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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  I would not reccomend this car to anyone - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By Ashley - January 2 - 2:33 pm

  I wouldnt recommend buying this car unless of course you like having your vehicle in the garage. This was the first new car I have ever bought in may of 13, the car was great for the first 3-4 months. My car was backed into and I had to take it in to have the bumper replaced, while in the garage the told me there were "updates" for my computer. This is when everything went down hill. A month or so later my cruise control function stopped working, went back to garage of course they couldnt duplicate it so its still not fixed. Next up there Id a glitch with the abs, when I slof on ice with my foot on the brake all my electronics/lights fail. The rotors on the drivers side are both shot after 10k miles but the other side was fine dodge says its normal wear and tare. Then my passenger side sun visor broke off, has that replaced finally most recent is has to have the car towed from Walmart this past December cause it wouldnt start. Turns out the battery shorted out. Obviously there is a computer problem with this car that they do not want to fix! My car has 26k on it tried to trade it in but was only offered 9k for it. Terrible! Also cat is terrible in the snow!

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  Not a good car - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By Frankie - December 24 - 7:22 pm

  I guess I should not have expected much when buying this car. Nothing special about it not even the mileage. The engine has horrible responsiveness and handles like a boat.

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  Car - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Chris - December 17 - 6:33 am

  I bought this car with 42,000 miles on it and I was the second owner. This car has been a pile of junk since day one. I have had all kinds of problems with it and only get about 19 mpg. It now has 104,000 miles on it and I have to get rid of it because it is making me go broke.

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  Can you spare some oil? - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Laura - December 12 - 2:43 pm

  Bought our van new in late 05. Was perfect the whole time it was under warranty. As soon as we ticked past 36K everything went to heck and FAST! EGR valve, water pump, power sliding door motors, transmission is slipping, burns up tires and brakes, and the icing on the cake is that last year it starting burning a quart of oil every 1000 miles! Now a year later, it has used to a quart every 500 miles! What a joke! We are trading it off in a few weeks and will never buy another Chrysler/Dodge product again! I am so disappointed in this van. We had planned on keeping for a long long time and now are forced to go look for another vehicle. The re-sale value is crap as well.

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  paying for a car i cant drive - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By jeanniita - December 3 - 1:56 am

  the car started out great good gas mileage was noisy new tires still noisy should of knew something was up when one dealer offered free tires for life there is a part on the transmission that went bad and no dodge dealer knows how to fix they hook it up to machine try to fix but keeps messing up the car goes 20 mph so we cannot drive it and still making payments on it one dealer thinks maybe we should put in new transmission and maybe that will fix it at the tune of 3200 dollars so if you buy this car buy extended warranty would never buy another caliber

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  Some problems - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By ctj101502 - November 17 - 5:08 pm

  Steering column has gone out. Air conditioner is bad after 90,000 miles. Had it fixed and it happened again at around 170,000 miles. Need new transmission at 194,000 miles. Seat belts in front do not work. If you suddenly stop or yank on them quickly they let you just go. I pray we never get into an accident. Very little went wrong in the beginning, just minor issues. But at this high mileage I am thankful it still runs!

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  Unreliable - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Kendall - November 15 - 12:38 pm

  I owned the car for 3 months and in those three months it overheated, didnt start due to a computer issue, needed $700 worth of front end work (a major issue with all Intrepids according to my mechanic), needed new tires and alignment, and to top the cake, the transmission went (yet another popular issue with Intrepids). I spent another $1700 on rebuilding the engine. You tell me how my experience with the Intrepid was.

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  Its OK, but.... - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By KVY - October 26 - 5:40 pm

  Came from a 2005 Town & Country to the SXT. Yes, it has many extras, but you need to have a masters degree in engineering to figure out the VES system. The features like heating/cooling way too complicated to operate, whatever happened to simple on/off and for the DVD, point the remote and go, you have to set channels, set modes, enough already. My kids have better plastic than what is used for the interior. I just got it and am counting down the days on the lease when I can return it. If you are used to using rear view mirrors, etc when backing up, keep doing so, the backup camera is not all its cracked up to be

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  Journey into Hell - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Journey into hell - October 14 - 11:20 am

  Bought a used 2009 SXT Journey with 11,000 miles on it 6 weeks ago. Last week, the tranny locked up and it has been at the dealership ever since. Boast Dodge in Bradenton, Fl. After many delays, false hope, and mising parts, I am 11 days still with no car. Chrysler provides no loaner or rental, even though the dealerships are overstocked with new and used cars. I contacted the dealership, the general manager, and the Chrysler hotline, all give me the run around. Buyer beware, this is a first year car, plauged with problems, and a company who may not make it till 2010. Do your research before the purchase, if its a good deal, theres bound to be a reason.

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  Over 6 tall? Drivers seat is like a squat toilet - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jason Schaufenbuel - October 8 - 11:42 pm

  This is my first Dodge mini-van (Ive had a 2nd generation Odyssey). While Ive only had the vehicle two days, the drivers seat (power adjustable) is intolerable. Im 62" tall. To maximum the leg room, the seat has to be all the way back and as low as it will go (raising the seat brings it forward - so tall people get a low seat and short people get a tall seat). So its literally like using on a squatting toilet - as your rear is low and there is then no thigh support. My knees are far above my elbows. Yes, I should have taken a test drive in the vehicle before accepting it (it is a company car), but Ive never seen such a poor drivers seat in any vehicle Ive driven in almost 30 years. Ive always been able to adjust vehicle seats to a tolerable position before, not so far (Ive driven the vehicle 7 hours already), thus I didnt think it would be problem when I approved of receiving the vehicle. Otherwise Ive found no other major issues with the vehicle. No issues noted with fit/finish or noises. Acceleration is good. The cruse control can be up to 4 mph under your desired speed on hilly terrain - I dont remember that from other Dodge/Chrylser vehicles Ive owned. The Uconnect system is nice (takes more steps to do the same functions, but has similar capabilities to GMs system), however it seems slow to answer bluetooth phone calls. Yes, the 2nd and 3rd row seats are thinly padded and low, but I rarely have passengers. About a year ago I test drive a Sienna. Its driving position wasnt great, but entirely usable. Based upon that fact alone, Id suggest something other than a Dodge Grand Caravan.