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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  Done with dodges - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By nomoredodges33 - July 18 - 1:42 pm

  The 2010 Dodge Journey sxt is the last straw for me. I have owned Dodges in all shapes and forms for 13 years. Neons, (fantastic) Dakotas not so good, Durango 2005 finally sold that last week. Nothing but problems with 2010 Dodge Journey. Owe 2 yrs and transmission is out. Electrical problems with Durango . Very expensive to be a Dodge customer these days. This is the thanks we all get for trying to buy American.

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  Junk - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By gedged - June 20 - 3:56 pm

  First, the car is a total slug. Makes alot of noise and goes no where. If youre merging onto the highway, PLAN AHEAD. If there is a vehicle coming, let it go by to give you a LONG launch pad... The auto trans is the worst unit I have seen. Its variable = junk. Finally- the antifreeze problem. When I left the dealership, the car overheated 5 minutes down the road. The radiator was only a 1/4 full!!!! After that, I would have to fill it every week...No puddles under the car, no obvious leaks, clean oil.. So, where did the fluid go?!?! In closing, with exception of the gas mileage, this was the biggest auto purchase MISTAKE I have made!!!!

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  Dodge Journey Nightmare - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By journeyjunker - May 20 - 6:34 pm

  Three visits to install trailer hitch. Four visits to fiX sound system (replaced) 5/20/12 - 14,500 miles brake rotors warped - replaced at cost to me of $50. after contacting Chrysler to complain. July 2012 - Slow leak in sidewall of cheap tires after rotation at dealer. Cannot be repaired. Front tires scalloped. 4 new tires = $800. January 2013 - Check engine light on - Cylinder head replaced. February 2013 - Check engine light on - Re-program powertrain control module. May 2013 - Check engine light on - Oil pump on back order. Brake rotors warping again.

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  POOR QUALITY - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By lyndaw1 - May 10 - 7:36 pm

  Everyone on here talks about how great there van is. Mine is a piece of junk. The automatic side doors do not open. The a/c has been broke for over a year. The automatic trunk door doesnt open. The driver side door for the passenger doesnt open up for my daughter to get out now. Now the transmission is starting to slip. Should I go on with the problems??? We bought this van for something reliable not for something that would break down. The van has been a big disappointment to say the least. I will never buy another Dodge. Now I am stuck with it. I do not have the money to go out and buy something new.

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  Junk - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By james273 - May 9 - 2:32 pm

  I bought the car brand new and now have 21000 miles on it. Worst car I ever owned. Has been in the shop multiple times for the hvac system not working properly. Now the ride has gotten worse. It feels like the rear struts went bad. The 4 cylinder engine is okay on power but not something to brag about and I dont get anywhere near the estimated mpg as the sticker says. Also had problems with the speedometer and transmission intermittently not working properly. The trade in value of this car is low. For the age of the car I expected more. With this car it truly is buyer be ware.

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  three times not starting - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By marwan1 - May 4 - 4:12 pm

  a brand new 2013 dodge avenger, didnt start two times in the last 4 months,terrible service,they tried to fix it and messed it up and now died in the middle of the road.believe me you dont want to buy this car if you are counting on it to take you places.my experience with the service department was terrible and they almost make you feel responsible for their bad cars.windshield wiper pump died the second month and while fixing it they messed up my electrical system.dont believe anything about a star package

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  Dont Ever Buy A Doge Neon!!! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By dodgeneonsux - May 2 - 4:11 pm

  i bought my 2003 doge neon with 98k miles on it. i thought this would be a perfect car if i took care of it, and always did the normal maintenance. i was VERY WRONG! this car is nothing but a money pit. and you will put every cent you have into garage bills. i only owned this car for one year. and i probably spent $15 thousand dollars in repairs. it was breaking down at least once a month. when it hit 120k miles the tranny went. when the mechanic told me it will cost $2000 to fix it. i decided to sell it. TRUST ME WHATEVER YOU DO DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Terrible reliability - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By jim12 - April 18 - 1:54 pm

  Bought this car new in 1995 and just after the warranty was up it was nothing but trouble. The A/C evaporator core (defective but Chrysler wouldnt do anything) went, water pump, steering linkage, etc... I traded it in (it had 71,000 miles) for a new 2004 Honda CRV. The CRV was the best and most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.

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  Dakota drivetrain quality - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By ezcc - April 4 - 9:50 am

  The driveshaft that couples the front axle to the transfer case is ungreaseable and only lasts about 75000 miles the rear axles splines break and need to be replaced before 100000miles and the auto trans will be due for a rebuild at around a 100000 also, This all happens even if you change fluids and do maintenance as recommended in owners manual. This are very light duty vehicles, not really trucks as far my definition of truck goes.

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  Steering Failure - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By jacobsfamily4 - March 25 - 12:37 pm

  Purchased a new 2013 Dodge Dart. Within 2 weeks of owning the car the lower control arm bolt either broke or was never tightened. My steering locked up on me while driving the car. In all attempts to talk with Chrysler, they refused to take responsibility. This was the 7th and final car that we will buy due to their lack of responsibility or loyalty to my family and the danger that they put us in.