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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  Hate to say it. - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Carlos - May 29 - 10:58 pm

  I have seen nothing but good reviews and thats why I bought this car. I have put 7k on it. Turbo leaks are infamous. The tranny is a headache also. Many many people report tranny issues and Im one of them. This car is a blast to drive but I feel like its going to fall apart anyday now. It has a stubborn transmission and shifts like crap especially in the cold. Maybe I got unlucky.

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  Dont Like It - 2002 Dodge Caravan
  By R Bishop - May 15 - 4:44 pm

  Vehicle was fine at first. Had to replace something for the air conditioner and you can not replace just the compressor you have to replace all the parts that go with it. Had to replace water pump twice. Had to replace front right tie rod. The back latch has not worked since I bought it. No big deal I could use my key. Now the lock for the latch does not work and I cannot get in the back. The check engine light comes on occasionally. This had something to do with the gas cap. On two occasions my lights went out when I was driving and the defrosters kicked on without having them on. Now the transmission has something wrong with it the mechanic says. I will never buy a Caravan again.

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  The Durango with bad gas mileage - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By What is it? - May 9 - 4:32 pm

  The Durango has a good interior. But there are some things that you think about changing. First you cant see the front if you are small. That could be a problem in driving the car. Second I didnt even get a hemi and its a living gas pig. Third where is the side skirts?

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  Engine problems - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By sdw - April 15 - 1:36 pm

  I bought my first new car and was totally excited that I wouldnt have car problems for a while. My car has 40,000 miles on it and I need a new engine. I would have been better off buying a used car, I would have probably had less problems.

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  Reasons to buy the extended warranty - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By Grand Sport - April 13 - 8:31 am

  From the very start, this van had nothing but breakdowns. Speed sensors (3 times), fan belts (3 times), idler pulleys, batteries (Im on the fourth one), brake problems and on and on. And that was before I hit 30,000 miles. It didnt hit home that I had purchased an unreliable car until the basic factory warranty ran out. Things that have never gone bad on my other cars went bad on this Caravan. Over the past 12 months, Ive spent over $2000 to repair the A/C alone. My experience with this Caravan will be the last. This is my fifth Chrysler product but no more. I am afraid to take this van on extended trips for fear of an out-of- state breakdown. What happened to American quality?

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  New truck - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By frank g erwin jr - April 12 - 9:57 am

  I purchased a 2006 Dodge Dakota in Feb and have two thousand miles on it. I have noticed the manual shift shakes a lot if in high gear and hitting a bump. I have also noticed a lot of valve clatter if in low gears and under stress (going up a hill).a Also its getting terrible gas mileage. I would not buy another Dodge product at this time---buyer beware.

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  BAD BRAKES AND ROTORS - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By PETE - April 12 - 4:16 am

  my brake pads and rotors went at 16,500 miles. Both front rotors were warped causing me to need replacement. the dealer told me that there was nothing that they could do because the warranty was 12/12 on brakes. i called HQ and they said that until there is a recall I would have to pay for the repairs and that there was nothing that they could do for me. I was told by one of their mechanics that they are using inferior brake components to keep production costs down. If a recall comes out then I could get re- embursed for the brake job at that time. I am not going to buy out the lease now. They are getting this piece of crap back and going foreign. DONT BUY THIS VEHICLE!

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  Good life - 1993 Dodge Shadow
  By bzieba - April 10 - 12:10 pm

  This was the first of three we bought, and the last to go. Its on its last leg, but its been a good car. For a 13 year old car and 155m plus miles later can`t complain too much. Its on its second tranny, the cooling system gave us a bit of trouble, the hardware is falling apart, the body is fair, minimal rust, paint held up very well, three accidents and still drives straight as an arrow. Mileage is fair, overall performance is down, but, I think these cars were made to "drive till they drop". Don`t see many of these on the road anymore. Nice while it lasted, but, time for the recycle yard.

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  Dont let looks fool you - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By Dont let LOOKS fool - April 10 - 1:55 am

  Bought used in 2000 and got rid of in 03.<(which is the best thing Ive ever done!) Bought to replace my aging 89 Corsica that I loved till the major breakdowns. Obviously, this car wasnt much better. Tons of problems. Was in the shop more than on the road. Oxygen sensor, battery, alternator just a few of the problems I had w/ it out of many. HIt 2 different deer w/ it and 2 different times. Had 3 different accidents w/ it w/ other vehicles. I think red is a magnet for things to want to attract too. That or bad luck, not sure which? Who knows, but it was always something going wrong. One good thing is that just going to/from work it got good mileage 28/39! Looks are deceiving.....

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  Learn from our mistakes - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By dogbertx - April 6 - 8:46 pm

  After many recommendations from the in-laws I purchased a Dodge Caliber. All-in-all Im horribly disappointed. The best drive Ive had was the test drive. Terrible fuel economy relative to other like-sized vehicles. Noisy on all but the smoothest paved roads. Concrete highways were a nightmare. I cant recommend the vehicle on any level.