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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  MAINTANANCE NIGHTMARE - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By pstorm - May 19 - 12:42 pm

  The comfort and everything about this car is nice. The dependability is terrible. I payed $2500 for the car. i know a great eal , until i started having to repair it. in the past two years i have paid out almost $12000 in repair. if its not one thing its another. i have replaced the engine the torque converter, the brakes the shifter cable, cv joint( snapped when i was driving .... not fun ) struts. and the list goes on and on. I could have bought a new car for that. i know i kinda did it to myself but i cant get a loan to pay for a car.

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  Beauty of the Beast - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Bob A - May 18 - 9:32 pm

  I cant wait to turn the key every morning. For the money, theres not another car on the road like it. Get comments almost every time I go somewhere. I have a problem with the six speed manual trans....occasionally goes from first to fourth gear. Minor rattle in the drivers side door. Get about 19 miles per gallon overall. Would still purchase this car if I had it to do over again.

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  Great Value - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Ced - May 18 - 7:20 am

  Great ride and handling for a large truck , I got the 4.7 not HEMI. Lots of room for your stuff. Love the stereo sound and DVD player.

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  Engine - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By herve - May 17 - 11:39 pm

  Station Wagon on steroid, fun to drive with enough power on Hwy and city. Very good AWD. But.... I had to bring the vehicle twice to Dodge for engine failure. First time one of my valve broke, second time, the engine stall, the warning light stays on and ... still waiting for teh results. Not a reliable car

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  Been a Good Truck - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Craig - May 17 - 2:53 pm

  Bought my Durango new and have put 118,000 miles on it. I tow a bass boat, drive across dove fields, take trips and drove it to work. One constant problem is the front rotors are good for 16 months and 21,000 miles. Then they have to be replaced. Looking for a rotor solution. The truck otherwise has performed well. My wife and I enjoy driving it on a trip as the ride is comfortable, solid, quiet and I can pass anybody any time. I dont get those who complain about the gas mileage ? All Fords, Chevys etc get 14 mpg or less. I get 14 mpg in town and 21 mpg on the road. I plan to drive it till the wheels fall off

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  Its been a great ride! - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By BushMom - May 15 - 2:23 am

  After 6 years of mostly city driving, my van has not missed a beat. It still looks great, runs well, and Ive had very few minor issues with it. I had 1 in 1998, which ended up the victim of a powerful rear-end collision in 2001. Because of the way the Grand Caravan took the impact, I went and bought another one in 2001. I will certainly buy again.

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  WINDOW LEAKS - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By worldbfr - May 15 - 2:00 am

  This van gets driven, I have ove 50000 miles and only 2 years old. Passenger sliding door window has water leaking in. Dealer does not want to do an out of warranty repair. It is only 2 years old.

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  to many problems - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By red runner - May 13 - 11:32 am

  I purchased the 2008 dodge charger with the 3.5 liter. so far Ive had the rocker arms push rods and tappet covers replaced, now the clear coating is peeling off and chrysler is saying it isnt a warantable isue. this is the replacement to my first charger that the transmision blew in.

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  Great reliable truck! - 1994 Dodge Dakota
  By Cormak - May 11 - 11:49 am

  I bought my Dakota in 2002 with 40K and it has dependable since the day I purchased it. It now has 108K and I still love driving it. Its had minor repairs only in the last year or so and they have been easy and inexpensive fixes. My only complaint is the clear coat is pealing in some spots, but clear auto spray does the trick to protect the paint. Great size inside (love the back bench seat!)Great size outside, perfect for hauling my hay and grain or furniture, no blind spots like the new Dakotas, great drive, good on fuel for the size.

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  OK For The Money - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By gon2kona - May 9 - 8:16 pm

  Bought used from private party with 36000 miles. Dealer allowed us to purchase extended warranty and its a good thing we did. My wife likes the van more than I but I tend to be more of a details person. For the money its probably the best way to go if you need a mini van. Japanese competitors are much better build and reliability but also twice the dollar. We have had several issues with this van and know the service people well. Steering, Suspension Components, Transmission, Trans cant find the right gear on grades etc. AC was a problem also. GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. Chrysler, no wonder you guys are in trouble. You build self destructing products. Take notes from competitors.