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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  too many recalls - 2011 Dodge Challenger
  By gearheadbear - February 17 - 5:50 pm

  Ive had my 2011 Challenger since the end of 2011 and still have less than 15,000 miles. My wife stays at home and this is not a commute vehicle. I had problems with the door handles and wiring harness before the recalls even came out. Now the torque converter gave itself up internally. After taking back twice dealer is replacing the torque converter only and "flushing" the transmission. Antioch Dodge in Northern California is not the right place to get proper service done right the first time.

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  I would buy elsewhere if I were you. - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By rmeese5 - February 17 - 11:52 am

  There are not enough characters allowed on this to describe my distain for this vehicle. Engine malfunction light came on in 200 miles. It is a faulting oil pressure sensor, they replaced and the light is still coming on. They are waiting for a software update that they "hope" will fix the problem. Computer sometimes prohibits the car from accelerating over 4000 rpms. No fix. They dont know what is wrong. Again hope for a software fix. This is a real safety concern to me. In cold weather the battery light dings and flashes on the dash annoyingly, again they hope a software updated can fix it.. We are now going through the lemon law process. I refuse to pay over $18k for a broken new car.

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  Good,Sporty,and Eye Catching - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By wbbellyboy - February 14 - 7:30 pm

  Bought a used 2011 Dodge Charger SE with 31K on it and the only thing I had to fix was the front rotors which the car lot did for me at the dealer. They seem to go out faster than other cars from what I read. I upgraded the cloth to Katskin leather,put a spoiler on it,and put high quality tint as well. The car already had decals so it has made my 23K Charger look just like the 45K SRT that is in the showroom. The only complaints I have it that I wish it was 305hp instead of 292hp and I had rims instead of rim/caps.

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  Low cost to own and fun to drive as 4 cyl. eco cars go - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By billman2 - February 13 - 4:34 pm

  Bought new in 03 4 cyl auto good value and to our surprize its cost to operate has been lower than our japanese car our mother drives, not as well refined but still fun to drive and quieter ride. No issues yet with 140,000 miles except rear struts were replaced. 4 cyl engine not real fast but simple to service and reliable.

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  Great vehicle - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By miller1980 - February 12 - 2:52 pm

  I got my caravan at 78,000 miles Ive only had a couple problems since owning the car. First the O2 sensor went out (kind of an expensive fix for a single mom) and the power steering pump is going out. Other than that it has been a gem. Ive driven it in the snow and curvy mountain roads for two years with no issues. The car is now at 130,000 miles and still running even after hitting a deer really hard.

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  13 years later - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By fishinoregon - February 12 - 1:38 pm

  Ive recently purchased a 13 year old Dakota Quad Cab. I looked for 6 weeks at all sorts of trucks but when it came down to it, this Dakota fit the bill best. Everything works and the truck runs strong with a good tight feel to it. Best part of this purchase was the truck had just 87,000 miles on it. It was well cared for and used during the previous owners summer vacations. The tan colored interior is in perfect shape and the bright red exterior has a nice shine to it. As long as the truck (and all others like it) is well cared for, it will be on the job for years to come. Happy traveling

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  Saved me! - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By zaginara - February 7 - 9:26 pm

  My mom had this car and I borrowed it since I didnt have a car of my own yet. I was driving home and got in to an accident. The nitro had so much damage that I couldnt move it. A tow truck had to come get it and it was later declared totaled (though I already knew that). The front end was a mess. The air bags deployed and the windows dropped... the engine cut off.. I dont remember the accident itself. I remember looking around and my foot was still on the gas. I walked away from the accident with the Dodge emblem burned in to my right forearm. (Yes burned!) While I am now branded (get it, from the burn?), if I had been in a sedan or any small car, I would have been in a hospital bed.

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  Rallye 1.4 turbo - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By helilog - February 4 - 10:35 pm

  After 22,000 miles I have had zero maintenance or quality issues, only oil changes (which are $60 due to synthetic oil requirement). Plenty of power with a nice throaty exhaust note and a 33 mpg overall average. Forty mpg is routine at 65 mph. The magazine writers who whine about turbo lag with this engine are describing gear/rpm/speed situations no sane driver would use, such as 1500 rpm/4th gear/30 mph. Use 3rd gear at that speed (2000 rpm) and enjoy snappy response. This car is a nice combination of comfort, economy, power and sporty handling.

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  What a lemon - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By natpat1 - January 27 - 5:18 pm

  I have 27,000 miles on the car and the engine is being replaced. The engine light came on for no reason and the dealer couldnt find anything wrong with it. Shifting is the worse. I thought it would settle in, but sometimes you dont even know the gear you are about to shift into. You get lost. I cant put a regular car mat down on the driver side because the shift pedal catches the mat. The service departments are really there to go above and beyond the normal problems. They have had my car for on month and want me to pay 10 days or more on a rental, while Im payinng the car note and insurance on a car I cant drive because they are so slow in fixing it. Customer Care gets no where

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  Brand New Lemon - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By stacysmoon - January 21 - 11:53 pm

  At first this vehicle was easy on the eyes with an affordable Ralley appearance package. It was before I made my first payment that things started to decline. Initially, my tires were losing pressure quickly and then the front passenger tire blew on my way home from work. There are a lot of electronic issues with gas gage, dimmers, and lights. At 6100 miles engine malfunction indicator came on, defrosters/heaters stopped working, and engine overheated in -8 weather. Dealership states faulty thermostat and flush needed. Im not sure what else to expect in the future for my brand new car.