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:

• 

  couriers car - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By jthull - March 3 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car in 96 and rarely used it until 98 when I started to use it for work. I have the 2.0 sohc base model 5 speed manual. At 65000 it did need a new headgasket. The only other major expenses have been the front bearings or hub assembly. (part is a lot). replaced alternator once. fixed ac unit once but after 52000 miles it started to leak again THIS CAR HAS THE ORIGINAL ENGINE AND THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH!!!! LAST FRIDAY 2/27/04 MY STRATUS TURNED OVER 300000 MILES AND STILL GETS 31 MILES TO THE GALLON. I DRIVE ABOUT 200 MILES A DAY AROUND 52000 MILES A YEAR. THE SIZE OF THE CAR IN CONNECTION WITH THE MPG,LOVE IT

• 

  2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Utah - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By F. Tempel Riekhof - March 1 - 2:00 am

  Ovarall a very good vehicle. For a good sized minivan, it is rather nimble on the road and rolls easily (better than my 1998. Good interior and comfortable seats. Power sides doors and tailgate work flawlessly. Vehicle is somewhat underpowered and would be better served by a 5-speed automatic transmission rather than the 4-speed. Transmission braking is useless. Uses a bit of oil.

• 

  2002 4dr- sedan Stratus - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By SkyyBlueGirl - February 29 - 2:00 am

  I had a 96 Stratus before so naturally I went for the 2002 when it became time for a new car. I love the pretty color (sky blue) and the body style. I think the interior is an improvement from the older models. But I have to say I am REALLY disappointed that my car is leaking transmission fluid all over the place for no reason...the older version was (I have a feeling) way more reliable than the 2002. Other than the whole "transmission" problem (which is like, probably pretty bad for the outcome of my car over the years), the car is lovely. Hopefully you all have better luck...maybe I just got a bad seed.

• 

  Not Happy!!! - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By John Wills - February 26 - 9:46 pm

  Bought this minivan only two months ago. Already a/c went out, pass. side door trim (exterior) fell off. But gas mileage is decent for a seven year old vehicle. Wish it had center console, dealer didnt know where it was and it was over $400.00 from Dodge! Also no owners manual.

• 

  Great car for a cheap price - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By Oilman - February 26 - 2:00 am

  Great car for a cheap price. I purchased this car with 27K miles, now I have over 200,000 miles and it is still going strong. I have changed the head gasket once and had to replace a faulty turn signal switch, other then that, it has been a very solid car. Of course I change the oil on time and keep the tires in good shape. I still get over 35 miles per gallon on the freeway. My only complaint is the paint. It fell off in large chunks because of a bad base coat. I have asked the dealership to repaint it, but they refused. Hay, it only looks bad for Dodge, I do not care. I still drive this car about 1500 miles a month.

• 

  My airport car - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By canad - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I have had mine for about a year. It needed brakes when I bought it, and the A/C was not working after the second week (a dealership issue not a car issue.) Its peppy, handles well in all conditions including rain and snow (autostick.)

• 

  Designed to do what it is.... - 2001 Dodge Caravan
  By mvs49 - February 24 - 2:00 am

  We wanted a quality family van to fill many different roles and that is what we got. We use it to haul our sons band and public address equipment we use it to haul members of the church youth group all over the state and we use it for everyday for formal, fun and daily use. Id certainly consider this or the smaller Pacifica next time we need a vehicle.

• 

  Nice Dodge Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Bandj05 - February 23 - 10:36 am

  This car is great on gas mileage. It is an inexpensive car, so that explains the lack of interior and exterior quality. However, I think that this car gives the college student or small family car person a great choice. Ive previously owned a Lexus and a Trans Am. If you want the quality of a Lexus you are going to have to pay the high price. If you want power the go buy a car that gets 10 miles to the gallon. If youre looking for medium quality, excellent gas mileage, and a low cost then this is a great buy.

• 

  4.7L auto quad cab 2WD - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By lacasa - February 23 - 2:00 am

  Despite the numerous warranty items that have been replaced, I like the trucks mechanical reliability. What broke? Door lock switches constantly cycling to unlock, leather steering wheel peeled, shifter boot on the column ripped, battery shorted, drivers door window regulator mechanism popped, cruise control broke (bad switch somehere). Averages about 19mpg on the highway and 16mpg in the city. Mine has just about every option.

• 

  Cheap overall cost - but needed repairs - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By 150kMileIntrepid - February 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought in 96 w/ 64k mi for $9k. The car rides great, good mileage for a car of its size, and is roomy. Here are the repairs Ive made: A/C rebuilt $1200, Steering Rack $1000, Cyl. Head Gaskets & Engine Cradle Bushings $1200, Sway Bars, Struts, Tie Rods $1700 at 145k mi. Susp/steering has a bit to be desired. Overall cost of ownership was ~ $0.29 per mile. Cheap to own - but it has its problems - calling it quits w/ when the next repair bill rolls in - cant really expect too much more than 150k mi w/ this car I think. Yeah, I needed to make alot of repairs but it was still cheaper to own than a camry etc. - and roomier to. Id buy another used one.