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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  SXT But With a 3.3L V6??? - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bladeedge12 - February 6 - 10:01 pm

  My wife and I purchased this vehicle in 2010 because we needed a family hauler. Was never looking to get a minivan, but I always heard good things about Dodges vans. The check engine light has been on from day one, but nothing seems to be wrong. The dealership said that it is common to happen on these vans. We have had several things checked out under the hood, but nothing has presented itself. The interior is on a downward spiral of falling apart so easily. It is slowly losing its automatic mechanisms like power locks and rear windows. Maybe the computer is slowly shutting the vans power down? The charging ports never worked. Two family trips and still going strong, however.

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  Could Have Been Bettter - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Mighty Elmo - February 6 - 8:46 pm

  I bought mine when they first came out. The Chill Zone does not stay open which is my first major complaint especially when I brought back to the dealer the person had no clue what it was or did. The brakes crunch one in a while. Fit and finish of the car is good. While I like the car It certainly could have a little more quality put into the vehicle

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  Got what I asked for - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By CBorg - February 6 - 2:00 am

  During the first year there were several recalls issued which I took care of during regular maintence cycles at no extra charge, and Ive had only had one major fault since that had to be addressed at my (partial) expense - the differential had something internal go bad which caused a vibration. My service contract had a $200 deductible which I had to pay. Its been very comfortable and useful to me with few exceptions.

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  Almost 4 years and 75k later - 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By stekicar - February 5 - 2:33 am

  Replaced all four brake pads and rotors after 50k miles. Front had more then 6mm left while rear were closer to 3mm in thickness. Replaced with PowerStop rotors and ceramic pads. Had to replace front pads after only 15k miles. Rear ones were still like new. At 73k check engine went on and front (left) cylinder head was replaced under warranty. Also, upstream left O2 sensor was replaced. Still going strong. Very satisfied.

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  nice truck - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By robbins - February 4 - 2:00 am

  nice ride for 4x4,strong braking,fun truck to drive interior needs to be upgrade.

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  best all around - 1994 Dodge Dakota
  By squierian - February 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a great truck. Ive had it for almost for years, and the guy who had it before me babied it. Ive had a little bit of trouble with the radiator, and have replaced at least one cv joint, but not too many more, and a wiper bushing. The air conditioner is excellent. I can push upwards of 320 miles to about 17 gallons, and have used this truck for work and play. The exterior is in agreable condtion, the only blemishes in the forms of dings and scratches. The headliner has been sagging, but I can live with that. I like it because its in between the compact s-10s and the large f-150s.

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  After 4 years of ownership - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Irish911 - February 2 - 2:00 am

  This intrepid has been pretty reliable. The only problems encountered, ignition switch, drivers window track (power window), and now the heater fan only has two speeds "Off and High". Would I purchase another Intrepid, probably, if the deal was right.

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  Grand Caravan - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By LAKEG41 - February 1 - 7:36 pm

  I have had no real problems with this van. I had rack and pinion changed when I first got it, still under warranty, so there was $0 cost. Other than having to replace egr at about 45,000, which seems pretty common I have not had any other expenses out of the normal maintenance. Love the power options on my van and will still continue to buy Caravans into the future! As a matter of fact this is my 4th, 93, 95, 97 all sold with 160,000 miles plus .

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  Just above Average - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By dongo - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Haing driven my 2001 Intrepid extensively now, I must say that is is a car that I intend to keep for quite some time. Maintenance & repairs were a concern with the much maligned 2.7 and its associated "troublesome" transmission, but so far it seems to be practically nonexistant for me. Big car, plenty of room on the interior, decent pickup with the kind of gas mileage I get (mid 20s), I think Ill keep it for awhile. :)

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  Good Truck! - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By chrispyrook - January 31 - 2:00 am

  I have had no problems with this vehicle and I would highly recommend buying one. The only drawback is that it is only a two-seater which can work to your advantage and save you gas when traveling with more than one person! The interior has a lot of space for storing small items, although there is not much room behind the seat to store anything or add an after-market woofer or amp. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase!