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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  There are much better SUVs out there - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Carlos - January 25 - 6:00 pm

  When I bought this car, I was actually looking for a Jeep Liberty. I saw this car and liked its looks. It was brand new and one of the first R/T models available in the city. I decided to give it a try. It has had three recalls already. Had to take it back to the dealership at least four times. Its not fun to drive, the speed-shift is awfull. Not enough space for your feet. The plastic used inside looks a little cheap. Constant problems with the central computer. The R/T model sure looks nice bus performs and handles terribly. Take a look at the latest consumer report for new cars 2009. It doesnt have one good thing to say about this car! Cant wait for my lease to be over!

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  Worst thing ever built! - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By buckeyekitty - January 19 - 10:17 pm

  This car is honest to goodness, the biggest piece of junk ever! We have owned it since 2002 & have had nothing but trouble. The brakes have been a major issue from the start. The air has gone out multiple times. Replaced the engine at 60k miles. Oil light flickers..been to 2 dealership, neither can seem to figure it out. Had to replace a window motor. Now the heater box needs to be replaced. Nothing is simple to fix on this beast. Nickle & dimed to death. Way too may issues for one vehicle. I have cursed this car for many many years & this week I finally get to junk it! Yea! Done with Dodge!

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  Avoid the Neon - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By Neon Owner - January 11 - 12:27 am

  I purchased this vehicle used with with 40k on it in 1998. While for the most part it was dependable, nearly every little thing that could go wrong did: insturment cluster failure, stereo stopped working, paint coming off with major rust, tinting bubbling, windows stopped working, power locks failed, interior and exterior trim falling off the car. I could go on. Performance-wise, the ride was stiff, but it handled well. Low power, not very sporty at all and fuel economy was bad. I averaged about 22mpg with mostly city use. Very low miles were put on the car. With no warning and about 80,000 total miles on the vehicle, it threw the timing belt and destroyed the engine.

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  Update Nitro R/T - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By karen Nitro R/T - January 7 - 9:12 pm

  Ive had my Nitro R/T 4.0 engine for 11 mos. now and Ive had a number of problems with it.Two weeks after I got it I noticed a like chattering noise from the engine. First they said serpentine belt. The noise got louder. My crankshaft bearing and pistons have been replaced. My Sirius radio has had 2 recalls. Needs new one. Heater doesnt work right. Now my roof rack has a recall on it.T hey are tired of working on it. Take it to another dealership. Sad thing it only has 9700 miles on it. What next?What will it be like in another year? Parking it is terrible too. Wider than my other SUV. Hard to see where you are in a parking space. Too much money too many headaches. Stay away! Not unless you want trouble?

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  Another bad tranny... - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ckwalker - January 1 - 2:00 am

  Stupid me I ignored the warnings about the history of bad transmissions in Crysler minivans. I figured surely they would have fixed this problem by the time I had bought my 98 Grand Caravan. Fat chance. Im currently looking to dump this vehicle with only 68K miles...shopping for a Honda. Never a Crysler product again.

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  Too many problems - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By jwf - December 31 - 6:09 am

  I have just turned 40k and have had too many problems. At 8k a cam sensor went bad, at 24 k the fan heating motor went out in January. At 40k cam sensor went bad again, and the wiring harness for the fan heating motor melted. the last one cost me $500 in repairs.

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  Shouldve been named the Lemon - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By Lane - December 30 - 1:34 am

  Extensive repairs, followed by more broken parts have been the story of my experience with this car. Bought it at 132k miles and had problems immediately. Poor insulation has led to leaks inside the passenger compartment during rain storms. The AC has numerous leaks in the line and has never worked. Still having engine and transmission problems. Do not buy this vehicle unless you can pay 4x its value in repairs!

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  Problem after Problem - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Anissa - December 27 - 3:10 pm

  I bought my vehicle in July of 2007 and a month later had to bring it in because I returned to the vehicle after leaving work and discovered the drivers side door hanging wide open. When I took it to the dealer I learned that there was a recall for the latches. During this year I have taken the car to the dealer five times and had three different recalls. Most recently the belly shield fell off the bottom of the vehicle. Now that it has been replaced the car is shaking, the heat is not working and the temperature gauge is running hot so it appears I will be at the dealer once again. I regret purchasing this vehicle and would not recommend this product to anyone.

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  Dodge Grand Caravan SXT - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By haley Argeroudis - December 26 - 7:50 pm

  This car has been one of the worst minivans that we have purchased. Within the first year we have already put more than $1000 of work into it. The interior is very poorly designed. The air vents blow in your face. The automatic hatch works 1/2 of the time. The only good thing about it is the stow n go.

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  Stressed out Stratus - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Stressed out stratus - December 10 - 2:29 am

  At only 54,300 miles the outer tie-rod snapped at joint. Vehicle is not driven hard or abusively. More problems found at time of oil change maintenance 60,000 miles. Good thing I purchased the extended warranty. Oil leak from front of engine. Transmission fluid leak from solinoid pack on side of transmission. Warranty covers work and I pay $100 deductable.