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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  Whats up with the wheel bearings? - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By CaravanOwner315 - September 29 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this van from when it had 46,000 to 73,000 miles. I am now replacing my third wheel bearing. Now have replaced both front and 1 back. I have not found any sort of recall on this. I still have a 1996 Caravan and have never dealt with wheel bearings.

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  Brakes & Other Issues - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Danenne - September 29 - 2:00 am

  Weve had our car now for 17 months and my brakes are already going out on it. I previously owned a Dodge Neon for 6 years, and Never had to replace the brakes and I drove it all the time everywhere. This vehicle I dont drive often and it seems like its falling apart already! The trims have been falling off piece by piece since we bought it. The stains on the seats wont come out, even with the stain guard. I hear weird noises on the car and the transmissions seems to run rough and the car takes a while to build up acceleration speed. Otherwise I really like the car, but Im beginning to wonder if its a bit of a lemon!

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  Luxary over the power - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Grant - September 27 - 2:00 am

  I knew I wanted the Challenger and that was it. The lot my sister deals with called and said they had just gotten a deep water blue, SE, the the preferred customer package. Looking at the R/Ts and the STR8s, and then seeing the difference in price, I TOOK THE SE! I was in denial about the lackluster performance, however, from previously owning a 4 cylinder Camry, I soon realized I was being greedy. I just have to not bark too much when I pull next to a Camaro at a red light. I, like many others, traded performance for beauty. In the vanity department, you cant come CLOSE to this car, SE, R/T or SRT8, and thats something camaro and mustang owners will just have to accept.

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  Unsure - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By LaVerne - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Within the 1st month the tire pressure sensor had gone up. Within a few months later the tire stem on the other side of my car had snapped and once again had to get another tire pressure sensor.I went to the dealer about this and was told the tire stems break often and the company was unsure why. The car looks great on the outside but when dealing with the interior it is weak.Because it looks like a truck I was assuming it had power but it doesnt have much. My brakes squeaked at 40,000 miles and I had the brakes checked and was told this was normal. Air filter needs to be change a lot. One word this car is affordable but may need early repairs.

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  Brake problems - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By cynthia - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought the journey r/t model in August of 09. At 12,000 mile they had to replace the front rotors and pads. Just took it back in at 16,000 mile they had to replace the fronts again and now the backs they say are shot. Had it in on several occasions before for electrical problems. Everything is fine otherwise and the r/t model is much better but the brake problems are getting to be too much. There is a class action law suit against Dodge for the brake problems.

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  Dont Know Why Edmunds Hates the Avenger - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By JGoldy - September 20 - 2:00 am

  OK. For reasons still not completely understood by me, Edmunds hates my car (08 SXT). I would just like to point out, to any prospective buyers, what this car entails. Put against its competitors (Altima, Accord, Camry, etc.) the Avenger clearly beats all others on the appearance front. Also, the Avenger has a better speaker system (I know from personal experience). The engine is mid pack, putting out 178 hp and with a ~10 second 0-60. Also, from personal experience, I KNOW that the cabin is also bigger and more comfy than competitors. I have no clue why this car get so much flack. I guess its because it looks like a Charger and is expected to act like it.

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  A Realistic Journey Review - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By jken02 - September 19 - 2:00 am

  Overall, a good car. The design is great, both inside and out, and the features are fantastic. There are lots of storage spaces and plenty of room (we have three rows of seats). However, the attention to detail and quality are lacking. Our brakes needed replaced at 26000, which is definitely early. Whatever pads are installed at the factory simply arent adequate. The overhead sunglasses holder (near the sunroof controls) wont stay up. It is a very poorly executed design feature. All of that said, this is a first year model, my experience over the past 20 years of owning cars (Dodge, Jeep, Mercury, Pontiac, VW, GMC, Honda, Mitsubishi) is that first-year models have issues.

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  Not too bad, good commuter car. - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Kamila - September 18 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car over 4 years with no major issues. I currently have over 71K miles on it. Front rotors warped at 18K miles, replacement rotors have been good thus far. Fuse for sunroof went twice, thats pretty much it on the problems. Replaced tires at over 60K miles, front brakes at 70K miles. Rear brakes are still original. Acceleration is poor, ABS doesnt work AT ALL in the snow. You have to pump the brakes. Overall, its a good commuter car for me. I do mostly highway driving. Fuel economy is not as good as they say. I average 26-27 miles per gallon. Also more spacious then it looks. My mom and I both fit in the back seat along with a child seat. Trunk door is very heavy.

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  Pretty Good - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By G. Mag - September 15 - 2:00 am

  Overall has been a pretty solid car. Handles well and has good acceleration. Had to get rid of the Goodyear Eagles, replaced with Potenzas and hydroplaning and winter driving vastly improved. Had to replace EGR solenoid at 50,000, rt front wheel bearing at 100,000 and rear sway bar links but has been very reliable throughout my 6 yrs with it. Paint and body have held up very well. Took it to the Dodge dealership for the EGR light and they had no idea what to do w it. Drove over to the Mitsu dealer and they fixed it in 30 min.

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  Good little car - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By kevin - September 15 - 2:00 am

  Just turned 76,000 miles and have had to do nothing other than change the oil. Car has had an occasional engine knock for a few seconds right after start up almost from the beginning. Was pretty concerned about that at first, but apparently some Neons just do that. Started using synthetic oil and it has pretty much stopped. I have had minor brake squealing issues like a lot of other people have reported here but it usually only lasts a minute or two when first taking off. AND Ive still got over a quarter inch of pad on THE ORIGINAL brake pads! Im hoping to make it to 100,000 miles on the original pads. Anyway, the car has been great. Reliable, fun to drive, great gas mileage. Buy one.