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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  Thrilled with the car - 2015 Dodge Challenger
  By Terrence Devlin - April 10 - 1:11 pm

  I traded a 7000 mile 2010 SRT8 for the R/T Scat Pack and couldnt be happier with the decision. The car is comfortable, powerful, good looking, and sounds amazing.

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  A great car - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By bbfd86 - April 9 - 7:42 am

  I bought my Charger R/T Max AWD in 2011. This car has just now had its first service issues after 3-1/2 years and 66K miles. The check engine light came on and the blind spot feature is only working intermittently. I am sure my Dodge dealership will fix these problems tomorrow. This car is really fun to drive and is very safe. With the AWD and snow tires it has no problem handling the tough Upstate NY winter conditions of snow and ice.

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  Battery replacement - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By S F Samie - April 1 - 2:10 pm

  We purchased the 2013 Dodge dart Lmtd brand new in Dec 2012. Since then we have had two issues with the battery and only recently had to have the entire battery replaced. The Dodge dealership confirmed that it was an internal problem with the battery! Has anyone else had these issues? The car has completed about 26K miles.

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  This car is an amazing machine. - 2015 Dodge Challenger
  By elt2jv - March 29 - 1:38 pm

  Dodge really hit the perfect blend of retro styling and modern performance. Aesthetics are always subjective you either like the looks or you dont. Empirically, the interior is very nicely driver-centric and easy to access all functions and features. The 8.4 Uconnect system is great and easy to use. Ride and comfort are sporty, even in "Street" mode, but still very comfortable. Performance is, of course, breath-taking. Absolutely beastly power at your command, but still can get 23 MPG on the freeway (manual). Summary: A true muscle car with all the modern conveniences of a luxury coupe. Not for everyone, but for those who want one, you will not be disappointed.

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  2014 dodge Charger RT 100th Anni Edition Review - 2014 Dodge Charger
  By michaelf120 - March 27 - 8:03 pm

  I have a 2014 Dodge Charger RT 100th Anniversary edition. It gets a lot of looks with the deep red color and the styling is great. The car is just straight up fast. It will put out that 400bhp anytime you need it or just want to. The interior is spacious, high in tech and the heated seats and steering wheel will spoil you. I really like the charger but there are some issues too. I have had electrical issues with my car. Some are annoying and some are very concerning. I have had the radio just turn off to the headlights turning off while driving. Once the entire car just shut down while on the freeway. Chrysler has been trying to find the issue but havent been able to locate it yet.

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  Worst car I have owned - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By Cameron - March 26 - 8:50 pm

  This is the worst car I have ever owned. It has been in the shop more than I have driven it. At a year and a half old the turbo had to be replaced. At two years old it would get stuck in first gear and would stall out ten seconds after starting it. This car is unreliable. It is good on gas, looks nice, drives nice, and is a comfy ride. However those do nothing for me if the car will not run. All the while having 30,000 miles or less on it.

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  My 2015 Dodge Dart SE - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By fordfan31 - March 25 - 3:28 pm

  I recently purchased a brand new Dart SE with the 2.0l engine. I work in the automotive field and have driven plenty of vehicles. I love my Dodge Dart and Im a big Ford guy, but I did not like the Focus as much as I love this Dart. Edmunds has their "expert" review all wrong. I drove all trim levels and the base model with the automatic does perfectly well. I even replaced the terrible Kumho tires with Bridgestone Driveguards because there is no spare. Inside the Dart is very comfy, stereo is great, HVAC controls are nice and easy, Engine Power is from the 2.0 is good and the transmission shifts perfect. I have been averaging 35mph on the highway at 70mph and I drive 600+ miles a week

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  My First Dodge. - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By Jennifer Reynolds - March 24 - 12:21 pm

  My Husband and I upgraded to the 2014 Durango R/T in November 2014. There is about 4500 miles on it so far, and we couldnt be happier with it. We were previously in a 2013 Toyota Venza, and were in the market for a 3rd rower with our 2nd child on the way. The Durangos space is definitely an increase from the Venza, and a great help when you have a 3 year old picky with leg room. This SUV gives you more bang for your buck. I was usually the first to criticize Dodge, but this SUV changed me and my Husband during the test drive. No issues with the vehicle so far.

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  I love this car! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By spooledup - March 19 - 8:29 am

  I cant get enough of this car. Ive owned it for a little over 5 years and now have over 170,000 miles. It still runs smooth as it did with 65,000 miles and Ive never had an issue with the car other than regular maintenance. Ive changed the timing belt, water pump, clutch/fork, spark plugs, oil, and cam shaft sensor twice, battery and tires. Thats it! All those things would need to be changed on any car so I would say this car is extremely reliable. Its never once left me stranded, and I dont drive like a grandma either. Speaking of which, the performance of this car is amazing. My car is still stock and Ive beat everything from ls1 camaros, to evos and stis.

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  Will never buy another dodge car again! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Racheal Morrow - March 15 - 11:01 am

  I bought my 2009 dodge journey in August 2010 and in November 2010 is when all of the problem started. I was on the highway with my family and the car completely shut down on me and it would not start back up until it was placed on a flatbed being towed. Flash forward till 2013, my transfer case exploded on me and then in January 2015 my transfer case exploded a second time. In Feb. 2015 my drive shaft broke, and now in March 2015 my power train module has completely stop working. Called all of this in and the dodge warranty people was very rude and nasty to me. Since the end of January I have spent $6100 and still have a boat load more to spend. This shall be traded w/I the next week!