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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  Very "ticked off!" - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Annette Lysmer - October 9 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned My Charger now for 4 1/2 yrs, and almost have it paid off. this is the first car Ive ever bought brand new. I have never had any problems with this car until the basic warranty ran out. I only have 41,000 miles on it, and developed a "ticking" sound coming form the drivers side of the engine. I brought it in to the dealership, had a diagnostic, and was told that The "rocker arms" on both Left & right sides need to be replaced, with a cost of $800.00 for parts and $1000.00 for labor, AND the "tension struts" needed to be replaced as well! for another $1300.00!!! after reading some of these other consumer reviews, many others have had this problem as well, at low mileage! Recall!

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  on the fence - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By marie - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car because of the affordability and HOT look. The body of the car is so great and the interior is quite nice, too. For a V6 its a great car, a super commuter. The trunk size is one of the best features. at 24,000 miles I had to replace the K-2 clutches because they went haywire and the RMS would almost redline randomly, at 40,000 I was informed I have a leak at the rack and pinion, a $1,000.00 repair. So as much as I love my car, the look and the power, I feel let down with the repairs I need that arent under warranty. Maybe a good car for a year of fun, then trade it in for something more reliable. Definitely on the fence!

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  Best first car - 1990 Dodge Spirit
  By Owen - October 6 - 2:00 am

  I have owned the car for a while now and it has been great to me. when you have a light foot, you can get 25 mpg in the city and over 35 mpg on the highway. the 2.5 is a great little motor. only have a 3 speed auto. ac still works and blows 50 degree air into the car. it also has a great ride to it. it irons out a lot of the bumps on the road. i am 6 foot 1 and i can fit any where and be comfortable, even with the front seats as far back as possible and sitting in the back. the big trunk in it is also great to have because i always carry around my tools and i still have a lot of space to fit a kart full of groceries in it at the same time.

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  Love it but has flaws - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By R-RAIDER - October 5 - 2:00 am

  Same as everyone elses complaints: (my car only has 30k miles), my shifter stuck in park (had to get towed), rain/snow dumps in trunk if you lift the lid too fast, turn signals get stuck and sometimes when you signal to make a turn it goes into the high beam mode. If rear passengers put their feet under drivers seat you can knock the wire harness which sets off the airbag indicator (simple fix), but Im having problems with it stalling in the rain. Other than that. Im a big car type person but this car not only looks sharp but is fun to drive. It handles well. Sound system rocks too.

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  She Loves it - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Larry - October 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in May of 06 for my wife and she loves it. The only issue we have had with the car is we had to replace the bushings for a squeak. I do wish the fuel mileage was better but it is better than my P.T. I did have to replace the tires early (25,000) but that was due to the dealership over inflating. The car runs and drive great and wife wont let me take her out of it.

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  nice 97 - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By Rocky - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This truck has only 72,000 miles, on it just now have replaced, the original brakes.The truck has been used to trailer heavy construction equipment, the V-8 runs great gets 19 to 20 on highway. Just put the 2nd set of tires on it, front end wears tires with out uneven wear. There is no vibration in front at all.Have used 4wd very often on muddy constructions sites. The only problem the cheap plastic gear shift handle broke loose.I have always run premium gas in the v-8 and it makes a whole lot of difference over regular gas. Over all Very happy with truck.

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  A good Economical Crossover - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By priced right - October 3 - 2:00 am

  I have read a lot of Edmunds reviews and I have grown weary of their apparent car snobbishness and demand for perfection. There is no perfect vehicle. For the money I find that my new base model Dodge Journey is comfortable, adequately powered, and very roomy. For those who do not expect the moon and the stars from our ride, I find driving the 2010 Journey to be a pleasant experience that is not overshadowed by glaring defects. The ride is comfortable, and for having a four banger under the hood, it does what needs to be done without blocking traffic. Bottom line, the Journey is a satisfactory family SUV that is easy on the budget and will take where you want to go in relative comfort.

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  Old Faithful - 1994 Dodge Caravan
  By Petworthian - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought this van on eBay in 2003. It had 73,000 miles on it, and I bought it thinking Id use it to take the dog to the park, make Home Depot Runs, and take stuff to the dump. I ended up driving it across the country twice and on numerous vacation trips. The 2.5L 4-cylinder is plenty peppy (my van is a five-speed stick) and can return 30 MPG on a long road trip. Now has 105,000 miles and aside from maintenance items Ive only had to replace the starter and the clutch and recharge the A/C. This thing is as rugged (and simple) as an anvil, is comfortable, gives decent performance, can haul lots of stuff, and gets decent gas mileage. I intend to drive it for another 10 years.

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  Charger - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By CHARGER SXT 3.5L - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I have now owned 2007 my Dodge Charger SXT for 5 month and have had to bring it to the shop 3 times! My first problem was the passenger side window would not work properly. The second time i got stuck at walmart when my charger decided to not come out of park! the final and last time is when the malfunction indicator light came on at 36,123 i have about had it with this car!

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  Great First Car - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By jc960551 - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I brought the Dodge Neon with about 45,000 miles on it. i had a few small problems with it in the beginning, but because it was under warranty it got fixed for free. I recently got in a car accident and ended my rolling my car into a ditch. This cars strong auto frame helped save my life. I walked away completely unhurt. When i crashed my car i had over 110,000 miles with no present problems.