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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  Brake Issues since buying - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Rob - April 10 - 2:44 am

  I have had nothing but problems with my 05 Dakota. I bought it used with 20,000 in April, 2007. I had problems with the brakes from the start. The dealer replaced the pads and machined the rotors in May, 2007. I have not put 8,000 miles on the pads and they are almost GONE!!!! I believe it is the calipers. They are not releasing and my pads are running on the rotors while I am driving. The brake dust on my wheels is incredible!!! I brought it to one dealer and they said the calipers were working fine. I am still covered by the factory warranty and they are giving me the run around. How else would brand new pads be worn completely down after less than 8,000 miles? Stay away from this truck!!

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  Electrical Problems - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By C. Davison - April 9 - 10:36 pm

  I bought the SXT when it was a year old (with 13,000 mi.), it was joy at first. A few weeks ago the instrument cluster began to flicker (warning chime, ABS and sealtbelt lights briefly illuminate, and the flickering begins). I was told it was normal, and since then the headlights have begun to flicker. The van is in the shop for the 3rd time. The dealership has it until they are able to duplicate the problem, and hopefully fix the problem.

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  Jerking needs to stop - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By Shawn Walker - April 9 - 8:16 pm

  I have problems with car. It wants to jerk when engaging gears. Other then that car is reliable and great to drive

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  Well? - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By missreed - April 9 - 1:09 pm

  Well I purchase my car used in 2005 at 97,000 miles. One year after buying my car, I had to replace my transmission computer which cost around 450 including labor at a Dodge dealership. No huge problems since. Currently, I have a trans leak coming from shift shaft Im going to get fixed) also problems sometimes with rear defrost and Windows. Now car has 178,000 miles and running ok. I get my tunes ups and oil changes every 3-4000 miles. Im driving this car till the wheels fall off- cant afford another car payments! Body in good shape. All yeah, gas meter jumping up and down? Whats that about when I keep my car on full all the time?

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  2.5 Turbo built drag car - 1991 Dodge Daytona
  By Moparguy - April 9 - 12:22 pm

  I built up this car for drag racing, installed Mopar injectors, high flow fuel pump, hybrid turbo, OBX limited slip diff, etc etc. Chrysler built these cars STRONG from the factory, they can take tons of abuse. I have had little to no issues with the car at all. The seats are comfy and hold you in your seat around turns, and are power adjustable. The 5 speed manual gearbox is the only way to go in my opinion, and the car has taken many clutch-dump launches with ease.

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  fuel economy - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By shaun l - April 9 - 2:02 am

  I noticed right away I wasnt getting the proper fuel economy I thought I should get which was 12 city 15 hwy. I made some timing adjustments and a basic tune up, in 4 years the best hwy mpg Ive gotten was 18 mpg. Dont expect any more than that. Another problem Ive encountered is severe wheel hop at hwy speeds, it almost jumps off the road when you hit a bump. Very very unsafe. FYI... dont forget the change your ball joints, if they havent already gone out, they will!

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  A few facts for you - 2000 Dodge Viper
  By V10 GTS - April 9 - 12:27 am

  This car is not an easy car to operate. The viper was made to do 3 things. Go like hell, stop well, and corner well. Luxuries like traction/yaw control, heads up displays, and even an awesome radio are not part of what viper is about. If you want those things, go buy a corvette! Nothing turns heads like the viper, so expect a lot of attention, especially from kids. Acceleration takes practice to not break traction. You must learn to press the pedal not stomp on it! If you get a flat tire, plan on a flatbed because the car cannot be towed and I didnt trust the donut you get for a spare. Buy a used rim and put a tire on it. Finally, watch out for the law, because they will be watching for u!

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  Excellent automobile - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By john lindemann - April 8 - 5:50 pm

  Fun to drive, very comfortable. Good looking, plenty of interior room. Fuel economy good, smooth running. Plenty of horse power at any speed. Would definetly reccomend this car.

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  i love intrepids - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By macaframa - April 8 - 2:00 am

  I absolutly love my intrepid. when i drive it its like im in a leer jet, i have my windows tinted and its low to the ground and i have beats in the trunk, i love driving around and showing it off, i would definatly pick an intrepid over a bmw or lexus. the outside styling of the car is perfect, i cant imagine how they could possibly improve it.

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  Love it - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By Carly - April 7 - 11:48 am

  Had a Honda Odyssey and it was nothing but problems. Now I have a Chrysler and I feel a lot more comfortable when I drive somewhere knowing I will not break down