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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  Better than expected - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Thomas - July 19 - 5:23 pm

  We bought it with 72K miles and its close to 200K now. Weve had to replace the transmission and the body control module, but nothing else. We drive it a lot and with 5 children, it gets a lot of use and abuse. Its held up very well considering. Overall, weve been very satisfied with it.

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  My 2004 Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Loridedham - July 19 - 12:54 pm

  I like the room this Durango has, compared to the old style, which I owned before this one. I have three children, so the comfort, room, and safety factors are very important to me. I have been really satisfied with my Durango, and will probably purchase another one in the future.

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  Love it! - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Margaret - July 19 - 11:38 am

  My husband and I have owned many Dodge vehicles, and everyone one we have loved - this one especially.

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  Swishers review - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By swishersplitter - July 19 - 2:37 am

  This is a great car. Too bad the 6-cylinder didnt come in a stick, but the 2.0 liter DOHC 4 cylender is fun too. I heard some bad things about them, but I have loved mine and never had any major problems. You can mod the engine with Eclipse parts since Mitsubishi makes them both.

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  Piece of Junk - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Mad Caravan Owner - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Best day of owning this will be the day its sold. Nothing but heartache. Needed a new engine at 38,000. The tensioner caused the serpentine belt to fall off quarterly. Paid the dealer several times to repair the serp belt, only to have another mechanic tell me there was a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) addressing a faulty tensioner. The A/C leaked causing a musty smell. The brakes have always squeaked, even when new. The removable seats are very heavy. I received a major run around from the dealer when there was I had problems with the TCM (Transaxle Control Module), also part of a TSB. Save your money!

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  Crappy Service + Crappy R/T= Hell - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Ohgodjimmy - July 19 - 2:00 am

  At about 7500 miles it misses a shift at redline and the engine does the cutoff routine. I take it into Suburban Chryser (Saint Paul, MN) to be looked at "for missing a shift at redline". The dealer has it all day, puts about 150 miles on it and tells me this is normal operation. B.S. I complain to Chrysler corp. they tell me to take it to another dealer. I have never owned a car with an automatic that doesnt shift at redline. Last dodge I will ever own. Very Incompetent people at Suburban Chrysler in Saint Paul, MN

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  GREAT TRUCK !!! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By darlstar001 - July 19 - 2:00 am

  I have a 2000 Durango. I have just turned 83,000 miles. The only problem I have had is to replace the fan clutch. Thats it. Great highway driver. Good performance from the 4.7 liter engine. It is unstoppable in the snow (if you get rid of the stock tires). No complaints about the reliability at all. Check out the new 2004s. Ill buy another.

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  Reliable! - 1990 Dodge Caravan
  By avidvacationer - July 19 - 1:36 am

  We are the second owners of our Caravan, and have loved it since the day we got it. Our family was embarking on our first long vacation and left the day after we bought it, crossing our fingers it would hold up alright. Boy has it ever! It has gone up almost every mountain range without major problem, accompanying us on many ventures. We had the transmission replaced at about 50,000miles, but havent had to do anything else major since, although minor problems that come along with any older, high mile vehicle pop up. It has been one of the most reliable vehicles I have ever owned. 15 years old and 150,000 miles later, its still going strong. We love this van!

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  ehhh - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By evie - July 19 - 12:16 am

  I purchased this vehicle with about 90,000 from my Aunt and Uncle who always kept up with the maintenance on this car and had no problems, because the problems were waiting for me. I have had the vehicle for 3 years and I replaced the struts (which my aunt and uncle had already done), brakes, rotors, tie rods, water pump, hood hydraulics just dont work, serpentine belt 3 times and the tensioner pulley. And then there is the AC, the vents up by my windshield blew out that hottest heat ever all the time full blast and would not stop! Of course I couldnt afford to fix it right away so I just had to drive around all sweaty until I shelled out $750.

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  The good and the bad - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Scott - July 18 - 6:53 pm

  I have had positive and negative experiences. The van has run well, with good acceleration and a smooth comfortable ride. The handling is very good. The Stow N Go seats are a great option. Electronic doors and liftgate work well. A/C is powerful and easy to regulate. On the negative side, my fuel economy is poor. At best Ive averaged 18 mpg per tankful, and lately its dipped down below 17mpg, even though a good part of my driving is highway. Im also disappointed with the interior craftsmanship. Pieces of plastic have broken off the Stow N Go seats even though I havent folded them away very much. Factory stereo is just fair. Various taillight bulbs have needed replacement already.