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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  Not So Sure - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Virginia - October 26 - 10:41 am

  I purchased my 08 Nitro because it had many of the features my other vehicle had standard. Of course I would still have my other vehicle (Mazda Trubute) except it was hit in the rear at 55mph and the damage was just to great. My Nitro had 52 miles on it and was considered used when I purchased it from the dealer. Since I have had the car the tire sensor goes off all the time indicating the tires are not equal pressure (I think its defective)the handling took a while to get use to sicne my Mazda SUV was far superior in the handling, breaking and turning. Im not crazy about the vehicle. I think you have to be a jeep lover or Dodge fan to enjoy this vehicle.

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  Please dont buy a durango. - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By bkredr@comcast.net - October 23 - 9:06 pm

  Its a 2005 with 55k miles on it and its going back to the dealership or the 11th time! Now I have collant in the oil so Im sure its going to be a major deal. Its already had cooling problems, stearing problems, stalling issues, and on and on. There is a reason the trade in value is 8500 for a 4 year old car with 55K. Please go to the link below before you buy a dodge or jeep. I realy hate that this is what dodge and jeep have become, I was a die hard jeep guy for the last 20 years but not any more.

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  Way too heavy!! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Homer - October 23 - 5:26 pm

  This car is nice inside but needs to go on a diet. The Hemi is struggling with the 4100 pound weight of the car. Add a few passengers and the performance is lack luster.

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  Take the 2.7L off the market!!!!!!!! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Sarge - October 23 - 2:48 pm

  After buying this car and riding in a friends RT, I should have gotten the RT or SRT8.. Yes the price was nice for a new car but, what was Dodge thinking?? No ABS on the SE and a 2.7L that can hardly pull itself out of the way???(Saves tires I guess). My friend tells me how his RT gets 15-20 around town (depnding on his foot) and a nice 25-30 on the highway.. This 2.7 is getting 12-17 in town and 21 on highway no matter how it is driven. What gives??? Anyway if you want a Charger >>>>>Get nothing lower than the SXT and you will be very happy... Dont get me wrong, I cannot wait to give this to my highschooler, it is big, safe and SLOW!!!

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  Worst car ever! - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By jay spivak - October 21 - 2:41 pm

  Had more problems with this car then any other. Very poor quality. Rims rusted. Interior door lining fall off. All kinds of mechanical problems. Vent system in fuel filler. Computer. Brakes. Windows. Door locks break, door wont open. Engine light issues. Winshield Wipers, electrical problems, oil light. goes on and on! And it only has 57,000 miles on it. Well kept and always serviced! A real LEMON!

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  Problems, Problems, Problems - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By martinex - October 21 - 3:18 am

  I owned a 97 Dakota 2WD V8 prior to buying this one. I loved it. It got reasonable gas mileage (around 20mpg) and would leap off the line. My only problem was with all that torque (and crappy Goodyear Wranglers), the truck would spin out on slick pavement. My solution was to get a 99 Dakota Sport with the same 5.2 liter engine and 4WD. Whooboy! First of all the extra weight of the transmission drastically cut down on performance. Secondly gas mileage dropped significantly (of course) but what was most disturbing was the repair costs. Engine, suspension, electrical...you name it. All within the first 20,000 miles.

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  Buyer Beware!!!!!! - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By badyr - October 19 - 10:05 am

  I loved this car when I got it. It was used and only 3 years old w/decent mileage. Then I drove it for a while... The transmission slipped in the cold weather, the water pump and alternator went and never mind trying to fix "simple" problems on your own. This car is a total nightmare to work on, very very expensive repair costs. Over the weekend it was stolen and the joke is on them because it was a piece of junk. Dont buy these cars, I have a feeling there are more lemons than reliable builds of this model out there. Save your money and put it into somethign that will last and not break the bank to fix. Water pump alone was over $600 to replace...

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  Bad Experience - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By Manny - October 11 - 10:43 am

  Bought it used (10K miles). Currently 42K miles. Transmission broke down. Second 4-cylinder Caravan I own, same thing happened to first. Dont buy it! Transmission and 2.4, 4 Cyl engine NOT a good combination.

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  Shameful - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Ed A - October 9 - 10:13 pm

  We bought this minivan with only 3000 miles from a dealer. I heard a little voice inside my saying that we should run away. However, my wife liked the car so we made the purchase. Big mistake. The engine and transmission have been good for 80K miles but if you saw the list of other repairs you would be surprised. I am done with Dodge. I have owned many Chrysler products over the years but the quality has declined so much it is no wonder they are going out of business. It is possible that I just have one of the few lemons. However, when I look at the internet it becomes obvious that there are way too many disappointed customers.

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  Lots of problems - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By babsinga - October 9 - 4:56 am

  We got this used with 24,000 on it. At 80,000 the transmission went out at 5:45 one morning on the way to work. At 90,000 the AC went out. Also replaced the window motor, 3 sets of rotors, and now it is making suspension noises and power steering pump noises. It is one thing after another. Ive spent $4000 on major repairs in the past 3 years, far less than the dealer would have charged though, because I know a good mechanic. Keep in mind, this is only a 5 year old vehicle that was $28000 to start with. It is not a reliable vehicle, but it drives well and has plenty of room, which is why we got it. Just find a good mechanic and save up some money for repairs. You will need both.