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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  2006 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By kirtie - September 9 - 10:38 am

  I bought the car with 7100 miles on it, and have driven it (carefully) through all four North Dakota seasons. It isnt what Id call a "winter" car around here but it has done the job just fine. No squeaks, rattles, leaks, mechanical trouble of any kind except the passenger seat sensor got tipped up a teeny bit by my girlfriends shoe- adjusted back by hand in 30 seconds. I have Top Banana #298 and I would advise anyone with the opportunity to buy one! I have 37900 on it now. Prepare for everyone you meet to stare and almost every kid to shout "its Bumblebee from Tranformers!" (of course thats a Camaro but I dont get offended)

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  Dependable - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By kristee1 - September 9 - 8:27 am

  I bought this car new in Jan 2006, since have raised 3 kids in it and it currently has 200,000 miles. It has had a few issues, the front right passenger floor board leaks, dealer said that wasnt under warranty, and they wanted 1500 to fix it. So its always leaked! Then I went over some train tracks and the belt came off, took 10 different shops and about a yr to get the belt and pulley on together so they ran as a unit, cause it was eating about a belt a week. Trans and motor, never had not one issue, though Im a stickler about preventative maintaince.

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  Whatever you do DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By katatomic - September 9 - 3:03 am

  I purchased this car used in 2010 and I loved it at first mainly because it was the first time I had owned a car! My grandmother liked it so much that she bought one also about 6 months later. After that her transmission blew out after only 30,000 miles! She replaced the transmission costing her thousands and guess what? The second transmission started having problems. I thought it was just her car, but then today my calibers transmission also died and now I have to get a whole new car because it isnt worth having this car anymore. Plastic covers keep breaking off, the AC unit has alway been terrible, had to replace the accelerator. Save yourself the time and money and look elsewhere.

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  love this car - 2012 Dodge Durango
  By dipetlover - September 6 - 9:22 pm

  I bought the 2012 dodge durango, after much consideration. This is the 1st suv/crossover i have owned, and I love it. It is fun to drive, handles like a dream, u-turns on a dime, and has enough room for my 2 grandsons age 7 & 8, and my daughter that has 2 toddlers in car seats. I had considered the Honda Pilot, the Ford Explorer and the GMC Acadia. I am very satisfied with my purchase.

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  Dodge Has Turned it Around! - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By jjski78 - September 6 - 2:21 pm

  I have had my 2012 Charger R/T for 9 months/16000 miles. Prior to buying this I drove nothing but imports. This car is INCREDIBLE! It handles great, is super comfortable, has gobs of power, and is one solidly built machine. Even with the 5.7 Hemi I can get a consistent 30MPG on the highway and around 24MPG around town. The interior is very nicely appointed using mostly high quality materials throughout. If you told me 4 years ago I would be driving a Dodge I would have laughed in your face, but now I cant see myself driving anything else besides maybe a Ram or a Chrysler.

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  RUN FROM 2010 DODGE JOURNEY - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By nojourney - September 4 - 4:43 pm

  I have owned many dodge vehicles over the years, about 20, and I have never had so many problems with any vehicle like I have had with this one. Brake system is terrible. Replaced pads and rotars twice in 10 months. Chrysler aware of brake system problem, unwilling to take responsibility. They made car model knowing it could only take 1 type of tire, no snow tire. Tires run over $220 per tire. There are many recalls. Car can cut off because of the the key fob system can easily slip from on to acc, this is very dangerous, loss of power steering and brakes, and other recalls. Spoke with Chrysler about issues, denial is their best defense. Needless to say, I will not be revisiting dodge.

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  so so car overall since i bought mine, trying to make her better - 1999 Dodge Neon
  By missyg24 - September 1 - 8:10 am

  i got a 99 dodge neon off craigslist,for $700.120k miles, so far its a bad deal,needs alot of work inside (radio) n out/under least i got aftermarket tail lights.still have the old ones just incase i get a newer model neon.my coworker has a 95 neon,her steering wheel thing tilt when mine dont,wtf! someone on the other shift then me owns a plymouth neon looks to be same yr look,theres is in better condition then mine.also i am useto driving a trailblazer my mom owned (2diff yrs she owned) they have cruise control, n power windows). for a neon its popular,ive seen many neons both plys/ddgs.im a chevy gurl driving a dodge lol. ill repost in coming wks/months my review once i get her fixed u

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  Blue Nostalgia - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By quickjack - September 1 - 6:43 am

  I bought my B5 blue SRT8 in October, 2010 with a 6-speed manual. I have loved putting each and every mile on it since. The transmission shifts are crisp, the engine pulls like a freight train, and what a glorious sound track. The interior is comfortable and practical but no styling frills here. The well bolstered buckets are comfortable on the longest of trips, and even heated for those cold mornings. The back seat is for children or small adults, but nonetheless comfortable. The trunk offers ample space, with a 60/40 rear seat split. If you buy this car, prepare for attention. Even still, I get people craning their necks to have a look. After 2 years, I still wouldnt trade it for anything.

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  Worst Car Ever - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By tyxty1 - August 30 - 7:56 am

  This car was a complete nightmare for me. I traded the car as soon as I could, which was 4 years later, due to it being so upside down. I purchased my Caliber in 2007 with 20,000 miles on it. The looks and features are what initially drew me in. I was in a small accident 2 months after I purchased and boy was it downhill from there. In 4 years, I put 120,000 miles on it, but what I had to do within those 4 years was ridiculous. Replaced: 4 sets of tires, 2 batteries, 1 ENGINE, 2 alternators, and its been a year, but countless other things I cannot remember. This car was in the shop ALL the time.

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  Great Car with great MPG - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By scorpion2k5 - August 29 - 4:42 am

  I was the second owner of my 2005 Neon SXT. I purchased it for $14000 with just under 35k mileage on it. I got mainly to go back and forth to school, but ended up doing a lot more than with it. Most of the driving I did with it was on the highway, and I was averaging 36 miles to the gallon, and in the city I was was 32mpg. I was very happy with that. It was a fun little car to drive. I drove it until the front passenger side tie-rod end snapped, and caused me to crash into two other cars. I had only owned the car for less than 6 months before that happened. It was due to poor maintiance from the previous owners never getting the car inspected.