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:

• 

  Eh... honest review - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Greg - April 1 - 2:40 am

  Ive driven Chrysler my entire life, as my father is a employee, this is the first time I need to write a not so great review. The common repairs in here are on par with mine, mygig replaced, windshield wind noise fixed, and sliding doors fixed. Since the first week i have been complaining about the brake noise. But whats really bugging me is the engine hiss/whine. Those Yokohama tires stink, had to change them after 30,000 miles.

• 

  Dodges = Fun to Look at... Bad to Own - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By cwy - March 30 - 5:57 pm

  Love Dodge styling overall and have owned several Dodges over the years. Had a 6cyl 2001 Stratus ES for almost a year but experienced constant overheating problem, steering problems, and ball joint replacements. This was a "certified" used car from a Dodge dealership. Had a 98 ES also with almost no problems in aver 75K miles but this one was a bust. Also had two Caravans which experienced ATX problems and various brake and lesser interior fit and finish issues... going to Toyota and Honda... mmmm...but must resist Dodge nice styling and innovative features (Charger/Magnum/300...etc)

• 

  Piece of Junk, but still kinda fun - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By Nathan - March 18 - 2:54 pm

  I owned my Neon for almost 3 years, I put 72,000 miles on it. It was OK for the first couple of months, but then the rotors started going bad, the right back speaker never would work, after being replaced 3 times, it was a very plain car with no bells and whistles. It was surprisingly peppy with the 2.0 L 4 cyl automatic, with 132 hp. Not much but I was younger and didnt need much. By the time I got rid of it its speedometer and all other gauges would quit working from time to time which made the mileage not always work, so it probably had about 1,000 miles more on it than what it said. I would not recommend this car to anyone who drives a lot.

• 

  Big Blue Van never dies! - 1996 Dodge Ram Wagon
  By duckboy - March 13 - 10:00 am

  I admit it. I own a big blue van. The big, 15-pass airport shuttle bus van. I bought it because I race motorcycles all over the country and I dont like towing a trailer. I can fit two bikes, all of my gear, my significant other, and still have room to crawl in the back seat and take a nap. Very noisy, interior trim is very cheesy, and Ive broken a lot of plastic pieces. However, the drivetrain seems bullet proof. I almost ran it out of oil once and I just refilled it with no consequences. Has a lot of highway power, but oviously slow off the line, seeing how its nearly 6,000 lb. dry.

• 

  Poor quality build, lackluster drive - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By cmac - March 11 - 7:06 pm

  This is a kind of no frills Grand Caravan that retails for around 25k. The drivers window sticks, you have to slam almost every door for them to shut properly. You can actually see how things dont line up around the door seams. It handles very stiffly. It has a nice design inside and out but the plastic inside makes it cheap looking. This is a company car and it will be put through its paces. The tranny wont hold on a hill, it rolls backward. The driver seat is very uncomfortable. I got caught in the snow and it slid around like a big sled. I was actually very concerned i would wind up in a ditch. I wont take it out in the snow again. Seems a bit underpowered.

• 

  My first Dodge - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Mike - February 23 - 12:40 pm

  A loyal Ford truck person, I thought I would try something different.Price and research brought me to Dodge. So far, so good. A basic truck w/AC. My commute in L.A. takes me 86 miles round trip. Handles well in traffic, although brakes are a little "spongy". I am impressed with what Dodge has done with the Dakota.

• 

  Lots of trouble - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By K. Sedler - February 17 - 10:33 pm

  We have had a considerable amount of trouble with the serpentine belt and idlyer pulley system. Dodge has released a technical service bulletin about this issue but nothing further. We have replaced the belts and system at least 3 times. We have also had other mechanical problems including having to rebuild the transmission after only 89,000 miles.

• 

  Good vehicle for the price - 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Peter Halapatz - February 11 - 10:56 pm

  The mechanics of the vehicle are excellent. The gas mileage is impressive on the highway. I normally average 31 mpg. on long trips. The ride is stiff and you feel the road more than in Dodge minivans of the past. No service problems to date. NOTE* (Added 1 year after original review) Still no mechanical problems and gas mileage on the highway is still 31/32 mpg with cruise control. Ive added a Kenwood HD/bluetooth radio, and a backup camera to the original equipment (total installed $600) and upgraded to all weather Michelin tires ($700) to make the van exactly what I need.

• 

  beware - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By schoolboy - February 7 - 10:00 am

  after 55k had electrical problems that rendered van undriveable. took dealer nearly a month to fix after repeated prompts for them to get it fixed. refused to give me a loaner. extreme frustration in getting repairs done. liked van, but feel its unrealible in long term. nice while it lasted, which wasnt long. poor warranty. poor dealer service. trading in for non-dodge minivan.

• 

  pc review - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By 3rdneonowner - February 5 - 4:03 pm

  This is my 3rd Neon (1995 sedan & 1999 sport coupe previous). Nice body style, decent power. I am still wondering what the 4th gear is for, it doesnt seem to have much difference from the 5th gear. Like most other folks, I found the brakes to sqeak too much. The left rear drum break will rust if driven through much water and lock up the rear wheel. The car had to be flat-bedded to the dealer. They took it apart and found nothing wrong(?). It still locks up some, but not the same extent. The gas mileage is lower than my other 2 Neons, go figure. Car is dependable however, and I plan on many more miles