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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  Reliability Issues - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By J MOORE - May 27 - 6:26 pm

  Although Ive had many inquiries form people about asking about this vehicle, I hav not been able to recommend it due to reliability issues. This car has been in the shop for numerous, I would characterize as nuisance problems. The AM portion of the radio has gone out on the car twice. The left rear window has gone out twice. The rear hatch has stopped working. The transmission jerks. Even though this car is a great looker, and is very useful, I dont think I will own it very long.

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  Please Avoid This Vehicle - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By pghlawyer - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I am adding this review to put people on notice. Please shop elsewhere. This vehicle looks good outside, has a decent interior and was exactly what my wife wanted for the family. Chrysler invented the minivan, right? They really screwed together a nice looking piece of poorly engineered crap. Tons of recalls. I have changed the brakes more times in two years than Visa will allow me to speak aloud. The dealer is finally coming around trying to "assist" me with "my" problems. Thanks for the help! This is a horrible mistake by this company and should be on the nightly news. Chrysler wont admit to this failure until someone, or their children, die in an accident.

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  Very Disappointed - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Scotsman - May 26 - 6:58 am

  Love the looks, interior build quality is great, 3rd row of seats is big enough for 2 adults and with those folded down we can store a ton of stuff. Been on a few very long journeys and it has driven well. Smooth, DVD player in the back has kept the kids happy. But after 18,000 the transmission completely siezed on my wife and we had to get a whole new one. Now lost confidence in the car and then had a product recall (# G07). Thankfully just leasing so will return the SUV next summer and run like mad from the dealership. Its a real shame as I loved it for the first 18 months.

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  Overall experience owning this truck. - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By John B. Daily - May 24 - 5:15 pm

  Since buying this vechicle I have enjoyed the handling and its ability to tow a bass boat. I bought it a little early, because I did want it with the new 4.7 L. H.O. engine. The regular 4.7 L. seems to be a very proficient engine, but gas economy could be better. The front seating space is adquate for a person 6 or more. The backseat does lack enough space for adults if travling long distances. The full-time 4 wheel drive performs flawlesly either in rain or snow With the 17" tires the handling is great and shows very little wear over 25,000 miles of travel. Most people would be pleased to own this vechicle. The size is just right for my wife to drive and park.

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  Family Fun Car - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Nala34 - May 23 - 1:39 pm

  I just picked up my SRT-8 Charger from the dealer. I traded in an R/T Magnum. Wow, what a difference! Awesome power, terrific handling, much better seating, not to mention that throaty growl. I dont care if gasoline goes up to $4 per gallon! Other than a new cold-air intake, will probably keep this sweetheart stock. Dodge hits the bullseye!

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  Awesome Family Car - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Colorado Cruiser - May 23 - 12:06 pm

  Weve had the car a short time and absolutely love it! Were getting 27- 29mpg on the highway and low 20s in town. We have 4 kids ranging from 8 months to 15yrs, and everyone fits comfortably! There is no road noise and the vehicle hands very well! You can definitely feel the German technology and handling in the vehicle! We live in Colorado and with the traction control the vehicle handles awesome in the snow. We purchased the FWD model. If you want the convienence, and mini van features without a mini van feeling, this is the vehicle!

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  not exactly perfect - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By vaguy - May 23 - 5:36 am

  I have owned my Durango for about 2 years now. It is a nice vehicle to drive and travel in. The ride is also pretty smooth. However, there are some small problems. When you get some speed going there is a wind sound comming in the vehicle through the wind shield. I have had a problem with the power windows. Every now and then there is a winding noise comming from the engine compartment. The front passenger seats dont recline to a comfortable position which would be nice on long trips.

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  Love this car! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Girlfriend - May 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a hot looking car for not being an import. It handles well and gets great gas milage.

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  I love my Drango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By chrismj1 - May 22 - 2:00 am

  this is my 4th drango. I just love it. I love the room the drive and the style!

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  Love this car! - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By TomStratRT - May 20 - 8:27 am

  Very fun to drive. Easy to pass on the highway. I got the ATX and its not bad at all. Its a little sluggish off the line, but makes up for it while accelerating. 3.0 V6 makes a nice rumble with a few mods and a nice muffler. This car gets plenty of looks and I love the Dark Metallic Gray color. Goes really good with gunmetal wheels. I compared to Accord coupe, Tiburon, Monte Carlo SS and other V6 coupes. This one trumped them all. The R/T coupe is also very rare amongst the cookie-cutter cars on the road.