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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  Dodge "Lemon" R/T - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By rch - January 9 - 2:00 am

  I have had so many problems with this car. The front end is messed up,it is the roughest riding vehicle I have ever been in. My interior lights have been going out one after the other and my rear view mirror that had the auto dim on it no longer works. Also it is having transmission problems and my drivers side door does not shut properly. My windows also leak and the inside of the doors are mildewed and stink and everytime I put my windows down I can smell it. Car is a lemon!!

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  Great SUV! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By robyn4323 - January 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought this SUV new in 2000 and other than a couple of warranty repairs and problems with the battery (also replaced under warranty) - I have had no problems with it and have thoroughly enjoyed driving my urban assault vehicle around Los Angeles.

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  Disappointed - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By swtmomma - January 8 - 10:00 am

  We have had the car 10 months. In the last 2 months we have had the car back to the dealer because of airconditioning or transmission problems. They are uncertain and have had to bring in a chrysler specialist to help find the problem. This is the 3rd trip back, total days w/o car 15days. When the airconditioner is on the car seems to continuosley hesitate and jerk as if the car is gonna die out. We are afraid to drive anywhere long distance. Cute car, fun to drive, disappointing outcome.

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  FUEL ECONOMY - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Matt McD - January 8 - 10:00 am

  I have only had my Durango for less than a month now and am overall impressed. Local fuel economy in stop and sit traffic has been an acceptable 15 mpg. Highway mileage has been exceptionally good. During a quick trip from the east coast to Minneapolis I averaged slightly better than 21-MPG! (Trip computer calculated 21.8 and I calculated 21.4) I set my cruise control and left it which I’m sure helped

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  Great Family SUV - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Martell - January 8 - 10:00 am

  Our New Durango is a great family car. We take our car every time we take long trips our the Southeast, USA. It is for sure a vehicle that shows class and style to me as the driver and my family.

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  Hemi Engine Noise - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By colsoh - January 8 - 10:00 am

  Have had mine for over 3 weeks now and am very happy with it - got the 5.7L Hemi. Does anyone else notice a squeaking sound coming from the transmission housing under the vehicle when idling? The salesmam suggested that this was a typical engine noise and would go away after break-in. Well, after 1,000 miles, its still there. There is discussion on this at www.dodgetalk.com. Other than this noise, I love the exterior design - looks tough. Interior is laid out well and very user friendly. Wish that there was a flat cargo area when all seats are down.

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  ATTN: Muffler issue on Stow n Go Models - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Sri_apr_2004 - January 8 - 10:00 am

  Not a good design.Getting annoying noise from Muffler at certain RPM(30- 40Mph typically). Dealer agrees it is design issue with stow N go seating models. Spoke to Crysler customer support department, unexpectedly Very Very POOR response. They said, they wont do anything about it and told me do whatever you can. My car has about 1500 miles and only 2 months old. I started noticing this after 750 miles. I am not at all satisfied with Crysler. This is not my first car, this is my 5th vehicle that I bought.

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  Not so hot - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By yes - January 8 - 3:26 am

  I had my first SXT for 48 hours before the transmission line house blew off and then after that was fixed, the car had starting problems. The dealer gave me a new one, another SXT with the same options. The entertainment DVD, headphone thing is WAY too complicated, the remote, at least after the first two tries, doesnt seem like it works. Yes, a lot of options, but also a lot of headaches. The plastic around the steering wheel looks very cheap, like a kid put it on. I think my Town and Country was slightly better.

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  I love this car! - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By mnewland2 - January 8 - 2:00 am

  Exclusive owner for all 7 years, 67k miles. This was the fastest, best handling compact available at the time. The host of aftermarket performance parts available keeps it competitive. Not a cushy luxury car, but for the enthusiast on a budget. The ONLY reliability problems were the head gasket (fixed by dealer for $100), and the gauge panel (fixed under warranty.) Routinely get over 30 mpg in mixed driving.

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  The best SUV nobody knows - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Juan Marcos - January 8 - 1:26 am

  First time I saw the Journey was on the road. Chrysler was not advertising at the time and then early last year went on a trip and rented one. I was very impressed by the sure footed handling, styling and interior design. Then I bought one. I tow a medium sized boat so I got the 3.5L V6 AWD and the optional 19" tires with the sport suspension and trailer package. The handling is almost sport car like, towing the boat is very secure, love the convenience of the interior compartments, IPOD in the glove box and I get great millage on the highway. Compared to other crossover SUVs, the performance and looks is as good or better, and a much better value. This is to me, the best SUV nobody knows.