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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  Love the Looks - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By RedBaron - December 4 - 8:34 pm

  This was the truck I had been waiting for. Hated the nose design of the 1996-2005 [my prev. was a 1995 Dakota SLT]. This design is bold and clean. Interior is almost quiet, space is good, comfort is very good.. Fit & finish are great except for the body panels. Fenders to molded bumpers gap lets dirt, salt, mud flow thru. Got a cap on back and bed is fine & secure for most loads.

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  Love It ! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Sidney - December 4 - 11:16 am

  Ive had my 2008 Nitro for 2 months now and I love it. I do a lot of driving ( 8300 miles already) and this just makes it fun. I like the look of it, mine is dark blue and I like the way it handles and the way it looks.

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  Bang for the Buck - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Captain Midnight - December 3 - 1:07 pm

  Id like to say that this is a great car, but we will go with good for now. The ride is smooth, comfortable and quiet, and Id be fine riding in it for hours without undue fatigue. The steering gets raspberries because its too heavy at all speeds and the chassis is busy at cruise. The most fatiguing part of driving this car is the constant inputs required, even on smooth, uncrowned roads. I really hate that part. The stock 225 60R18 touring tires grip well in the dry and are a menace in the wet. First thing I did was to get Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3 snow tires so that I can get through a Michigan winter without ending up in a ditch somewhere. Recommended with reservations

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  Great car for the price - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By mechem - December 1 - 3:44 pm

  I bought the car recently. Super fast being the RT model. Fun to drive and it feels safe and responsive. Gas mileage is roughly 21 overall, and I drive it hard. Only a couple complaints. The second cupholder is a joke, its under the armrest and is shallow. Also there is an odd rattle that Ive heard. Its mostly notable when coasting. The engine is strong so it covers it when your gassing it. Nothing major though, I can live with it. Definitely a fun car to have and it gets looks wherever it goes. Cheap too, bought mine for 5 grand with under 60k on it.

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  A few issues - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By t.glacy - December 1 - 9:35 am

  Caravan has 46,000 miles so far. I have already had to replace one sensor (covered by warranty at 30,000). Just took car in for inspection and was told rack & pinion was leaking and repair will be approx $1,000! I am also having issues with check engine light again. Service dept. said it was a different sensor than the last one and needs to be replaced (upstream 02 sensor). Was also told breaks will need replacing soon. Overall I am OK with this vehicle, but getting hit with such high cost repairs so early on is not impressing me to buy another in the future.

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  BRAKES - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Angie - December 1 - 3:43 am

  We have had this car for going on 2 years now. We are seeing issues and after reading on here it is nice to see that we are not the only ones with issues. Today my brake light came on at 27,400 miles. I went to the dealership to find out that my front brakes are totally shot, I need new pads and rotors and my back brakes are almost shot too. So having a fairly new vehicle and sticking over $700. is not my idea of great. I am seeing alot of brake issues and yet Dodge wants to deny that there is a problem.

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  What problems? - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By AliciaMNC - November 30 - 1:07 pm

  I was weary about buying a Dodge due to rumors of tranny issues. But when I went looking I found mine, well within my price range and with only 36k miles on it. And I have to say - this car has been a God-send! Its now at just under 100k miles and in all this time, I have had one issue - at 80,500 miles, the transmission controller module went out. Cost nearly $1000 to fix (it was 500 miles outside the part warranty), but considering the many years without literally any issue, this was the best vehicular purchase Ive ever made. I am a Dodge lover now!

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  Nice car for the family - 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Haim Elbaz - November 30 - 1:07 pm

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  Generally Satisfied Owner - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Peterbilt03 - November 30 - 3:54 am

  My Dakota was a good purchase, the truck has been very reliable and far exceeds the quality of my previous Blazer ZR2, the truck has required maintainence and repairs, as any vehicle will, nothing major or out of the ordinary, trucks power with the 318 is very good, turning radius is exceptional which makes for easy parking, the interior build quality is very good and pleasing to the eye, far better than any GM product(my opinoin, not a fact) the transfer case engauges flawlessly and instantly everytime as compaired to electric shift systems, mileage is good in my opinion, if you want awesome mileage you shouldnt be looking for a truck, i will surely buy a Dodge for my next vehicle.

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  Flash2Speed - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By flashtube - November 27 - 10:14 pm

  The best mid sized truck I have purchased. Runs like a hot rod. Outside paint is a beautiful emerald green. When I turn the key on I can hear a deep thrum from the exhaust.