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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  reliable suv - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By montreal7 - May 28 - 3:01 pm

  got it from new. had 100k miles and only water pump replaced. other was oil and brakes. the tail gate light switch issue is standart on this truck and i got the problem. i just disconnect the switch and go. In snow the control is the best I never see. so very reliable, fair driving and power, very good tractiion control, but cheap interior plastic. the center console was too big leaving less room for nothing. trunk wideness a little small, you could not put a plywood sheet. if the interior plastic was better quality and the console smaler i will give a 9 on 10 .. go ahead, you will like it.

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  2012 Dodge Challenger RT Classic - Best yet! - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By hometheaterguy - May 27 - 11:54 pm

  To date, I have owned twelve vehicles. My first, a 1964 Mercury Comet to my current 2012 Dodge Challenger RT Classic. The worst car I have owned is a 2009 Mazda 5 Wagon. The 2012 Dodge Challenger is by far the best vehicle we have ever purchased. This vehicle has the Super Trak Pack, 6-speed, sunroof, amazing leather and a rocking sound system that can play movies, blu tooth audio and read music from a thumb drive. Modifications made thus far Magnaflow X pipe, Pettys Garage Strut tower brace, LMI cold air intake and skip shift eliminator. Do want a car that handles corners with ease, has amazing acceleration and looks great? If so, this is the car for you. We love it!

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  Great Value Midsize Sedan - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By jklag11 - May 27 - 9:27 am

  Bought my 2005 Dodge Stratus SXT Sedan 2 years ago with 64,000 miles on it. Just passing 85,000 miles now and have not had a single repair yet. Bought the car for about $5,000 less than a same-year Camry or Accord, and have not regretted that decision once. Besides the fact that the Stratus is far and away more attractive than either, it has a much more spacious interior and has very good handling for a mid-2000s midsize sedan. My only complaint to date has been that I tend to drive more city than highway, and have never been able to meet either the EPA (22 mpg) or Edmunds predicted (19 mpg) city ratings. Otherwise, very happy with my Stratus!

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  Great car with few cons - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By mmcentire - May 26 - 9:32 am

  I have the lowest end car available that I picked up at a great price in January 2013. The design work on the car looks great inside and out. The interior is nicer than you would expect from a base model. The dashboard was designed for the nicer electronic touch-screen interface, which my car does not have, but the manual system looks nice and functions well. It has a roomy interior with adequate cargo, although smaller than expected. The car has a sporty feel while driving (especially with a 6 speed manual), but it does not reach advertised mpg, and can be somewhat difficult to shift smoothly at first. It cruises smoothly on the freeway and handles well better than similar sedans.

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  THROWN ROD! - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By inhawaii - May 25 - 10:33 pm

  2004 Dodge Durango Limited 5.7 Hemi with under 80,000 miles. I am the original owner. Car has been well maintained. Oil changes every 3000 miles. Never had any overheating problems. This vehicle has served me well for the past 9 years until about a month ago. Without warning, while going down the freeway, it made a terrible noise. I knew it was something major. The oil light came on. There was a bunch of smoke. I shut the engine off and pulled off the freeway. I could see oil dripping from the engine. After having to towed, i learned there was a hole in the engine block from a thrown rod. After doing some research on the web, i found 100s if not 1000s of cases just like mine.

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  Disappointed - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By 96tahoe - May 23 - 5:25 pm

  I bought this car with 28K miles as a certified used car. Certified? At 33K the Cat converter failed. At 42K the whole Cyclinder head has to be replaced, at least that is what they say as of now. My car has seen the dealer so many times that the rental car person now knows my name, number and credit card number by heart. Im dissapointed and thank god for my extended warranty. Now I have to make a decision to trade in this lemon or stick with it and hope something major does not break.

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  True Love from Day 1 - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By rwood541 - May 21 - 8:01 pm

  We bought our Durango new as the 1st replacement for our minivan era as our oldest began high school. It has faithfully, stylishly, comfortably moved 2 kids across country to college and I dont want another car. I wish it would last forever. I love it! Solid, dependable, built to keep a family safe and on the move! And nothing more than normal maintanance...and one water pump! 152,411 miles and still runs like day one! And I swear the mileage is improving...it would have to!

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  Good car for the price. - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By aclarke7 - May 21 - 7:28 am

  So I purchased a 2013 Dodge Avenger three months ago. I bought it because the price was great, the car looks great, and it fit what I wanted and needed in a car. The car overall is exactly as Edmunds describes it in that it does have sluggish acceleration in the 4 cylinder. It is comfortable and has some nice added features to it. The Bluetooth works great and the car is a pretty good build for what it is. Be warned the gas mileage is on the low end compared to many other cars in the same class. That is the biggest downfall for what would otherwise be a great car. So far my car has not hit its estimated MPG rating at all which was a little disappointing.

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  Dodge Journey Nightmare - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By journeyjunker - May 20 - 6:34 pm

  Three visits to install trailer hitch. Four visits to fiX sound system (replaced) 5/20/12 - 14,500 miles brake rotors warped - replaced at cost to me of $50. after contacting Chrysler to complain. July 2012 - Slow leak in sidewall of cheap tires after rotation at dealer. Cannot be repaired. Front tires scalloped. 4 new tires = $800. January 2013 - Check engine light on - Cylinder head replaced. February 2013 - Check engine light on - Re-program powertrain control module. May 2013 - Check engine light on - Oil pump on back order. Brake rotors warping again.

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  Pick a different SUV - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By rogalski - May 19 - 6:14 pm

  Look at any other model, this one has been nothing but headaches. The windshield has been replaced 3 times probably due to the angle of the windshield not deflecting debris. The gas mileage is terrible and the "worst" issue is the faulty ignition system, it has an intermittent starting issue that the dealer cannot seem to repair. I have had the fuse box software updated and replaced the starter. Dodge is aware there are issues but either cannot or will not fix it. Pick a different make or model you wont regret it.