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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  Durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Reni - October 11 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle, but the mileage could use some work.

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  dodge junk - 1991 Dodge Dakota
  By willy1 - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Such have been painted bright yellow with green tailgate. Dodge Wont do any thing. Sold it with 86000 miles Transmission,transfir case,lifters,brakes every 6 mounths on front,drive shaft out of balane, Radiater Was a complete piece of junk. Brought it new.Hardy ever used the 4 wheel drive and it still fell apart. I was 49 years old when I got this junk from dodge, Never another dodge product.

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  Just bought it a month ago... - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By TKB - October 9 - 9:30 am

  We just bought used 2007 dodge caliber SXT and love it so far. The only thing is that we cant seem to find the drivers seat height adjustment. The car came without a owners manual. Currently my husbands head sticks out the sunroof somewhat.:) Can anyone help us to locate where it might be??

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  Wife loves her new Caravan SXT - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jim5590 - October 9 - 2:53 am

  This is our forth Dodge/Plymouth Minivan and it is by far the best. I was pleasantly surprised about how well the Van cruises throught the mountains and the handling is great. We added the Dodge running boards and it added to the good looks of the Van. This one is a long term keeper.

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  Beautiful Little Car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By NelsonCD - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased a 2003 Neon SXT and am impressed with its overall looks and comfort, all at a great price. It rides smoothly, handles nicely, and has a nice sound system. Drawbacks might include small sideview mirrors, which limit visibility a bit, and it should be a little smoother when idling.

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  Be Very Careful !! - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By phuston - October 9 - 2:00 am

  My 2000 Intrepid has 80,003 miles, almost all highway. I have all receipts for scheduled maintenance. The engine blew today- and I mean blew up. The horrific sound of metal scraping on metal. Luckily, I have a mechanic in the family that can replace. The dealer wanted $ 400 to look inside and over $ 3,000 to replace. I have looked at numerous web sites showing customer dissatisfaction with the 2.7 engine, problems with blown engines over 70 K miles etc. I have owned 4 Dodge/Chryslers and this will be the last.

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  Mini Dad - 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By W. Wojo - October 8 - 6:47 am

  Have test driven both the Odessey and Sienna. The Grand Caravan compares favorably to the high priced Honda and Toyota models in all categories. Better gas mileage and better acceleration than either of these two, even though the Japanese models are higher rated. The Caravan is very quiet at highway speeds and the ride is limo quality. Reliability has also been a strong point. Over 2 years now and only routine maintainence. The Dodge dealer has taken care of all maintainence work along with complementary oil changes. Try matching this service at one of the Japanese dealers.

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  2008 Caravan - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Craig McCloud - October 8 - 5:18 am

  I have a feeling some of these reviews are completely made up by people POd at the world. I have a 2008 Carvan. The issue Ive had is that the AC stopped working. When it was repaired it stopped working in less than a year. The other issue are the cheap plastic tracks that house the components that open and close the side sliders. This is a very poor design by Chrysler. The van ride very comfortably and I feel very safe in it. I does very well on snow covered roads. I dont buy the "it just stopped working" story.

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  Good car so far - 1995 Dodge Avenger
  By Justininflorida - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I have a 4cyl 5 speed avenger and have not heard the 4cyl having all the problems the V6 has. The car looks great inside and out and is very fun to drive. It could use more power, although the 4cyl with the 5 speed stick is a tick faster than the V6, which are all automatics. Overall I love the car although I wish a little more attention was paid to durability.

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  Love the Intrepid, hate the road noise - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Hot Mom - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I just bought a 1999 intrepid I havent had any problems so far but It seems like it doesnt go over bumps as quietly as it should, when I ride in my best friends toyota solara then go back to my car its like Im on the mine ride at cedar point! if youre from ohio you know what Im talking about Well maybe thats a little harsh but I think dodge should improve the suspension then the car would be perfect. I love the way it looks, I have a silver one with the metalic paint job on it so it sparkles in the sunlight. Its one of the best looking affordable family cars out there, the interior needs some updating though. but overall I like the car.