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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  Not a Snow Queen - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By wayne bahlieda - January 21 - 4:59 pm

  Owned for a year and one half and found vehicle to be impractical. It basically is a two seater. Selected the 2 wheel drive option with traction control. Compared to a front wheel drive vehicle, the vehicle had poor traction in fresh snow or on ice. The icing on the cake was the poor gas mileage. Traded the vehicle for a PT Crusier.

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  Great performance, piece of junk - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Ashley - January 18 - 1:59 pm

  I currently own three Neons, a 99, a 99 R/tTand an 04 SRT. The SRT has been the most problematic by far. Problems on the SRT include an oil leak at 400 miles. Now i have 32,000 and it has yet to be fixed axle seal went at 6,000, numerous computer problems, steering problems, and the most recent problem has to deal with the throttle sticking open. I was very excited to get this SRT since Im a total Neon geek, however it was a huge let down. The performance is great and its fun to run at the track, but it would be great if the build and reliability of the vehicle matched its performance. Ive owned it for a year and Im ready to sell. Thanks Dodge.

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  poor - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By baasenos - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Dodge does not back their product whatsoever. This was the most horrible experience Ive ever encountered with a vehicle. I will never own another dodge product. Beware of the transmission and get the extended warranty.

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  Mistake to buy Dodge - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Amanda - January 15 - 1:07 pm

  Traded 04 Accord EX in for 05 Caravan. Biggest mistake of my life. The Caravan has been in the service department five times for severe steering wheel shaking over 55 mph. They did balancing 2 times, alignment, and replaced one of the tires. Not covered under Lemon Law, because it is still road worthy according to Dodge. Once you go import, dont look back!

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  Dont get it! - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By samantha - January 13 - 9:10 pm

  I purchased it with 60000 miles, and after 7k miles it needed a head gasket and tires. The floor in the back always leaks, and in the winter the floor on the INSIDE freezes along with the trunk. I had to scrap the inside of the winsheild instead of the outside. The heat takes forever to kick in, and the paint started to chip.

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  could have been really great - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By eurocarfan - January 7 - 9:50 pm

  Dodge had soo much potential with this vehicle...but they messed up. Literally the cheapest interior I have ever seen. Engine is underpowered, but keep in mind that it does compete with the likes of Fit/Yaris/Aveo in its most basic trim like mine. This vehicle rattles, squeaks, and just doesnt have a good personality. The CVT is a nice change of pace for this class. Overall, if youre looking for a compact hatchback, Mazda3 and Subaru Impreza 5-doors will definately be far superior vehicles. The subaru costs almost the same, has STANDARD stability control, better safety, far more power, and of course the best AWD system. Impreza 5-dr vs. Caliber? the Subies a K.O. all the way

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  Been a real good car - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By chuwig - January 7 - 11:10 am

  This car has been a really good, reliable car. Its sporty, fun to drive. For the most part, its had normal maintenance. Only major exspense was a tie rod and strut, for about $650, at about 84,000 miles! The right door lock needs to be replaced, at about $150. Other than that, great car for a single person! Car seat friendly, big back seat. No room for a tall person! Especially in passenger side!! The front seats are very compact. Very exspensive tires!At about $150 a piece Goodyear only lasted about a year, finally went to Kumo at about $120 a piece. Still exspensive. A lot of engine noise, especially on highway when accelerating.

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  Piece of Junk - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Chris - December 31 - 11:15 pm

  I bought my Intrepid brand new and have been plagued by repair after repair since the warranty ran out. One highlight was when the power brake booster went out and had no brakes! There have been plenty of repairs in between, but now at 60,000 miles the air conditioner went out and the 3rd cylinder has only 60% compression with an idle of a tank. Also, like many others, the motor on one of my windows is also out.

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  This is Americas Best? - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Diller - December 30 - 10:20 am

  Sold our 1988 Grand Caravan & bought this despite a miserable reputation. Overall pretty good, but lots of "little" problems. Grab handles fall off, fuel gauge swings erraticly and "dings" randomly. Check engine light goes on but mechanic cannot locate problem. Wipers dont always work.Rubber door gaskets have long since disappeared. Still have it after 8 years because: it has more passenger room than Suburbans, the cloth seats look almost new (raised 3 boys & more dogs) The ride is fairly smooth. (the standard suspension is WAY too soft.) Infinity stereo is greatand van still looks good. Wife wants a big SUV. Kids grown, getting a Ducati & a Mini instead!

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  Nice Van for the Money - 1997 Dodge Ram Van
  By Scott - December 26 - 8:53 am

  I leased this van as a used conversion van from the dealer in 99 with 20,000 miles on it. We have taken it on 2 trips to Florida and 1 to Green Bay Wisconsin from NY. It has been very reliable with the 3.9 V6 and 3 speed auto tranny. The ride in higher wind gusts is much better than that of the Ford or Chevy. Most who drive a full sized van probably have been blown all over the road, but this van is much more stable.