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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  Great short term car - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Groot - December 22 - 11:49 pm

  First car I ever owned and I will never own another Dodge again. As I approached 100K several things started breaking (mechanical AC pump, transmission governor and governor solenoid, and now the brake interlock solenoid). The AC pump and interlock solenoid I can understand, but the powertrain warranty failed to cover an essential part of the transmission? Also the interlock solenoid can only be fixed by replacing the entire steering column as the part is NOT offered separately. Once they start to go they just go. Poorly designed and what good is a warranty that really covers next to nothing? Parts are too expensive and unreliable to make this a smart buy.

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  Avoid this car!! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By irishguy - December 16 - 7:50 am

  I bought a new left over 2007 Caliber in March of 2008. I had the car a week when I hit a deer. The car broke like a plastic toy. The front end was completely smashed, the car was not drivable with broken parts and debris covering the roadway. The damage $10,000 and I only hit a deer! The Dodge dealer has had my car since March 17, 2008 and I have been driving a rental for 3 months because Dodge will not release the parts. The local Dodge dealer has been super. My insurance stopped paying after 30 days and the Dodge dealer is picking up the remainder. I am extremely disappointed with the Customer service and support or lack of it provided by the manufacturer!!

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  Dont do it - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By JAY JONAH - November 22 - 5:30 pm

  This car will not make it to 100k. Electrical problems, battery will go dead for no reason. Terrible acceleration due to very poor CVT. Gas mileage suffers. Because of it you need to go deeper on the gas pedal to get up to speed. In shop for numerous repairs only has 30k miles on it. In shop now because a coolant leak from the engine not the radiator or hose but a main pipe that leads to the engine has to be checked out to see if new engine is needed. Terrible blind spots. Check plastic in trunk scratches and scuffs very easy. I wont be surprised at all if people that previously reviewed the car good need to come update it. Now I see why they need a bailout this being one of the reasons. I own 97 Camry with 200k miles less problems than this car at 30k

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  as time goes on, start to dislike the car - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Emmy - November 20 - 3:44 pm

  looks great, but not a quality car. Cheap plastic interior parts. The car had a super stiff ride. Car also developed a vibration at freeway speeds. New tires, balancing did not correct the issue. Many better choices. You can find them cheap though. I sold mine after a year of ownership. There is a reason they dont make them anymore.

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  Gas mileage - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By Joy Carlton - November 20 - 2:08 pm

  Unreal low gas mileage. It changes on almost every tank, cant count on what you will get. the 4 cyl. is too small for size of car.the power does not match the 4 cyl that I owned before which are 2 of the 4 cyl. i stay busy filling up with gas. I hear I cannot depend on the Dodge transmillsions.They do no hold up. What cvan I do.

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  Horrible , never again - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By elizabethd - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Had an 02, loved it. This 09 is a piece of do doo. Chewing up front tires like crazy, alignment issues, steering issues. Car drifts and moves side to side (cant even explain, its something you have to feel ) steering wheel moves on its own over not smooth road, bumps railroad tracks, etc. Car flexes bad by the sliding doors. Even had transmission experiences and the radio tuning all by itself. All dealers say they dont see any issue, and one said the steering wheel moves to compensate for the road? Personally, I think they know its messed up and wont admit. So going the lemon route after I hear back from Chrysler! Gas mileage is horrible.

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  Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Gary - October 24 - 10:44 pm

  My 2003 Dodge Neon, built to my specs and delivered to me early 2004 (less than 40k miles) has already experienced timing belt problems and a bad transmission. I only drive infrequently and I have the oil changed regularly and had my 30k tune-up done on schedule. It boggles the mind to see any vehicle crap out so quickly. The 2003 Dodge Neon is loud on the highway, gets poor gas mileage and a gutless engine. Initially I told myself this didnt matter as it looked nice, but after the engine/transmission problems started hitting home, I dont see how anybody can put a shine on this turd of a car.

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  Worst Minivan Ever - 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By facelessdrone - October 23 - 2:07 pm

  Spent 8 days and 1500 miles with this turkey as a rental. My 1993 Chevy Lumina APV anteater was way better. Extremely poor in many respects. Transmission constantly in wrong gear. Lugs and wont downshift when trying to accelerate, then suddenly shifts 3 gears and overrevs. Jerky throttle response causes tires to chirp at any sharp intersection even at slow speeds. Instrument panel lights come on, misleading you into thinking the headlights are actually on. There is an "Econ" button; I could never tell what it did since performance was unaffected. The button to turn off stability control is at the bottom right of the instrument panel so a child can turn it off. Smart move, Dodge.

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  BUY CHEAP....BUY TWICE!! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Bob in Ohio - October 23 - 10:11 am

  Cheap made economy car. Gets you from point A to point B and thats all the good things I have to say about it. Fuel economy is not very good for this size of car. BRAKES, BRAKES, BRAKES THEY SOUND LIKE A TRAIN COMING TO A STOP !!!!

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  Unhappy - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Unhappy - October 20 - 3:23 am

  Car looks good but that is all! Poor Interior, low grade plastic, no room in front seat, glove box too low and so so material on seats. Side mirror way too large. Poor Gas mileage. Bumpy ride and so so handling. Door locks take to long to lock after entering. Needs auto running lights. Manuevring is like using a tank.