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 despise this van. - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By frustrated van owner - July 21 - 8:53 pm

  We purchased this car six months ago and have had nothing but trouble with it. Within the first two weeks we had trouble with the radio, as it would shut off on its own for no reason. It eventually had to be replaced, which took us 3 visits to accomplish. Since then weve had a knock in the steering wheel (3 visits), a rattle in the drivers door, and currently our anti-lock brake / stabilization light is on. I have 3 kids in carseats and bought this van for the conveniences it was supposed to offer - it has been an absolute pain for us, as there is no convenience associated with taking a car in every other week. We regret buying this van nearly every day.

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  Piece of Junk - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Mad Caravan Owner - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Best day of owning this will be the day its sold. Nothing but heartache. Needed a new engine at 38,000. The tensioner caused the serpentine belt to fall off quarterly. Paid the dealer several times to repair the serp belt, only to have another mechanic tell me there was a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) addressing a faulty tensioner. The A/C leaked causing a musty smell. The brakes have always squeaked, even when new. The removable seats are very heavy. I received a major run around from the dealer when there was I had problems with the TCM (Transaxle Control Module), also part of a TSB. Save your money!

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  Looks nice, is powerful, but lousy quality - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By BJ - July 16 - 12:44 am

  Drove it for about 6 months before it started to overheat periodically. No mechanic could figure out what was wrong with it. CV joints went out. Steering was sloppy. Couldnt keep brake pads on it without them wearing out. Will never buy a Dodge again.

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  2000 Grand Caravan Sport - BEWARE!! - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Machacca - July 8 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has been in and out of the shop for various issues after the first year. The latest is a cracked head that will cost $$$$$$$$ to repair. No warranty coverage. I guess the industry is forcing consumers in purchasing extended warranties at gaudy prices. Hindsight is 20/20. I should have gotten a Honda.

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  Be Careful - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dtojeo - June 13 - 6:09 am

  I purhased a 2008 Grand Caravan. Big Mistake. The vehicle has numerous electrical prolems costing hundreds every year in repair and towing charges. A few problems I have encounterd: Horn blowing in the middle of the night, locked out of the vehicle, Windshield wipers turning on for no reason, windows going up and down when the vehicle is parked, radio changing stations for no reason, lights blinking on and off while parked and now the ignition system as failed. I was told by the dealer that the key is proably bad and it will have to be towed in. It cost $240 per key, $90 for system diagnosis and it may have to have an entire ignition system on top of a $90 tow charge. Reliability = 0

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  DO NOT BUY! - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By et127 - June 3 - 9:38 am

  I cannot stress enough how I would never recommend this vehicle to anyone! This is the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned. I bought the vehicle in April 2008 and am about to replace the brakes for the third time. Not to mention the four recalls, the tire pressure light, the loud buzzing noise that the inside of the van makes when going over 50. Please do not buy this car, you will regret it! Not to mention that I still owe $20,000 on it and the KBB is only $8,500. Does anyone out there with these problems know of anything we can do? I have written one letter a week to Chrysler and I will continue until they do something!

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  An Okay Truck - 1990 Dodge Dakota
  By Okay Truck - May 28 - 4:08 am

  I have had some good and bad experinces with this lemon. I know with a used truck you are going to have problems, but come on. When I first got it it had an oil leak. Then it had a coolent leak. Now it has a gas leak. What else is going to leak on this thing? When I set my cruise control it will rev itself up going downhill. I can see it doing that going up hill, but down? A month ago the headlights went out while I was going to school. I was at a Chrysler place and when I showed them my truck the guy said, and I quote, "You have a Dakota, it will last forever". Well, if it will last forever, mine is about to die.The transmission gets happy when you first start going in the morning. I would not recommend this truck to anyone.

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  I wish it were better built - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By tebyerly - May 20 - 10:00 am

  We have a 5 year-old Dodge Grand Caravan SE. I like the size, design and perfomance of the vehicle. I wish it were built better and more reliable. Since the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty expired, we have paid for approximately $4,000 of repair bills. And that doesnt include the transmission which I am sure will go any day. Weve had to fix a very costly engine gasket oil leak, have the oil pan replaced, replaced the air conditioner evaporator coil and condenser, the belt tensioner, 2 batteries, front brakes and various other electrical and mechanical items. We are now doing what we should have done years ago. We are buying a Honda Odessey.

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  Finally dumped it - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By lb - May 12 - 6:26 am

  Welp, after being told I was crazy and all the clunking noises, I have dumped my Caliber. It actually got good mileage, it had to have something good. Frankly, I was starting to fear the car was going to fly apart. The dealership service kept telling me it was the tires making the noises, and I told them You let me drive it off the lot like this I took it to Firestone and they said the tires were fine, numerous times. Come on! If I had needed tires, I reckon Firestone would have wanted to make a buck or two. Anywho, I wouldnt recommend the Caliber. Too bad, I thought it was going to be a pretty good car.

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  Unreliable Dodge Stratus - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Eric - May 5 - 7:06 pm

  I had the Dodge Stratus for 3 wks when the water pump went bad and I was stuck 40 miles from home. Then approx. 11 months later when the car is only 1 yr old the fuel pump went bad and once again I was stranded. The car only had 18,000 miles and twice I had major mechanical defects. These are parts that should last for atleast 60,000- 70,000 miles. I feel the engine quailty on the Dodge Stratus is very poor.