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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  Kira the Killer - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By Cody - November 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car used because it was such a great deal compared to other cars. It has been very dependable, and is overall a wonderful car to own. This is the 2.4 liter SXT model. I would really recommend this car to anyone on a budget. Just remember to buy from a private party.

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  Bad control arms - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By ayork - November 13 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car new in 08. Love the look of it, but just found out at 44,000 miles that both front lower control arms are bad. Same thing happened to another couple 3 months ago when we were both at the dealership getting oil changes. Any one else having this problem? I was quoted over 800.00 for parts and labor...money I dont have, but car needs to be fixed asap Im told. Thinking of trading...owned lots of cars and never had problems like this with such low mileage. Was told it was due to "Michigan roads" Beware.

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  Yeah-whats with the seat stains? - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By jkopesky - November 13 - 2:00 am

  I have to agree with some of the other reviews regarding seat stains. I have tried Resolve followed by steam cleaning and there are still stains. Whats up with that? I really like the vehicle and enjoy driving it, but am embarrassed by the seat stains.

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  Great mid-size pickup, virtually unique - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By lphilpot - November 10 - 2:00 am

  At 117+K miles, its still completely trustworthy (17 city, 20+ highway with a 3.9L V6). Ive done the usual scheduled maintenance and replaced a few things along the way (water pump, power steering hose, idle motor, battery, filters, serp belt, shocks, etc.), but nothing extreme. The biggest one was to replace a couple of creaking factory front suspension links with zerk-equipped aftermarket units. The shift profile of the auto tranny IMO upshifts too quickly for the V6, impacting acceleration if youre not familiar with its behavior. Its fine in the flatland, but in hills (particularly on cruise), it downshifts a lot, sometimes drastically. All in all though, I still like it a lot.

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  Lemon - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By fedupowner - November 10 - 2:00 am

  This car should be called the Dodge Random everything simply works randomly. Doors, windows, locks, engine - you never know from day to day when things will work. Expensive repairs to make them work are only temporary. Scary to roll a window down not knowing if you will ever get it up, or even if the van will start. Many many problems with this van - please do not invest your money here!

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  Reliability - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Katrina - November 10 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 2004 Durango in 2005. I now have 81,000 miles and I havent had any major problems. Ive only replaced the battery and brakes. I drive 50 miles each day and I love the smooth ride and reliability. The Infinity sound system is impressive! I can seat 7 people comfortably. The only negative thing is the poor gas mileage.

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  Love It! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Melissa - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Granted I have only had the Dodge Avenger R/T for a week, but I love it. I have not had any problems with it and it rides awesome. Very smooth and quiet. I bought this car from the auction and it was not in selling condition, a couple hundred bucks and its a good as new. Dont base your car decisions on a couple bad reviews. My avenger already has 60k mi and it is still running like a champ!

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  Best Truck Ive Owned - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By Chris - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Bought this truck from my father in late 2002. Had it until I sold it in Summer of 2009. It had 218,000 miles on it when I sold and was still running great. Never had to do more than change the brakes, tires and oil. Started to rust a bit at the end, but that was expected.

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  So Far- It works - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Tony - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car with 19,000 miles on it. Ive put 20,000 more in the 7 months that ive owned it. Chrysler vehicles are always a great deal,if purchased used. The front brakes were replaced at 19,000, when the first owner traded the car in. I replaced the rears(??) at 38,000 miles. While this is too soon, the Mercedes- type pads are very dusty and wear quickly. Hopefully, the bendix pads will last longer. They arent nearly as dusty. The Kumho tires were replaced at 38,000. This is the only company that makes the (OEM) 19in. size. They were $270-$320 at tire stores and were purchased for $186 at Tirerack.This car runs great. Gets over 20mpg avg. I drive it like i stole it and its great

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  Beware of recalls - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Meaghan M - November 2 - 2:00 am

  My Durango has been a trooper. we originally drove this vehicle from FL to IL with no issues. This is a vehicle that can handle miles and will last. But one issue I have found is my gas inlet does not close. This causes gas to over flow when I fuel the vehicle. Now this was a recall for this vehicle. I have also experienced my car shifting out of park (which caused me to park into a cop) but Chrysler refuses to uphold to repair being my vin is not highly reported. So be aware of the vehicle and its faults.