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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  Lemon of the year - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By ReppyT - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Extreme wind noise exasperated by shrinkage of the door seals. Steering problems. Crummy wheel covers. Overall a dud of a car.

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  Fun to drive - when working - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By pfeiffer - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Love to drive this van, especially on long trips. Can get 24mpg at 70mph. Unfortunately the van is in the shop alot, and I may trade it. Biggest problem has been the master brake cylinder. Have had 4 in 36K miles. The dash dials have stopped cold on numerous occasions, and one time some swith broke and the van was stuck in 2nd. Have my own coffee mug at the dealer.

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  We have been quite happy - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By Jim91010 - August 20 - 7:32 pm

  This was the choice of my wife as it was to be her primary car. We have put 197,000 miles on it with no major problems. We recently replaced the front end struts.

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  never again - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By ihatemydodge - August 20 - 3:44 pm

  I have owned this truck for nearly 4 years. Belt tensioner went out under warranty. After warranty expired, water pump replaced TWICE, trans rebuilt at 79k miles, trans control module replaced 2 months later, engine replaced at 86k (leakage on three cylinders...very rough idle), terrible gas mileage, "clunking" sound coming from driveshaft when taking off or stopping (Dealer says common problem and cannot be fixed). Changing the oil is easy, but messy (oil hits cross member and splatters everywhere). Engine is sluggish, and tranny shifts at entirely the wrong time. I hate this truck with a passion and will never buy another Chrysler product. I can see why they went bankrupt.

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  Comfortable ride - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Ron - August 20 - 12:11 pm

  Purchased new in May 05, now has 36,400 miles. Only have changed the oil, same battery and brakes. Have not replaced or repaired anything. Comfortable seats and a quite comfortable ride. Average 27 MPG highway on the 3.3 engine which is very quite. Test drove a Honda van and it was not as comfortable as the Dodge.

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  Great Riding Van! - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Patti D - August 19 - 11:36 pm

  My husband has worked for General motors for 31 years, and felt very guilty even looking at a Dodge! (At least it is American made). But this mini van had everything we were looking for that we couldnt find in a GM van. We love the stow and go seating, that was the main selling point, along with the auto sliding doors and tail gate and the three zone climate control. This all comes in handy with our two large labs. The van is much quieter than our previous Chevy and the ride is very smooth.

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  BOOOOOOO!!! - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Greg J. - August 19 - 9:06 pm

  Car is a looker, that is the only upside. Reading other consumer reviews it seems I may have the only crappy dodge stratus. Ok, here we go. Transmission jerks for some mysterious reason, ALOT of electrical issues (interior lights, blinking head lights, faint turning signals, horn loves to go out, fluctuating gas hand, radio and clock resets when I turn the car off then back on), bumper sits too low therefore it oftens hits while going over dips and speed bumps even when speed is low. 3.0 engine sounds good but doesnt accelerate all that well, and parts are expensive. I plan to sell car or salvage parts and get a NON AMERICAN CAR. Sorry USA.

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  Unhappy in Bay Area - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Unhappy Owner - August 19 - 12:13 pm

  I bought the car with 21,000 miles. I didnt start experiencing any problems until my car kept vibrating when I stopped. I had it checked and was told that my tire rods were worn. Then I started hearing a noise coming from the engine (a rocker shaft). After having this and a 90,000 mile service costs me $2087.00. Now my engine light constantly comes on. I was told to open the gas cap and let out some of the air. After reading a lot of the reviews, I noticed that this car should have had some recalls. Of course my extended warranty ended at 70,000.

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  normal upkeep - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By Andy G - August 19 - 10:16 am

  Have 160,000 miles on car got it new in 1999 work on car was minimal ball joints one sencer on trans, water pump my only complaint was freeze out plugs leaking this should never happen 5.2 motor. Gas mileage 15-18 mpg rides like a truck. Front bumper chips easy and starting to get rust.

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  Dodge had a WINNER! - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By HMR - August 19 - 2:04 am

  Hello...I bought my Intrepid ES new in Nov. 2001. I was not sure about buying a Dodge, but I liked what I saw, and I was right. Dodge had a WINNER with this car! Only minor teething problems at first, but it quickly grew into a strong and reliable car. GOOD looking also. I recently had to replace a wheel/rim due to corrosion, which was causing an air leak in the tire. I have read where this is a problem common to certain styles of wheels. I would still have this car, but it was recently (8-2009) totaled in a crash. It took a SEVERE high speed rear end impact, but no intrusion into the passenger compartment! If Dodge still made this model, I would buy another one. HMR