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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  iffy at first - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By bradord28 - January 28 - 12:16 pm

  Bought this dodge avenger in jan of 08 and pretty much bought for the lifetime warranty. Well a couple months down the road it needed brakes they wanted the rotors and pads to be replaced after 13kyeah right i replaced the pads myself and have the same rotors still. The next problem was the paint on the rear quarter panel in the lower corner behind the back door needed to be repainted after 15k. brought back to dealership they told me design flaw dodge wanted nothing to do with it. but dealer offered to split fix and make better. i thought oh boy this car is going to be a money pit. now has 130k miles and knock on wood have had little problems since. overall greatbuy lifetime warranty

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  The beauty can mask anything - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By nbrandl - January 22 - 12:44 pm

  I am a mechanic, I bought my 2006 Dodge Magnum 3.5 High Output AWD a year ago with 54,600 miles on it. As always, I performed a full vehicle check on the car before purchasing it. I loved this car, it was fast fun, elegant, and provided everything I needed, at first. Since I bought it I have had numerous mechanical, programing, and electrical issues currently totaling to $4,500 dollars. Just to give an idea, at 70,000 miles my throttle just went out (this isnt included in what I have already spent) and I now have to replace the entire intake system which is going to cost around $2,200 (these costs dont include mechanics fees, which will potentially double the costs) *A battery cost $300

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  2007 Dodge Caliber SXT 2.0L I-4 - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By carguy03 - January 15 - 9:00 pm

  My Caliber had a 2.0L, but most come with a 1.8L. For the type of car, it wasnt all that bad. It had an acceptable amount of power for a stock 4 cylinder, got great gas mileage (about 24 city 28 highway), and it was fun to drive. The styling is great, looks bigger than it actually is. I had the Caliber from June 2011 until I traded for a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer in November 2011. I drove my Caliber on a 400 mile trip through WV, and it handled the mountain roads like a champ. I replaced the left front lower control arm and ball joint becase of a squeak, but other than that, no problems. When I got the car, it had about 116,000 miles on it, and about 124,000 miles when I traded it off.

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  Great vehicle but questionnable reliability - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By xbob7117 - January 6 - 10:17 pm

  Love this vehicle. Comfortable, quiet, good performance for the type of vehicle, good road manners, good brakes (No issues yet after 26,000 km), well designed. On the dark side, fuel consumption is high. Up to a couple weeks ago, the only issue was the backup camera that goes crazy when temperature is below freezing. A week ago however, the transmission got wrecked for no reason. The vehicle could no longer move. Was like the brakes were always fully applied. Got to the dealer. Transmission had to be replaced. Completely wrecked inside apparently. It was replaced quickly and successfully. Great service from the dealer. But now my confidence link with the vehicle is broken.

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  2010 Dodge Challenger SE - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By fusion42694 - January 6 - 9:53 pm

  While the Challenger is fun to drive, it wares out easily. The plastic on the inside is cheaply made, as it is with other Dodge cars. The engine power is great though, and the seats are comfortable. It does not have the handling and pep of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, but that is probably due to its larger size. Mine has your basic features, and it is noticed as much as the more expensive ones. If you want an all american muscle car and like american cars, this is the one for you.

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  Its a matter of taste - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By demikarr - January 4 - 12:03 pm

  I bought this car as a used vehicle with 38k miles on it. 10 months later I now have 75k miles. Not one issue with the maintenance (except for the brakes) or performance. Mileage is outstanding with normal 28mpg average in combined city/hwy settings. I am 64" tall and have no problem with comfort. I have taken 5 on a 200 mile trip with minimal discomfort...

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  Great Car !!! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By debby_robinson - December 29 - 7:54 pm

  I purchased my 2004 Dodge Neon new and now have over 210,000 miles. The only maintenance other than routine, has been the replacement of ball joints and the sway bar link and bushings. If they still made this car I would buy it all over again.

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  Problems - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By red_express - December 23 - 3:30 pm

  I am posting this providing information due to problems with the dodge journey. People say it fails to start when turning the key yet all the lights come on, (dead battery syndrome), if you have an immobolizer equipped remove it , they new immobolizers are built so they can be activate which shuts down the vehicles . This is a problem because it malfunctions causing the ignition not to engage and loss of power as some say, the dead battery syndrome also happens on my 2001 dodge ram 1500, my brothers 1994 dodge neon and the work truck a 2005 gmc sierra all have immobolizers and this is what is causing the problem. Do not do it all the time but the odd time when u least expect it!

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  Major Improvement - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By muttl - December 16 - 7:19 pm

  I recently purchased a 2012 Avenger SXT after owning an 06 Stratus since it was new. While the Stratus was very reliable the front rotors were warped more often than not. The Avenger appears to have a much higher quality associated with it. Both vehicles had the 2.4 liter engine. The refinements in the engine and the addition of the 6 speed Transmission have made a major improvement to the functionality of the car. Its smooth and quiet when accelerating. It corners and handles bumps well. The Avenger sits higher and is easier to enter and exit. Overall a very nice improvement over the Stratus.

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  low repair costs - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By bart25 - November 25 - 3:42 am

  its not the most reliable, but its cheap to fix, if youre a do-it-yourselfer and make the repairs yourself its the best you can own, parts are dirt cheap for the Caravan