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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  Good car for the money - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By alexander_clinger - June 1 - 12:29 pm

  My wife and I have had this car for about three and a half years now, and weve really had no major problems with it. It gets good gas mileage for a V6 and gets you where you want to go in a hurry. The only problem that weve had has been the air conditioning, but hey, the windows roll down with no trouble at all. Also the drivers side door courtesy light switch stopped working, but thats also a cheap fix (about 7 dollars for parts). My wifes been in a couple accidents in it, and after being fixed it is still just as reliable as when we first got it. Its a great car, but Im ready for something a little bigger, because the family is growing.

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  Lasted 8 Years - bought in 2000 - 2008 - 1993 Dodge Dynasty
  By Chrysler Dynasty km - May 31 - 8:48 pm

  Routine repairs & good commuter car. (Dont let this scare you I had this car a long time) Rusted on hood and roof after 5 years owned. Wish it had lumbar support, my knees were higher than my hips causing an occasional stiff hip (Im under 30 years old). With a lumbar pillow not bad. It had good pickup before the transmission started slipping the last year owned. Lasted on a few road trips without problems, but a week later the car usually made me pay. The tires would wear quickly and went thru 4 batteries. Ive seen plenty of these cars around town so they must be pretty affordable and somewhat reliable. Towards the end of its life it had to be jumped if sat longer than 3 days

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  Awesome - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By montanasangel - May 31 - 9:19 am

  I love my new van. It rides so smooth. My kids love it, my husband loves it. It gets awesome gas mileage. I have no complaints. I am comfortable when I go on a long road trip because I know it is very reliable.

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  Avenger is a great Car - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Michael - May 30 - 10:36 pm

  I bought a Dodge Avenger from online photos and I must admit, I did not go crazy when I first saw it. However, when I drove this car I really fell in love with it. It handles really well, and I have the power to pass and go when I need it no problem. I also like the extra elecrical outlets and cup holders, the fold down seats and the huge trunk on a good sized car. Not too big, not too small. Just right. The price is fabulous I dare anyone to compare this car with anything in its size on the road today.

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  Gas mileage? - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By moviebuff - May 30 - 1:46 pm

  I bought this car used. It was in Hawaii as a rental. This has been yet another great Dodge product! The only thing I dont get is that it gets better gas mileage at 75-80 MPH then at 65-70. I know another guy that had an older Neon and he said it didnt start running good until you got it up to at least 60 MPH+.

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  Bad Trans - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By pinski10 - May 27 - 12:07 pm

  I always like the Dodge Dakota so i bought this one Brand New. Since I have had this, it has been in the shop 5 times now. This time for the transmission that just went out @ 44,000 miles, and NO this year did not come with the extended Powertrain warranty. So I get to eat the cost of it this time. Other times it was in the shop for.. 1. Computer went out 2. Windshield Wiper motor 3. Bad Speakers 4. Ignition Switch

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  Another Dodge lemon... What a pc of POO! - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By Whammo77 - May 27 - 11:12 am

  I got this truck NEW & have always had problems with it. The motor runs good but has no power whatsoever (this is the "MAGNUM" v6 model). Having a towing package on this thing is a waste of money. The thing is slower than slow. A Geo metro 3-banger can outrun this turtle. My 4 cylinder Sentra looks and feels like a race car compared to this truck! But thats the good news. I now have 122,000 miles on it, and I am yet again about to put in another transmission! This will be transmission #7! No, I dont pull trailers. No, I dont go off-roading! No, I dont haul heavy loads! All this truck is used for is to drive to and from work! I baby the heck out of it! What a pc of dog poo!!!

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  Wonderful-Except for One Thing - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By trudy - May 27 - 2:00 am

  We love our new Grand Caravan Sport. It is roomy & has lots of get up & go. However, with only being less than one year old, it has already been to the dealership five times!!! Something with the pulleys & belts. They always fix it & then it starts back again. But the inconvenience of always being in the dealership is a real drawback.

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  I wouldnt buy another one - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By karen - May 27 - 1:07 am

  I purchased a 2007R/T in Feb. A manager was driving it. It has 6700 on it now. It. Making a chattering noise from the front end. At times it seems to get louder. Two dealerships called Chrysler and they know about the problem? But they dont what it is and they dont know how to fix it? They say it is safe to drive? How do they know if they dont know whats wrong, or fixing it?

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  Looks fast sitting still - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Dodge SE Plus - May 26 - 10:57 pm

  LOVE IT! This replaced our 2001 Dodge Ram Sport, and looks like its tough little brother or sister. Our Ram was all black, sport package. Our Charger is all black just like our Ram. We just got the windows tinted black and it looks fast just sitting there! Gotta love the attitude this car gives off. ROOMY interior - WOW! Dont pull up too far at some lights - the roof can block them. Fun to take turns a little too fast in! LOVE Sirius - havent listened to the "real" radio yet! Would LOVE to have a sunroof as an option on this model. Looks kind of like a great white shark at the front - love its tough look! Get one!