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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  Be ready for breakdowns - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By milesmom87@gmail.com - August 13 - 7:52 am

  I bought my car brand new and have had a little over a year. In this time the car had broken down 3 times. Just stopped working. This is frustrating when you have to commute to work get kids to school etc. It comes out of nowhere too I have broke down right in the middle of the road.

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  Soaked in my Challenger - 2014 Dodge Challenger
  By Stephen Smell - August 11 - 10:41 am

  So far I had a heating problem where the heat system would start blowing cold air.Took 4 trips to the service center and it is still not fixed a hundred percent.Next all the bearings fell out of the seat.Had to wait a week for parts.Then I got a recall notice telling me the alternater could stop working with no notice shutting the car down completely.Imagine driving out 95 and all the sudden you have no power steering,power brakes,no ABS system,No windshield wipers and no lights.And Dodge told me this was not putting me in harms way.It took 4 months to get replacement parts.Also the alternater could catch fire at any time.Next the airconditioning system started blowing a water mist into the cab of the car.At first I was told all systems do that,I told them BULL.They came back and told me the drain on the system was clogged.They said because of this the duct system had mildew in it and would have to be disenfected. Charged me over 200 dollers.Three wekks later I have mist again.WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER DODGE EVER.

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  BIG LET DOWN - 2015 Dodge Challenger
  By Brois - August 5 - 11:21 am

  I special Ordered this unit and it came in with cloth seats next to Zero Options and I paid top Dollar and I am very, very Disappointed. So much as if I wish I never purchased it yes it has 700 HP but thats it! Big , Hard to Handle , Ugly. Not much of finishes or paint Burns Gas like you have a hole in the tank, Even if you tried a HUMMER is like a econo car compared to this one, So far 155 MPH it can do 200 if you have the Balls ! Im staying with Chevy My SS can run rings around this Beast and its fun to drive the Hellcat is like driving a Truck Yep thats it like driving a truck. The dealer was in Larchmont NY they were nice until I signed the paper then it was get lost. My Chevy Dealer in Waterbury CT Vin is the best and treats you right. DODGE is

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  Beware of Electronics! - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By jjski78 - July 31 - 9:02 pm

  I had my 2012 R/T for 3.5 years and 65,002 miles. Here are my final thoughts on the car: The performance is spectacular. The 5.7 Hemi is more engine than most drivers will ever need (but then again, so is the 3.6) and is really a gem. It is smooth and docile when driven gently, and turns into a snarling monster when you put your foot down. Combined with a cold air intake and a Flowmaster dual exhaust it really became quite an animal. Lets just say I never needed much room to pass a bad/slow driver, and the sound coming from the exhaust was more than enough to let them know I didnt approve of their driving style. The car really was a bit of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Again, driving gently the engine was very docile, and the ride was borderline supple. Though the 20" wheels never allow it to get too soft. When youre driving it closer to the edge, the engine is right there with you and the suspension seems to tighten right up and allow you to take corners at speeds that would have been suicide in a car this large 20 years ago. On top of the craziness, it was not uncommon for me to obtain 30+ MPG on the highway and low-mid 20s in the city. Make sure youre using mid grade fuel though. The interior is fantastic. The seats are probably the most comfortable I have ever sat in. With severe back issues I could easily drive this car for 12+ hours and not have a problem. They are supportive and comfortable. The materials used on the interior are also great. Is it Audi great? No. But it is definitely a fantastic place to be. Everything is laid out intuitively, and access to most controls is through the touch screen or through the steering wheel. So why did I get rid of it? One word: electronics. Simply said, the electronics were complete trash. When youre making bets with yourself over how many of your 12 speakers are going to work on this start, theres a problem. When the radio decides you really didnt want to listen to that song, and then literally refuses to play that one song until the car is shut off and restarted, theres a problem. When it decides you really didnt want to connect your bluetooth, mid call, theres a problem. And finally, when the bluetooth call quality sounds like old tv static being transmitted through an olympic size swimming pool, its just time to move on. The dealer said they would basically replace the entire system, at a very substantial cost to me due to the fact this all happened after the warranty was up. So it was time to walk away. Ive been told mine was a rare occurrence, and that may be. Still doesnt change the fact that it happened and those horrifyingly bad electronics ruined the entire experience of the car.

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  05 Dodge Dakota 4.3 v8 4x4 - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Jason Landen - July 28 - 6:54 pm

  Pos transmission has gone out 3 times in 4 years. I will not pay to have it "fixed" again.

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  CAUTION When Buying - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By chris8056 - June 1 - 4:44 pm

  So, I am a college student and I drive in LA everyday. I needed a car that got good millage and that was affordable, the dart seemed like a good fit. But, I was completely wrong! So, the car has broken down on me more than 8 times in less than one year. The next day after i bought it, it broke down (No more than 2 driving hours). This car is not reliable and unsafe, I am still under warranty and I have extended warranty, but the dealership rarely does things to fix the car. They have told me to contact Chrysler because the car is a "Lemmon" and it should be red flagged. But after my plea with Chrysler they have denied me a buy back program.

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  Ok... - 2014 Dodge Journey
  By peterrj - April 14 - 11:05 pm

  Things I dont like: Performance is weak. Interior is full of cheap, shiny black plastic. Its not badly designed on the inside, its just you can tell they cut corners on the materials. Seat belts look like something from the 80s - weirdly thin and insubstantial. Odd noise coming from the engine compartment on cold start at 32k miles. Truly horrible visibility from the inside with blind spots a-plenty. Things I like: Individualistic exterior design (love it or loathe it, its different). The seats are comfortable. Some neat storage solutions for all your familys stuff. The seven seat feature is awesome in car of this size and price range, making this car good value.

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  Battery replacement - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By S F Samie - April 1 - 2:10 pm

  We purchased the 2013 Dodge dart Lmtd brand new in Dec 2012. Since then we have had two issues with the battery and only recently had to have the entire battery replaced. The Dodge dealership confirmed that it was an internal problem with the battery! Has anyone else had these issues? The car has completed about 26K miles.

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  Worst car I have owned - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By Cameron - March 26 - 8:50 pm

  This is the worst car I have ever owned. It has been in the shop more than I have driven it. At a year and a half old the turbo had to be replaced. At two years old it would get stuck in first gear and would stall out ten seconds after starting it. This car is unreliable. It is good on gas, looks nice, drives nice, and is a comfy ride. However those do nothing for me if the car will not run. All the while having 30,000 miles or less on it.

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  TOO many problems - 2013 Dodge Journey
  By James Robert-Massaro - March 8 - 9:52 am

  From the first day I have had problems in and out of service radio,alarm,remote start,and the TRANSMISSON has never worked right bangs, shifts terrible awd does not work right and what do you say when all you hear is the comp.doesnt show anything even though I have driven this car for 36,000 miles wish me luck filed lemon law and there willing to hear me maybe someone will listen