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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  My Dodge - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By RyanL - November 25 - 2:00 am

  I am a commute to college and work, so I rely heavily on dependable transportation. I love having the power of a V6 along with outstanding fuel economy. The cars rides smoothly and comfortably. My only gripe are the brakes. Ive had to turn down the rotors at 25,000 miles and later replace the front brake pads and rotors at 40,000 miles. I also think the front springs may be on their way out at 48,000 miles. Other than that, I change the oil every 4000 miles and the car runs great.

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  my neon sport - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By lisadm - November 24 - 10:00 am

  this is a very good car .i have one thing i have problems with since ive gotten the car the tires seem to always get low on air in the front.other then that its great.

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  Pretty good car for the buck! - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By Dwayne G. - November 24 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Stratus for a year now and I have gotten fairly good service from it during this time. I bought it with 12,000 miles and now have 45,000 on it. Only a few minor problems with it which the dealership took car of after a few visits.

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  Actually like it - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By d. mierau - November 23 - 11:50 am

  We traded a 2002 model with a 3.3 in it.Used ES model came to dealer with 10,000 km on it Old guy owned it, to big for him to park. He had put a gold warranty plan on it. Even paid all oil changes. I really like the power and good in ice and slush with ice radials. Have just had very miner problems, all fixed on warranty.Dont use it enough, should sell it, but like to drive it. Only has 60,000 kms. on it(37,000)miles. I suppose Ill have nothing but trouble now that I brag about it.

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  Good Car - 2000 Dodge Avenger
  By Floc - November 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Avenger for almost 3 years now and its been a great car. Besides a few small problems all was well with the car.

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  Loved my caravan - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kmfresh - November 20 - 8:05 pm

  I loved my caravan. It had everything I needed and wanted in a vehicle. It had surprisingly good gas mileage (I could make a 6 hour trip and still have over a 1/4 a tank to spare) Pros: Great seating, comfortable, smooth ride, durable, easy to drive, easy to clean and maintain both cleanliness wise and mechanically . Cons: The only bad things I have to say is I went through brakes like no other and had to get new axles at 100K miles. We also had to get a new radiator at 100K, as the one we had developed a leak and the van started to overheat.

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  my rants - 1999 Dodge Neon
  By vanilla - November 20 - 2:00 am

  over all this car is very good! There have been a few things that required servicing more than once. The sunroof has caused a few concerns as well as the head gasket leaking. Both items being covered under the warranty.

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  Nice truck - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By victoria - November 20 - 2:00 am

  After driving a Dodge Caravan for years, it was a little difficult to get used to the truck-like ride. However, for a truck, I think the ride is pretty good. Im concerned about the way it handles over bumps. Could use more head-room. Seat belts are hard to put on. Nice acceleration and fun to drive.

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  Bought it new - 1990 Dodge Spirit
  By beb - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new in 1990 and have always loved it. Minor rust on doors. Original engine and transmission. Ive always tried to keep the car maintained and it has always done the job. The only disappointment was the radio, which had to be replaced after 5 years.

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  killmedodge - 1994 Dodge Intrepid
  By kilo ustane - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I was in a 45 m.p.h. wreck head on(not my fault), and neither of my airbags came out. Luckily neither me or my passenger were injured. But whats up with that, im lucky I wasnt killed. Wait until I prove the original airbag is still in there, and I already have a copy of the police report. My lawyer will eat that up Dodge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!