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:

• 

  98 Dodge Grand Caravan SE Sport - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Indiana Bob - August 2 - 1:00 am

  Bought in Sept of 99 after birth of twins, with 22k on it. Now it has 120k. Trans went out at 36K and 38K (covered under waranty). Went through instrument panel controllor and 2 engine computers (@$400 and $600); which is very unusal (I am spoiled by having driven Subaru for 30 years with excelent reliability). Have replaced muffer and starter which is normal; heater hoses went out last week ($600). Build quality is and interior materials less than asian cars. Will most likely not buy Dodge again.

• 

  My new Dodge - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Jamie Wilke - July 30 - 8:33 am

  I love my new R/T Caliber. I love the Sirius satelite radio. I dont think I will ever be without it. The garage door opener programmed right into the car is a great feature. No more searching for the remote. I am hoping to utilize the U Connect feature when I get my new bluetooth capable cell phone. I am still looking for help on programming this. There is nothing in the owners manual. We will see how that goes.

• 

  Disappointed - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Disappointed - July 28 - 2:16 pm

  MY wife loved the Dodge Journey. She has hip problems and it was easy for her to get in and out of.However, we have had it into the dealership several times and I am bringing it in tomorrow again.Loud noise when turning left. This was resolved by dealership. Sometimes when backing up the transmission slams into gear. The first time I heard It I thought we were rear ended. Dealership cannot find the problem, because it only does it on occassion.When going down the road and exceeding 55 mph. front end shakes. Does not do all the time so it is hard for dealership to correct. We are taking in tomorrow for a recall on brake sensor. Not a problem now but it could be. Gas mileage is poor also.

• 

  Decent van for a low price - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kretara - July 26 - 11:53 am

  We bought our 2007 Grand Caravan SXT used without 23,000 miles on it. We had been shopping for a minivan for a few months. We wanted a Honda/Toyota, but for the price of a 4 year old Honda/Toyota we were able to few months old Grand Caravan. We are very happy with the van. Tons of cargo space, the kids fit in perfectly and the wife likes driving it. The build quality is lacking, but you cant not expect all that much from an American car company anyway. Some interior parts feel very cheap. The transmission thunks and jumps at low speeds. Gas mileage is 16 city (very hilly) and 27 highway. Not too bad for a truck.

• 

  Want to trade it in... - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By driver1 - July 25 - 9:03 pm

  Im reading the reviews here and getting nervous about the transmission. For the last several fuel fill-ups, the car doesnt accelerate properly. Itll go, then theres a noticeable loss of power upon acceleration, then go, while my RPMs are all over the place. Usually, after getting gas, Ill have to pull over and re-tighten the gas cap (it looks like I have OCD at the pump... putting the cap on over and over, until I feel like I have a good seal). This morning (at 55k) my check engine light came on for no reason (havent refueled in days). Id like nothing more than to get the light to turn off, and trade it in before Im out 4+k.

• 

  All Things? - 2000 Dodge Ram Wagon
  By Scott Rose - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this used with 75000 miles on it 16 months ago and have put 100000 on it since. Although it cannot be all things to everyone, it gets pretty close for me. Power, durability, road competence, and just plain utility are excellent. There are issues but not worth whining about when price is factored. Overall value is excellent. Strong towing vehicle.

• 

  Love this truck - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By menohavaname - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I love my Durango. I have a 99 SLT w/ the 5.9 . The ride is smooth and comfortable. The power always seems to be on tap, especially when your crusing around 55mph. The only problem Ive had was an oil leak problem with it at 25k miles (which has been fixed), but havent had any other problems beyond that.

• 

  I love it! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Jen - July 20 - 11:56 am

  I absolutely love this vehicle. It is sporty, yet sophiscated. No it is not speedy, however I dont need the tickets! It is fun to drive and fun to look at!

• 

  Gas Mileage Deceptive - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By TexasDodge - July 20 - 3:53 am

  Unfortunately, we bought this vehicle because it was to get 19-25/26 mpg. Despite cross country trips, clean air filter, proper tire pressure, calm driving etc, we cant get over 15 mpg. Do not buy this vehicle. Otherwise, the vehicle is fine.

• 

  Great in snow - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Dianag - July 18 - 5:33 am

  We down sized from Infinity Q-56 to this Dodge Journey because we travel up to the Adirondacks every winter weekend and needed a car that was good in the snow-yet good on gas. The Journey is amazing in the snow and has never let us down. We are very happy with the get up and go that this car has. Another plus, is the amount of room this car offers, especially with the seats folded down. We often have our 3 dogs and our grandson with us and there is plenty of room. The only thing I really dont like is that the Nav screen needs to have a control on it-because its too bright at night and during the day you can not see it if you dont manually adjust it by going into settings.