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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  Decent Sedan - Felt Right - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By Chen - April 26 - 12:54 pm

  2009 - Dodge Avenger SXT Flexfuel 2.7L V6 Automatic Well this is my first car, but Ive driven hell load of different cars from compacts to heavy construction machines. I was looking for a sportier 2010 Mazda three, so I borrowed this one to get to the dealer and for me it felt right. The pedals werent touchy and and the steering was just right for my likings. Compared to a 2010 Mazda 3 I can actually have control of my speed without looking at my speedometer every second. Some might not like it because the lack of pep. As for comfort, love the seats. I am tall with long legs and a bad back, so the leg room is pretty fantastic for me.

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  The trunk leaks - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Danny - April 25 - 11:52 pm

  This is my second Dodge Neon and it has low mileage but the trunk leaks. It gets water in the wheel well under the spare in the trunk and also in the back floor under both sides. I have to go vacuum it out and then air it out. The manufacturer did not seal the trunk correctly and no one seems to know how to fix it. It is now out of warranty. I am not happy about this. Otherwise it is a good car, but my right front power window just went out and the air conditioner could be colder at only 38,500 miles.

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  1998 Dodge Caravan 4cylinder - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Marky Mark - April 25 - 7:12 pm

  I bought this used caravan in 2000 because I started a family of 4. I brought the price down to our price range which was practically a steal. Only 5,000 miles used. A lot of space inside roomy. Rides well. Only drive 5 to 6 miles a day, full tank of gas last me a month. Some mechanical problems, tires would tread a bit faster than usual, AC needed freon in 3 yrs, leaks oil had it check out and fixed new head gasket, oil pan gasket still leaks to this day. So I just add a qt. of oil every a month. Transmission was slipping at 40,000 miles had it serviced. I have 75,000 miles on it to this day. The quality of this van is not to good, things breaks down sooner than you would think.

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  Good SUV overall - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Tina - April 25 - 6:01 pm

  We bought our SLT new and I love it to this day! It drives like a sedan, the sound system is great, hemi is very powerful. Sometimes it seems to get confused with the gear switch but no mayor issue. I didnt have any issues with that but the hubby did. It did have one major issue with some computer panel. The engine stalled in the middle of drive a couple of times and another time it lost power and started to drive bumpy while a bunch of dashboard lights came on. Of course that happened right after the warranty ran out. Lately weve had a clicking sound in the motor (not always) that turns off after a while. I hope its not a new trend with all the little fix its. Its only got 50,000 miles

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  Couple things people dont know - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By jimalee2000 - April 24 - 11:50 am

  I bought my car at an auction last year. I have driven it every day and had no major problems other than: The 4 cyl has a not so known issue of the valve cover gasket leaking oil into spark plugs. This was found by a mech telling us so I have yet to replace gasket. I take the plug out clean it and its good to go for a few months longer. Secondly is I have to put oil in it cause the oil pan gasket is bad. BUT knowing those two problems I am ok with it. It is known for bad heads and often blow. I havent had that issue yet! But the engines are so easy to find it is good to work on.

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  Any Helpful Hints? - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By truckeegirl89 - April 23 - 5:18 pm

  I have had the Caliber for 2.5 years now and have 70,000 miles on it. I was told with this car that the tranny will go out around 100,000 miles if you do not get new tranny fluid every 30,000 miles (which costs $400), I have not yet had it done because of the cost and because I was told that it should be done every 60,000. Ive had problems with it for a while now with the tranny and accelerating but Dodge is saying that there is nothing wrong with it. Has anyone else had this type of a problem with theres? I feel that I am paying for a car that is a ticking time bomb!

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  Best Truck I Ever Had - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By Ken S - April 23 - 11:50 am

  Sharp Looking ( RED ) Very Comfortable, No Problems just Standard Maintenance, Decent Mileage with 4.7 V8, 16 around Town 22 on trips

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  Good basic family hauler - 2004 Dodge Caravan
  By Landric - April 21 - 8:23 pm

  I bought this vehicle used about six months ago. I discovered the day before my twin sons were born that I could not fit a car seat behind the drivers seat in my Toyota Matrix and still drive it comfortably. I couldnt afford a new van right then, but I needed something I could fit car seats in and still drive. I have the base SE with the 4-cylinder, AC, & CD Player. The only option it has are the side airbags. So far no break downs, though sometimes the transmission behaves strangely when the heater is on, shifting erratically. Its only happened a couple of times, but its disconcerting. I just bought a new 2009 Kia Sedona at a hefty discount, so the Caravan is now around town only.

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  Like a best friend - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Jutter - April 21 - 2:56 pm

  I cant speak enough about my Durango, its like an old worn shoe. Even though we have added a new car to our family, we hope to keep the Durango till it rots away. The fuel consumption is horrible but everything else makes up for it. we have been rear ended twice both times we drove away while the other cars were towed. Front breaks seem to need replacement every two years or so. But Im not joking when I say this truck has been a best friend, and easily the best car I have ever bought!

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  Fabulous - if you can afford it. - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By So-So - April 20 - 10:51 pm

  My mother purchased this car for me at 130,000 miles and it ran perfect then. In the winter, this thing is a dream - blizzard? I dont care, 4WD - Im going to the mall! So-so MPG is worth it. In the summer? No, thank you. MPG plus AC? No. Plus, my AC stopped working at 150,000 miles! The heater is questionable too. It takes longer than usual to defrost the windows in the winter. Also, all of that 4WD use caused driving to become uncomfortably rocky late this winter, prompting a $899 bill to replace four ball joints, tire rod end, and a wheel alignment front end work common with this vehicle.