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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  Help me kill my car! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By kong4lucky - April 7 - 9:24 am

  I bought this car used in 2009 with 28k miles on it, I have replaced the alternator twice, replaced both thermostats and had to fix the A/C and now it has a bad oil leak (it currently has 81k miles on it). I dont know if this is typical of dodge cars but I do know that I will definitely research any car I buy from now on, especially if itÂ’s from Dodge. The Caliber itself drives just fine, I have no complaints on its handling, but mechanically itÂ’s been a nightmare.

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  Best car I ever owned! - 1994 Dodge Stealth
  By tigercakes - April 6 - 12:08 pm

  Ive had my Stealth for 16 years and I still love it! The style is a classic sporty style that will never go out of style. This has been the most dependable vehicle Ive ever owned! The only negative I could come up with is that the turning radius is huge and it isnt very comfortable for traveling much more than 1 1/2 hrs. If you take a road trip in a Stealth, you do need frequent breaks to get out and stretch your legs! Dont count on taking anyone in the "backseat" because there is absolutely no room! But then again, its a sports car so what do you expect! I cant say enough positives about the 1994 Dodge Stealth, its paid for itself many times over!

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  Beware of braking system - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By dennythemac - April 6 - 11:30 am

  Ive had problems with the brakes hanging up while driving. On the way back from a 130 mile trip the right rear wheel well started spewing smoke. After pulling over I discovered the actual side wall of the tire was extremely hot and the rim was blistering hot. The cause was blamed on the parking brake which was disabled at the time. Prior to getting the Nitro into Chrysler Service the same thing happened to the driver side rear wheel. The repairs ran over $600.00. The millage was 17,700 and Chrysler told Me the brakes were not covered by warranty or recall and went on too explain that brakes wear is through normal use. They refused to take into consideration the danger posed through fire

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  Buy something else. - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By whitetails - April 5 - 7:20 pm

  Went to have car inspected and it failed inspection due to tie rod ends. Car has only 68,000 miles. They said the front end is shot, plus it has ruined a $150. tire that has 6,000 miles on it. My ford truck has 183,000 miles and same tie rod ends and just pasted inspection at same place. My previous car a ford had 191,000 miles and never replaced tie rod ends. Back to FORD for me.

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  bad choice - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By raquelle - April 3 - 1:09 pm

  I wanted an alternative to a minivan and thought I found it in the Dodge Journey. I was very wrong. Its tiny interior doesnt even allow for a space for my compact purse. Cramped and uncomforatble seats. Brakes have had issues since I purchased with premature and uneven wear. Had to replace front and back both at 50K miles. Ignition gets stuck in ACC mode and wont turn to off so when I take key out, it drains battery. Recall work done on that already, but worse since the recall work. Transmission is clunky and always feels like the car is about to shake apart when moving from park to reverse. So very disappointed in this vehicle.

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  I am in love with this car! - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By ponygal1 - April 3 - 12:57 pm

  R/T Plus package with Redline - you have to see it up close - the paint is gorgeous. Tons of power from the V8, most comfortable seats Ive ever had, plenty of features, and gorgeous to boot. I get tons of comments and stares - maybe because there are only a few out here I see the Jaguar XK more frequently than these. Havent had it long enough to really tell about reliability, but I have my fingers crossed. May not be quite as sporty or fast as the Mustang or Camaro, but look at it! Those are as common as dirt. And not nearly as comfortable. If you think you want the V6, try the R/T and see if it changes your mind.

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  Very Pround SXT Owner - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By chel89 - April 2 - 1:27 pm

  I got the car new as a junior in high school in 2005. There were only two SXTs left on the lot, including an orange one with a spoiler. Picked it up for around 13K (on sale) at the time and instantly fell in love. The car has been extremely reliable and Ive always felt safe in it. For a "compact car" I actually think its quiet roomy. Ive managed to keep the interior/exterior pretty immaculate for its age. The car isnt without problems. Ive had to replace the Camshaft senor twice now (25$ part) and I find the car takes a toll on tires and breaks- so be prepared to replace these a tad earlier than suggested. I also had to replace all 4 motor mounts at 75K. (@81K ATM)

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  Unbelieveably Disgusted - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By heavysigh - March 31 - 3:32 pm

  I bought this thing because the dealer told me it had the same engine as my chrysler 300. I have had so many problems they are way too many to mention all of them here. I have had 2 recalls and had both problems before the recalls so I had to pay and wait & wait. I never was reimbursed for one of them and now had to pay again. I have had problems with ignition, key fobs, security, transmission, brakes, windows, door harnesses, brakes again and more and more. It has left me stranded at the gas pump at 11 at night because of some mystery problem with radio waves (my god!) It eats brakes and tires. Its the worst vehicle Ive ever owned!! I want to paint it yellow & put "sunkist" on it.

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  Dont buy a Journey! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By star20 - March 31 - 12:25 am

  I have had to replace the front brakes on this car twice and the back brakes once. I only have 26,000 miles on the car and I need to replace the brakes again! Dodge is using poor quality parts and made the brake "sweep" area insufficient for the weight of the vehicle. this car is a piece of junk. Also I had to replace the front tires already and it cost me nearly $400! that was with shopping around for the best deal. I will never buy Dodge again.

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  Heartbroken! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By heartbroken1 - March 30 - 12:51 pm

  I loved loved my interior of my journey. I bought it in November of 2008 and I just had to trade it off because of continuous mantenance issues. I love the design of the car however I have never gone 2 months without it being in the shop. At 49,000 miles I have replaced the brakes and rotors 3 times. The axel seals were replaced 3 times. The car wouldnt start 2 times. I had the right and left boot replaced. Last moth the power steering blew. I had to have it towed. The final straw was the transfer case went out. Thank God I bought the extended warranty because it had paid for itself in only 4 months into the contract. The tires were a Nightmare to replace. Only Kuhmo sold them