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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  Stalling and not starting - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By trek01 - March 22 - 5:13 pm

  My vehicle has 83000 miles and is not over five years old. It just recently stalled while driving on the highway for about an hour. It would start but die again. Let it cool down some minute and would drive a little bit and stall again. After letting it sit for a day, it would not stall while sitting idle or driving around town. These situation did not happen to me but family members. When I finally was able to test the vehicle with the above mentioned problem, I discovered the stalling problem is caused by a bad "Speed Sensor Circuit Malfunction", P0725 trouble code. You needed to go highway speeds for stalling not idle. Also, the starter goes in the 6th year.

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  No Major Complaints - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By RRJ - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Bought the van with 68k mi about 16 mos ago (now has 82K). Transmission oil looked a little dark at the time--had it flushed before I would purchase van. Since then, had small problems, but overall, have been happy with the van. Problems include a starter that went out at 79k miles, CD player plays sporadically, and broken connector in cable running from antenna to radio. It also burns more oil than I prefer (one qt per 2000 mi +/-). So far, have experienced none of the major problems listed in other reviews. Is very comfortable, starts/runs well and has served well during my ownership.

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  Disappointed - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By Disappointed - March 21 - 8:00 pm

  I just bought my 98 intrepid and the dealership checked it out and said it was in perfect condition. Within 2 weeks the alternator went out and now the body shop is telling me to prepare for a new tranny!!! I only paid 5,000 for the car and as of now it is costing me an additional 4,000. I was warned to never buy a dodge I just wished i had listened

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  Go Topless - 2000 Dodge Viper
  By ViperVenom - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely the best topless modern muscle car on the road. I look forward to each chance I get to drive it and always get out with a smile on my face.

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  the jury is still out - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By A.Green - March 21 - 12:49 am

  I bought this car with 14,000 miles on it 8 months ago.It has ample power and plenty of interior space.It has more than its share of blind spots and a rather cheesy interior. I like the sound system and smooth ride.But....without warning at 20,000 miles,when attempting to put the automatic transmission in gear one night after start up it would not budge.I tried everything suggested in the owners to no avail.Ended up getting towed to a dodge dealership where they somehow managed to unlock the shifter.They claimed to have replaced the shifter because it was broken which was an obvious lie.I have since learned that this "locking" shifter is a common Chrysler problem yet no recall is issued.

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  2006 GoMango #2965 - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Rob E. - March 19 - 2:40 pm

  Front brake rotors have been replaced 4 times - Had to go w/ after mkt vented/slotted/drilled rotor. Motor mount replaced, some front suspension parts replaced, and car eats tires. Ride, power, performance, and comfort are excellent. Interior plastics are not highest grade. Sound system, Nav, and Bluetooth are trouble free and work great. Paint is holding up beautifully. Overall - a nice car w/some quirks,great engine performance, expensive to maintain, very high fun-to-drive factor.

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  Great Commuter Car - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Mike G - March 14 - 12:11 pm

  I was driving 400-500 miles per week on my Lexus and with soaring gas prices, I needed something smaller. I really liked the looks of the Caliber so on a whim I stopped at the local Dodge dealer. I ended up driving one home. I was hesitant on reliability so I opted for an extended warranty. I now have had the car for over a year and a half with 20k miles and not a squeak or rattle. Absolutely no warranty work. I could have saved the cost of the extended warranty. I average 30 mpg and have the utility value of a small station wagon, and its very good looking. Its way beyond my expectations. Bottom line - Its small, reliable, and great as a 2nd car commuter vehicle.

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  Not bad for the price - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bigd_74 - March 13 - 1:51 pm

  Bought this 2008 used with 18k at the beginnning of 2009. Got a good deal on it & it is perfect for our family with 3 little kids. The stow & go is a great feature. Ive had the dealership do all of the oil changes every 4k or 4 mos so I have solid records on file. They did the 36k check up as well. I had to replace rear rotors & pads at 32k as well as have the front rotors turned & new pads - did all this work myself and saved about $400. I was shocked that it needed brakes so soon. Did the brake fluid flush & power-steering flush myself - saved a few $$$. I had the dealer flush the transmission fluid. Lots of recalls & it seems to need more maintenance than my Japanese cars.

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  Good old all American work truck. - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By Steven - March 12 - 11:35 pm

  At 50k I replaced: tires the brake pads IÂ’ve installed K&N air filter and Bosch Platinum 4 spark plugs. About a month ago the cam shaft and the crank shaft sensors vent bad 400$, #2ingnition coil replacement was 35$. Belt replacement coming too. Paint is very sensitive. Body dents very easy. Factory speakers sounds like you have a bucket on them later upgraded with Infinity speakers now the whole door panel rattles.I have broken the parking brake release 18$ and once I have slammed the glove compartment door and the opening mechanism broke inside 50$. Idles a little rough. And the tranny are slow.I may going to have some problems with my differential. Highway I do 20mpg city about 15-16mpg.

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  Tie Rods and Tires - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By steve - March 11 - 7:40 pm

  The car is nice to drive, but has had numerous service issues. From day 1, there was a front tire thumping/noise issue that was never resolved even after 6 visits to 3 different dealerships. They never found anything. At 31,000 miles, a front tire blowout caused from excessive wear. Replaced all 4 tires with Coopers. After only 17,000 miles on these, they are showing the same wear patterns. Now, the front tie rods and control arms need replacing at a cost of $970! This car costs too much in maintenance to keep.