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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  Mileage lousy - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Phoenixman - July 5 - 8:10 pm

  I am incredibly disappointed at the lousy gas mileage this car gets. I bought it because it was the only car in its class that advertised 26 mpg and many of the reviews raved about the great gas mileage. I dont know where these people live, but Im getting close to 20mph. I know Im using the air, but still, I was better off with my larger more powerful Intrepid.

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  Dealer dont know how to fix it - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By The worst car - July 1 - 12:15 am

  We bought it brand new last December. We only put 4000 miles on it, and it has been in the shop for months. To many recalls, dealer service department replaced battery twice, the radio, the cluster, all electrical wires. And still in the shop. Dealer service department dont know how to fix it. They told us they talk with the Dodge engineers and they say they were having the same problem. We bought it because the car has the lifetime powertrain warranty. But thats the first and last time we buy a Dodge.

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  blah... - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By SusanG - June 30 - 9:29 pm

  I got my Stratus as a graduation/wedding gift from my parents, and it was great for 3 years. Then, this year, Ive spent more than $2000 in repairs, including transmission work. The brakes were replaced three months ago, and theyre already showing moderate wear even with a gentle touch. The bleeder hose on the coolant system just "wore out" and my car overheated. Im considering dumping the car before it costs more money.

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  Who knows what tomorrow will bring? - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By tigerlily - June 24 - 10:05 am

  I got this car as a gift my senior year and fell in love with it immediately. Ive replaced the O2 sensors and the water pump twice (within a 6 month period of time), and after year 1 everything electric on the interior has one-by-one stopped working the dome light only works if Im entering through the passenger door and the stereo will randomly turn on and off. Ive paid for a very pricey tune up, replacing just about everything and that seemed to help nothing, the belts still slip and theres a tap that no one can seem to figure out. Last year i developed a temperamental oil leak, comes and goes and most recently at 100K its leaking transmission fluid.

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  DO NOT EVER BUY ! - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Duhkneez - June 23 - 10:14 pm

  I thought buying a car only a year old with low mileage would be a good idea. Not at all. Ive had nothing but problems from day 1. The dealership and the car are awful. Ive had to bring it in the shop because my check engine light wont stay off. Ive had many parts replaced and now I cant pass my inspection. I will never buy anything but a Toyota, Honda or Nissan again. My old Nissan and Toyota, I bought older and with higher mileage and had no problems. Im stuck now cause Ive dumped so much money it.

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  Almost 3 years old - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By TJ - June 20 - 3:14 am

  2006 SXT, Cool Vanilla, Sunroof, Leather heated seats. The honeymoon period is over. Although I still enjoy the overall ride, power and performance, I am bothered by the electrical issues, and the cheap interior this car has. Also the lack of amenities other cars offered for the price tag. The bad: Cheap plastic interior, passenger door handle broke, plastic glove box door handle broke. Leather seats look/feel cheap. Electrical sucks, rear driver side window wont go down. sometimes the Sunroof does a wacky open close open when you press the button. Horrible radio, especially with AM reception. The check engine light is lit at only 37K miles. And mind you, I baby this car

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  Fun but a lot of problems - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By Cargurl - June 19 - 7:09 pm

  I bought the car new and had nothing but problems.They did not give me a new car. They rewired the whole thing and it just wouldnt run.

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  Needs Improvements - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Barnell - June 16 - 8:48 pm

  I bought my 2000 Dodge Dakota Sport 3.9L on October 12th 2007. The first two to two and a half months it was ok. Then I started noticing that the power steering would go out from time to time. My oil pressure would drop for no reason. Last, I noticed in the morning, when I would first start to drive it, it would get stuck in second gear and I would have to coast until third kicked in. Gas Mileage on this truck is HORRENDOUS. Im not sure if itÂ’s the quality of Dodge or if it was the owner before me, but I know I would probably not tell any one to buy this truck. But on the plus side, the body and style is awesome.

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  Dodge needs some work - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By collegemike1 - June 15 - 11:58 pm

  I bought this car 05/2006 and when I test drove the car it was flawless. I fell in love! But months down the road, one thing after another happened. First it was the awful windshield complications, then the noisy dashboard which in actuality cracked somehow, the brake rotors I have to constantly get replaced, the rear view mirror wiring is really awful I have to rig it everyday just to get light in my car at night, my radio completely went out had to completely buy a new radio system, motor mount, dont even get me started on engine complications. Too much to detail. Couldnt pay me enough to buy another Dodge. Wouldnt recommend Dodge. Period.

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  hate it - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By sid - June 14 - 2:04 am

  Dont ever buy one. I have 14,500 miles on it and the four wheel drive binds up when turning. Not sharp at any time. Transmission slips a lot. Sways on freeway. leather seats hard