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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  Liked my Intrepid until year #3 - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Yates - August 24 - 10:00 am

  My car has been great until the last six months. Ive had to replace the speed sensor ($200), light switch sensor $200), now the air conditioner evaporator ($1200)and the security system goes off whenever since I had the a/c checked. Its been back in the shop twice and they cant find the problem. So, until six months ago, I loved my Interpid but now Im not sure if Im going to keep it and wonder what will go wrong next!

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  Dodge Dakota Quad Cab - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By George Barnett - August 24 - 2:00 am

  Like the looks of the vehicle but the poor quality qickly caught my attention. Tires were an issue from the test drive, dealer replaced 2 before I replaced the whole set, engine pulled at 18k and new seals installed, electrical problem, brake caliper and brakes completely replaced at 24K, dealer said was normal, dealer says control arms needed replacing about the same time. Rattles developed in the dash (which drove us crazy) never got them quited down) along with the bed which I later found was not fasten on straight. Plastic fastners came loose around windshield and on firewall. I understand why the dealership high pressured the extended warranty.

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  Still a show-stopper after 10 years - 1994 Dodge Viper
  By MattGutberlet - August 23 - 2:00 am

  After wanting one since I first laid eyes on it at age 12, I finally picked up my own last year. Its hard to imagine that simply buying a car can change your life, but own one of these for a little while and all of the sudden, the first question out of everyones mouth is "did you bring the Viper? Hows the Viper doing? Have the Viper out this weekend?" The performance is outrageous. Creature comforts are severely lacking, but you should have known that going in. This car isnt for everybody, but if youre a true muscle car enthusiast, it all makes perfect sense.

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  Great truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By davestar - August 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought this truck brand new and since I have spent next to nothing on repairs. it is the perfect size and has plenty of room for me and the family. the box size is a bit small. Love the truck .

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  So far so good! - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By horn1 - August 22 - 2:00 am

  Good experience with buying....Sticker Price was $25,600, but I got them down to $16,500 after negotiation and rebates. Awesome deal! I love the look of the truck and it has good power for a V6. Lots of Room inside. Hope it is reliable!

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  Viper - 2004 Dodge Viper
  By gseely - August 19 - 2:00 am

  One test drive in this car, and I was sold. Love it.

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  2799 miles and blown Headgaskets - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By cvman46 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Well This car was fun as hell, untill a manafacturing default ( warped master cylinder ) caused the head gaskets to blow......not fun especially something that major with only 2800 miles on it, and i havent even done anything to it yet, and was going to take on my co workers Porche in the 1/4 mile which i know will be no contest per the srt-4 I drove for my friend and blew a SVT away, lol untill he got into 4th gear...lol but i think that blue flame had something to do with it..lol But cant wait to install the stage 2 turbo, comes with alot of extras that you probably have bought seperate already, that is why i was wating....

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  Really good early impression - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Dave Gower - August 19 - 1:00 am

  My first Dodge van was a 1884 model, and this is my 4th since then. Although Ive like all my vans, this one is head and shoulders above the others. The build quality is good, but even more the ride and handling is far superior. I guess this is the Mercedes influence on the design. The seating position and comfort are excellent. A power seat helps here. The controls fall readily to hand, are very intuitive, and have a quality feel. Outward vision at first seemed blocked by thick pillars but I find I got used to that quickly and am not bothered now. I find that parking is far easier than with my old vans. The square corners may help here but the steering seems more precise as well.

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  Avenger - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By Somer24 - August 16 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Avenger for over 6 years now. It is an ES V6 and has been very reliable. I have only had 1 minor problem with it. The only thing that discourages me about this car is the tires. I have had the worst luck with tires splitting on this car. They are also VERY expensive. The turning ratio is horrible, but the car looks good and is fun to drive.

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  Excellent Value - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Colin - August 15 - 5:50 pm

  I have had the SXT model with a 2.4L 4- CYL with CVT for a month now and I love it! Its a solid, all-around car. For the money, its a fantastic value! Some folks will point out that it doesnt perform as well as some of the other "hot hatches" but unless youre going R/T, youre not buying this to blow people off the road! Its got great cargo space, well thought out features, decent gas mileage, performs well in slippery conditions and snow. Infinity Stereo is great! Yeah, Dodge went a bit overboard on the Interior Plastic but hey, its durable. Love the Exterior Styling and it is very quiet. Also, is it a coincidence that Toyota is trumpeting the new Venza? Looks a LOT like the Caliber!