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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  Roomy AND Sporty - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By koz - September 5 - 2:00 am

  Got w/17K. GREAT used price. Needed room to fit my 2 teens in the backseat. Researched and narrowed down to Intrepids and LeSabres. After driving and pricing both, the decision was easy: it sold itself: an 02 for the price of an 00/01 LeSabre, and way less miles. Love the styling! Sleek/Sporty for a "family" sedan. The power moonroof and rear deck spoiler complete the "look" (Im not much for spoilers - usually cheesey looking - this ones very complementary). Just took 2500 mile trip w/kids. TONS of trunk room, comfy, great power passing those semis, decent mpg(29 w/o AC, 25 with)- 3.5L V6. Have never been so enamoured with a car.

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  Oil leak - 2016 Dodge Durango
  By Jason Wood - September 4 - 5:58 am

  Make sure your not leaking oil from oil pan and rear main seal, got the Durango new with 56 miles the night I got it home it had two different leaks just check before you buy other then that great suv for your family, but Chrysler has been great in fixing the problem and also are offering a refund for the inconvenience so I would definitely recommend this vehicle just check before you buy that way you dont have to go through what I did.

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  Neon R/T - 1999 Dodge Neon
  By micknick - September 4 - 2:00 am

  5 years of reliable, problem free driving. I have personally performed all service on this vehicle and found it to be easy to work on. I have not experienced the leaky head gasket that had plagued earlier models.

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  Do not buy!! - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By sponge81 - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car with only 24K on it. It was my first car. I should have realized that it was a piece of crap when the previous owner told me they already had to replace the transmission. every 6-7 months, something else would go wrong with it, my head gasket went, then the timing belt, and now my check engine like keeps coming on and going off again. It only has 50K on it right now! Ive been really good to it, regular oil changes and tune-ups, but it was a very bad buy, I will never buy another Dodge.

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  Most Reliable Car I Ever Owned - 1991 Dodge Dynasty
  By DynaMan - September 4 - 2:00 am

  Why did they stop producing this car? I guess it was a mistake to make a car that just wont die, lol! I bought my 91 Dynasty in 98 with less than 39k. It is truly a low maintenance very dependable (3.3L) car. It is like a good friend that never lets you down! My paint was bad too but I got a new paint job and it looked like brand new! Keep your eye on it because thieves like it. Mine was stolen, (I got it back a week later)

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  Intrepids are underrated - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Intrepid22102 - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I can see why Consumer Reports made the car a Best Buy, but I dont understand why they dont get more respect from consumers. Roomy, comfortable, handsome, and accelerates and handles surprisingy well for a large car. Climate control is nice and it has a Great stereo, too! Not a Bimmer, but they cost 40 percent less. Very good "bang for the buck!"

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  Never Again - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By frankli1 - September 4 - 2:00 am

  This is probably the worse vehicle Ive ever owned!!! The rotors have been replaced 3 times.The steering pump, belt tensioner,water pump,both O2 sensors,coil and an assortment of less serious parts have all been replaced, mostly at my expense. Dodge refused to warranty anything after 36000 miles. I will never again buy a Dodge product no matter how good looking.

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  Get a Toyota Tundra - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By gcsupraman - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I think this has to be the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life. I was going to get the Tundra but was blinded by the rebate. I paid $26000 for the truck after the rebate and I see its only worth $16,000 (private party value) I have never had a vehicle depreciate so fast. For the money ive lost - not including the $376 monthly payments for the last year (total cost of ownership) $1376 per month I could have paid a limo driver to drive me around. The truck has been in the shop 6 times in the year for clunking, check engine light and stalling. I will never ever buy another chrysler product again!

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  Dont give Chrysler any more money - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By hannabach - September 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is not for the faint of wallet. Ive spent appx. $3000 annually during the last three years of owning this car. Ive replaced the transmission, all four O2 sensors, ignition wires, spark plugs ($70 each time), and many other major repairs. I have friends who joke about my Check Engine light. I realize not every car is a lemon, but I believe buying this model is risky for anyone. Now who wants to buy mine?

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  The rocket - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By ottobounds2 - September 3 - 2:00 am

  Most fun to drive ever. Pure acceleration and power. Typical sports car ride and very flat in the corners. A blast. Probably overpriced but at this level of performance, who wants to complain.