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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  Sway bar problem - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Professorold - April 1 - 2:00 am

  I have been satisfied with the truck, with one exception... it has developed a very bad squeak due to the sway bar moving inside the outer bushings. Dakota forums expose this as a common problem, but Dodge has made no effort to help consumers with it. To date, there is no cure, just a very expensive temporary fix - have Dodge replace parts for inflated costs.

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  1997 avenger - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By charlieonefin - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I used to own one of these, found it annoying to have to own a set of jackstands and floor jack just to change the oil. It was fairly reliable, with the exception of the alternator, but all around it good vehicle, a nice mix of performance and economy. And yes, get your auto transmission filter changed every 15,000 miles.The Automatic used in these are weak and if not maintained on this cycle, can cause some serious headaches. I changed the filter on mine at this interval and had no problems after over 60,000 miles.

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  rack n pinion - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By queenbee72 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  We have a 99 and it is with 50,000 miles on it and it is in need of a rack and pinion already and dealer says it is not covered under the regualr warranty this is a major repair and I think dodge needs to cover more.

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  LOVE THE DAK - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Dak Dan - March 30 - 2:00 am

  No more Rangers for me!

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  01 Quadcab 4X4 - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Monty Rogers - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have been satisfied with the overall performance of the truck. There have been reports with the ball joint issues that concern me. The engine has been missing since the truck hit 38,000 miles, from time to time. I have taken it to the dealership(Walters Dodge) on two separate occasions for the problem. The problem remians persistant. Regards, Mr. Monty Dale Rogers

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  pretty good! - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By cgiven3 - March 28 - 2:00 am

  Great first/second car. It saw me through several trips back/forth from Louisiana to Illinois, including all my belongings! Roomy, fuel efficient, low-maintenance, and affordable!

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  My First New Truck - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Ken Scherry - March 27 - 2:00 am

  I really enjoy driving my new truck. I am 42 adn this is the first new Vehicle I have purchesed with less then 30,000 miles on it. If it was not for teh poor gas millage I could say it has been the best purchasse I have ever made on a vehicle. The paper work says since it is new it will take time to brake in the mpg. Time will tell. I can wait and enjoy it while it wait.

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  meh - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By hoeun - March 25 - 2:00 am

  got it brand new back in 96. ive been driving this car for 4 years. my mom had it before me. before i started driving, it was taken goodcare of and was driven very softly (never over 3000 rpm). when i took over, i abused the 2.4lt engine. i put it throught alot of tests and trials. i do give it regualr oil changes, but my average peak rpm when im accelerating is 4500. i get bad gas milage only due to my driving style. we had to replace the head gasket, transmission twice, and whole lot of brake jobs. but considering my driving style, it was reasonable. right now it has little ove 150000miles, and its still going strong.

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  Family Truckster - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Paul K - March 24 - 4:10 am

  This vehicle is by far the best in its class, and priced well for quality and performance it delivers. As many first set of brakes were replaced at 12K, but under warranty. Dealer adv that Dodge is making improvement to the brake pads soon. The V-6 with quick shift option is great. The national safety ratings are excellant. Only complaint city MPG could be better, but again my wife drives like she trying out for pole position in NASCAR. The under hidden storage, beverage (in dash), built in power converter, and recharging flash light, and rear doors that open 180 degrees are options you wont find in an import. Would by again..

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  Love my Dodge - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By ushowilook - March 24 - 2:00 am

  First, dodge vehicle i ever owned and all i have to say is I LOVE IT.