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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  Crankshaft endplay - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By kram660 - February 14 - 9:08 pm

  bought this car with 25 miles on it in 2006 at the dealer. drove car daily to work with and do not hot rod it. after at around 40,000 miles i noticed oil leaking from the passenger side and it was the front crankshaft seal, i replaced it and the oil-pump thinking there a blockage somewhere . 5,000 miles later i have had to replace the seal at least 6 times knowing my engine has failed me. i am no rocket scientist but i know its my main thrust bearing is bad and the crank is rundown with at least 1/10 to 2/10 of end play. i have at lest $10,000 to owe on it and i parked it in my back yard with my 1938 ford pickup. hope this helps other hard working Americans to do something about this issue.

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  Bulletproof Minivan - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By greg - February 13 - 10:43 pm

  We bought this minivan 2 years used and I was very reluctant based on the ratings Ive seen online. Im not a Dodge fan based on past experiences. Boy was I wrong. We just turned 160,000 miles on it and it has been bulletproof. No major issues other than routine maintenance. I couldnt have asked for more for the money.

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  Great travel van! - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By Guido - February 9 - 12:22 pm

  I bought the van with 130000 miles on. Had to replace AC compressor, fix a electric window motor and buy the missing middle seat. Put on big tires to bring it off the ground. We took it on several long distance camping trips. Love the smooth ride. Fuel economy is not too bad on long distances, depending on driving style. Cruise control useless in higher altitudes (we live in CO). Small transmission fluid leak. No engine problems whatsoever. We also own a 95 Plymouth van in Europe which comes with a 4cyl. turbo diesel engine. Wish I could have that engine in it! Powerful and very economic (up to 30 miles)

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  Simple - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Simple - February 5 - 7:08 pm

  I have bought this car in Nov of 09 in AZ and drove it up to WA avreging 39mpg at 75m/h. No issues at all. I have the 1.8l engine with 5 speed manual transmission. Beautiful metallic black paint job with black cloth interior and dash. I love the color combination! Good safety ratings and very roomy. Bucket seats could be a bit harder but other than that it is comfortable. Not bad car for the money. Payed $10K and it had 24K/mi on it.

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  3 boosters - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Kgarzia - February 4 - 10:12 am

  I love my new car. We downsized from a 2003 expedition and I really dont miss the extra room. I can fit all three booster seats in the second row. My kids have plenty of room and it is easier to get them buckled in. There is even plenty of room for our Great Dane in the back. Looking forward to camping and canoe trips this spring.

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  Smooth Power - 2010 Dodge Charger
  By TD - February 2 - 9:58 pm

  I traded in a Jeep to get a Charger and was really happy I did. The AWD feature is great for driving in the snow and wet conditions. The 5.7L Hemi has incredibly smooth power that gets up and goes without jerky motions. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a big car with power and lots of room. So far it is also getting decent gas mileage

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  Great Vehicle - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By Baseball Mom - January 31 - 7:50 pm

  I have owned my Durango Sport for 5 years and it now has 188,000 miles on it. This has been a great vehicle. I am just now beginning to have some issues with the truck. Nothing real major, just regular wear and tear on one that has this many miles on it.

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  Drive in comfort - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By docdoc - January 30 - 2:36 pm

  I bought my Caravan new and after 12 years its still going strong. I keep hearing about tranny problems, but have really had no issues with the exception of an occasional hard downshift. Of course, I have had it serviced as recommended. With the exception of replacing the water pump after 11 years, the car has exceeded my expectations. Its quite comfortable. I tried the new stow & go at the dealer and very much prefer my captain chairs. Flex fuel feature in 1997 was ahead of its time.

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  dodge caliber 07 r/t 5 speed - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By angelina - January 28 - 5:19 am

  I have had my car for almost 2 years I have only had 1 problem which was 1 of my ball joints might have to go get the other 1 checked on just in case but other then that I love my car as well as interior and exterior it runs great I have took it on the road for more then 3 hr drives at a time at a time and I have had no problems with it other then the ball joint not with any of the problems people have put on there reports with this car I have only put about 19,000 miles on it as of now.

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  Never had any trouble - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Steven Graham - January 25 - 5:09 pm

  The Calibur SXT with 2.0 L engine has been a good buy. I have never had any trouble in 45,000 miles. Replaced front tires 5,000 miles ago with the rear still with plenty of tread. Love the sun roof. The cooler in the glove box is a joke. Just normal maintenance like oil and filter every 3,000 miles and one air filter. One poor quality is limited rear vision with blind spots. Otherwise I love it and would buy again. If you are looking for get up and go, look elsewhere.