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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  50/50 Chance - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By NYYFan - June 21 - 7:14 am

  The Dodge Intrepid with the 2.7L engine seems to be a coin toss. If you get the good engine, the size and style of the car make up for its other shortcomings which include a higher level of maintenance issues. If you do get the lemon engine, the car is worthless past the magic 60K mark. I had been crossing my fingers, but sure enough, at 65K, my engine died. My mechanic said even if I wanted to fix they wouldnt do the job because the engine is so unreliable and hard to find because of the demand for replacements. Avoid this car at all cost. Buying an auto shouldnt come with such a high level of risk.

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  Looks are deceiving! - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Brenda - June 7 - 11:49 pm

  My 99 Intrepid ran great, looks great and is great, unless you have to diagnose a malfunction with it. One problem consist of 4 or 5 smaller problems together and will cost you an arm and a leg to fix correctly.

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  Looks good but... - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Foochey - June 4 - 5:14 pm

  Engine is strong. Thats the end of the good news. Brakes are horrible, expect warped rotors Aand drums every 15,000m. Add to that the fact that these brakes are under-designed and will not stop this vehicle safely and should be recalled. The BCM module is a joke and must be replaced by dealership whenever your lights/wipers/etc go haywire (and they will). Youll get raped for this stupid charge that is designed into Dodges grand service scheme. Then theres the upper balljoint issues. Dodge will be out of business if they keep producing junk like this. Never another Dodge/Chrylser product for me...ever.

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  Not so good - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By G - June 4 - 1:32 pm

  Have had this thing for about 2 years and bought it practically new(7000km) it now has 71,000. It has definintely not been my favorite car. I quality is very lacking. There are so many squeaks and things it drive me nuts. Power is on the weak side for me and I find the brakes are not the greatest either. The stock tires were garbage. I have a number of problems I dont feel I should have had. The engine is the most unrefined thing I have ever driven. Lots of vibrations at idle. In my opinion this is a cheap and cheaply made car. I would not buy another.

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  OK car, but not built to last - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By april - May 28 - 7:28 pm

  It is an OK car but mine leakes water from the roof around the front windshield and under the glove box. One of my doors doesnt close all the way so the door ajar light is always on. I have had a crack in my oil tank and had to have my transmission replaced. My air also doesnt work. It was good when I first got it but now it is falling apart.

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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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  Disappointed - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By GDC - May 14 - 4:03 pm

  I purchased this vehicle new. This is my third Dakota. This model is a big disappointment. The fuel tank had problems venting. This required several trips to dealer to repair. They finally replaced the tank. Two tires blown at low speed. The speedometer sticks when cold. Battery died with barely 20 months This unit has been in the shop for weeks during its many repair activities. This product has turned me away from considering any new Daimler or Chrysler products in the future due to the pathetic quality and service.

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  Most unreliable vehicle Ive ever owned - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By dvast8_21 - May 13 - 12:32 pm

  I bought this SUV used last year. It had 100,000 miles when I bought it. In just one year, I have put $1,500 in transmission repair, replaced alternator, water pump, thermostat, had work done to the driver side door when it just stopped opening, and currently the gas gauge only works part of the time. Not to mention this is the biggest gas hog. The display says it averages 13.5 mpg on highway. I found documents from the original owner where they also had transmission work, replaced belts, and had various mechanical problems. I certainly will never own another Dodge!

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  My last Chysler - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By J - May 11 - 2:46 pm

  After purchasing two Caravans this one will be my last. Way too many transmission rebuilds at low milage. I feel like a sucker for buying a second one. Its hard to believe Chrysler has not tried fixing this design problem after all these years.