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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  blown crankshaft at 200 miles new - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By D.Brown - September 24 - 2:00 am

  our van blew a crankshaft after 200 miles, hadnt even made the first payment. the dealership we purchased the car from Accardi Dodge, totally ingored my calls and correspondence. The car was towed to another dealership (Arrigo Dodge West Palm Beach, FL) who contacted the factory rep to get us a new engine. We were never offered a loaner car, our car was out of service for a week. I am totally dissatisfied with the dealer we purchased the car from and will never buy another car there.

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  One of the Worst Vehicles I Have Owned - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By GreenPower - September 24 - 2:00 am

  This joke of a SUV averages 10 mpg around town, on the highway maybe 14 mpg. It has a variety of odd squeaks and assorted noises that the dealer cannot find and repair. My wife drives this vehicle around town, never offroad - the rear leaf springs snapped, which cost close to $1000.00 to replace. A power window sensor malfunctioned preventing the window from operating - $300.00 to repair. The power mirrors are now malfunctioning. The transmission is slipping. Overall this vehicle sucks - Ill never buy another Chrysler product.

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  Dodge sucks... - 1997 Dodge Caravan
  By G-manxwa - September 23 - 2:00 am

  This is my first American vehicle...and it will be the lost one too. Got patriotic and bought this, but it hurt me more than anything. It is not reliable at all. I had to change the serpentine belt atleast 3 times (after it givingup in the middle of the road during our road trip), had to change power steering pump (during our roadtrip), had to change waterpump twice and now the dealer wants me to spend another $1000 dollars to check the service engine soon alarm light. It is about time to take the loss and dump this junk. You may save a couple of thousand dollars when you buy new...but you wont be able to get the peace of mind while driving.

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  Junk - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By jimtrue - September 23 - 2:00 am

  What a piece of junk! Brakes continually need replacing, A/C doesnt cool sufficently, fuel milage is abysmal. Bolt fell out of right rear leaf spring @ 5,000 mile, good thing I wasnt towing, leather seats very poor quality and starting to rip. I miss my moonroof. And, DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH SAM DELL DODGE!! Under investigation by NY State, biggest rip-off bunch in the area.

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  AVOID DODGE AT ALL COSTS - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By ddave - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Have owned two Stratus, a 96 and a 97. Both have been complete lemons. The 97 which unfortunately I still own and have owned since new has been a nightmare. The problems are extensive. With only 50,000 miles on the car I have had 3 master cylinders, new head gasket, blown motor, new motor installed. New motor blew valve cover gasket and cam shaft seal. Brakes go to floor. Electrical problems, ecm replaced, bcm needs replaced, O2 sensor failed prematurely. I WILL NEVER EVER AGAIN BY FROM CHRYSLER.

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  if only dodge cared! - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By soubie - September 19 - 10:00 am

  i have owned three dodge minivans. i love the room they offer as i have 4 children, a husband and a dog! but as far as the reliability of this auto forget it. have a problem dodge doesnt care! squeaks alot after the second year of ownership. transmission problems, MANY!! THE TRANSMISSIONS WENT ON ALL THREE!!!! DID THEY CARE NO EVEN AFTER THE WARRANTY HAD JUST RUN OUT THAT WEEK!!!! THEIR GREAT FOR ROOM. BUT FOR ANYTHING ELSE THEIR A WASTE! IF I EVER RAN MY COMPANY THE WAY AUTO COMPANIES RUN THEIRS ID BE OUT OF BUSINESS!!! BUY A HONDA VAN INSTEAD!

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  Never again - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Big Fred - September 16 - 2:26 am

  This car had persistent transmission problems. I had to replace the transmission at about 55,000. The lever controlling the position of the seat back for the drivers seat broke just after the warranty expired. Dodge would not even consider sharing the cost. The initial battery was defective. I had 3 batteries in 6 years. This was the most unreliable car I have ever owned. I would not recommend it to anyone. This car was a classic example of caveat emptor.

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  Never Again! - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By mrock - September 10 - 2:00 am

  Bought as a program car. Have 54K miles on it. Have had numerous mechanical problems. AC out @30K. Front right strut@40K. Left control arm bar@50K. AC and alternator belts@53K. Even the Dodge emblem fell off the front hood. Talk about junk. I tried to trade it in and the dealer would only offer me 2k for it. Talk about a joke. Ill never buy American again.

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  Cant wait to trade - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By dellorto - September 7 - 2:00 am

  Bought it as a 2001 in late 2000. 4 months later, 3 trips to dlr to correct bad suspension bushings. Gas economy horrible. Brake discs failed 2X in first 12K miles.Transfer case failed in woods at inopportune time,1000 to repair @49K miles. Rear end now clunks and noticable vibration at highway since repair, dealer says its ok. Still has loud graunch over modest bumps, now has loud rattles in suspension over small bumps. Cant wait to get rid of it.

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  Do not buy!! - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By sponge81 - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car with only 24K on it. It was my first car. I should have realized that it was a piece of crap when the previous owner told me they already had to replace the transmission. every 6-7 months, something else would go wrong with it, my head gasket went, then the timing belt, and now my check engine like keeps coming on and going off again. It only has 50K on it right now! Ive been really good to it, regular oil changes and tune-ups, but it was a very bad buy, I will never buy another Dodge.