. I have heard from 2 different mechanics that the 2.7 liter engine is not a reliable model. It was a good car until the problems began. I would not recommend this car to buyers looking at used cars.