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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  Nothing but problems - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By Rick - September 25 - 4:58 pm

  After reading all of these reviews from when people first bought their Intrepid Id like to hear from anyone that still owns a 2.7 L. I bought mine used with low miles and thought I got a deal. Then the problems started. Water pump, timing chain, tensioners and on and on. I believe the 2.7 is a lemon.

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  Looking forward to my drive - 2008 Dodge Challenger
  By SRT854 - September 25 - 12:31 pm

  Outstanding Car. Exceeded my expectations. True Muscle Car with great creature comforts. Great performance for the money. Every time I look at it in the garage I am thankful I was able to get it. I would have to spend 2 the price to get my 69 Chevelle in the same league. Dodge did a very nice job.

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  I love this car! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Mindi - September 25 - 12:12 pm

  Ive owned a truck for the last 30 years and never thought I would own a car again. The Avenger changed my mind! The exterior definitely turns heads when youre driving down the road. The interior is surprisingly roomy, and trunk space is great. The blue dashboard glow is very soothing, and the instrument panel is laid out nicely. There are, however, three things that I would personally change in the interior, and they are: add an overhead compartment for sunglasses, raise the center console a bit higher for a more comfortable armrest, and flatten the headrest a bit so it doesnt feel like your head is being pushed forward. The headrest was an easy fix for me by turning it around.

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  Bad Experience - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Ali - September 25 - 5:33 am

  I bought Nitro on its look and power, didnt know about the poor drivers side view mirror visibility. It could have killed me the other day. and secondly its 4WD doesnt work, i got stuck for about 3 hours on a small piece of sand people laughed a lot. Ali

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  Love my baby - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By eric - September 24 - 6:28 pm

  I bought this vehicle used with 36,000 miles. Ive put over 27,000 miles a year on this baby and have had little or no trouble. She now has 230,000 miles and just needs a speed sensor. As long as you service and change your oil and fluids,your intrepid will run forever. She has the 2.7 and Im very impressed. Too bad they have taken them off the market. I would not hesitate to buy another as long as I have the maintenance schedule. In all Ive only put about $1000.00 into her, other than oil and fluid changes/tires and brakes.

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  In a bad way. - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By amyf - September 24 - 8:44 am

  Let me begin with the interior it was suppose to have stain resistant fabric interior, it doesnt. The fabric has marks where my child got in with a damp swimsuit on, can get it off. the door handles do not match each other, the seat belt harnesses have fallen apart, the plastic on thee drivers side seat is breaking. The truck is a fuel hog! and the gas cap doesnt make a good seal which makes the service engine light come on when you refuel or get low on fuel. both of which happen often. There is always a lag in the transmission when driving & driving up a steep driveway is nearly impossible. Worst vehicle I have ever owned. Would not recommend to anyone

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  Bad transmissions - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By Justin Schafer - September 23 - 8:11 pm

  At 42k miles my transmission fluid is black when i replaced it 3 months ago. Of course they tell me i need a new transmission and of course its 6k out of warranty. Eventually i get a hold of someone at dodge who agree to help, yet they only decided to pay 50% of 2,800 to get a new one. 02-05 come with 7 yr 70k powertrain warranty and late 06 to now come with a lifetime powertrain of course i got an early 06 so im screwed with a 3 yr 36k bumper to bumper. When i turn the wheel lock to lock it squeals, fluid seems fine, mystery illness. Terrible gas mileage, center console latch stuck and couldnt get it open after awhile. The whole center console is cheaply made.Overall bad choice on my part

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  Get a CHALLENGER V8 - 2017 Dodge Challenger
  By al kanchar - September 23 - 8:49 am

  Car is awesome!!!

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  Certainly Worth a look - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By SM - September 22 - 11:09 pm

  We have had our SUV for about 5 weeks now & we really love it. Its crazy that many others complain about MPG. What were they expecting from an SUV this large? We have the 4.7 & get 16/20 which is not bad at all. Our SUV seats 8, which is great as we are always hauling lots of kids & family around. You can get a fantastic deal on an slightly used Durango right now with everyone overreacting to high fuel prices. Its only a few MPG less than an Acadia or Pilot etc and much lower in price. If you are looking for a good sized SUV this is certainly worth a look. There is lots of room inside and road visibility is great. The second row seats fold easily so access to the 3rd row is good.

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  Transmission Problems - 1995 Dodge Caravan
  By Solid Car - September 22 - 6:26 pm

  My parents bought new in 95. It has been through the family a couple of times. Its had regular maintenance. We had lifetime oil changes from the dealer, but they changed it from 3k to 7.5k, so its about 1 out of every 3 oil changes are free. It burns 1 - 1.5 quarts of oil in between oil changes. The transmission was replaced at 150k and it had metal in it at 250k. Its having problems again, but it has 293k miles. If you change the oil ever 3k miles, brakes and tires it will run forever. Im on my 3rd driver seat and the fr passenger is wobbly. The tapedeck quit (replace w/ CD) and the A/C went out ($1,000 fix, not worth it). Window motor peters out, only goes 3" down.