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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  Front end issues - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By skibum616 - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Every thing is great but the front end of these trucks. At 89000 miles I had the upper driver side ball joing literally blow apart. The dealership, under my extended warranty, replaced all 4 ball joints on the truck and both upper control arms. After further investigation I found that Dodge Durangos from the years 1996 to 2000 are under investigation by the National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration for this problem. Also, the rotors on these trucks are undersized for the trucks weight. In the 95,000 miles I have had the truck the rotors have been replaced twice and I have replaced the front breaks 3 times.

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  a - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By alec - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Nicest car I have ever driven, and it is used. This had to be the prettiest truck made.

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  2003 Dodge Durango--First 1000 miles - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By HBMzzz - August 20 - 2:00 am

  This Durango XST is my first SUV and followed driving a Toyota Avalon for the last three years. So far, Im delighted with the car. It handles well, is quiet, and fun to drive. On our first distance trip, I drove for about 200 miles without stopping or getting out of the car my ability to ambulate upon getting out was better than Ive had with other vehicles. The transmission has performed very smoothly shifting down and up with scarcely noticeable change except on the tachometer. The instrument panel seems well laid out and is easy to understand. Exterior styling with the wheel well shields and running board are very pleasing.

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  Great first car - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By HavasuNeon - August 19 - 2:00 am

  This was my first car. It is great. Very reliable, a/c works great (a huge concern since I live in an area that regularly sees 105). The only problem I have with it is that it does not have an interior trunk release, which makes it a hassle to drop people off at the airport/ pick up a person in front of a store, etc. No maintenance problems as of yet.

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  had enough - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By Rhet1 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  The truck is decent until it hits 20k miles, then it all goes to hell. Transmission is horrible ( been replaced twice ) the build quality is horrific. It rattles and pings at any speed above 30 mph. We made the mistake of buying 6 for our fleet and will be getting rid of them asap. Do yourself a favor and look into something else!

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  Great value; still things to be desired - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By tam20815 - August 18 - 10:06 pm

  The 5.7 liter, hemi V8, 2006 Dodge Charger is well worth the asking price. Hands down, it is a great value. There is certainly no lack for power here, as the 340 horsepower hemi definetly packs a punch. In addition, the sleek and stylish design make this sedan the sexiest on the market. That being said, there is still more to be desired from the new Charger. For one, the steering is very responsive and overly light and sensitive. In addition, there is very little visibility in the new Charger. Overall, this car is great for the asking price, as the positive features out weight the negative by far. I love this new vehicle and have no regrets.

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  Worst experience - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By findlj - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Worst car Ive ever owned. Dealer would not back the warrenty. Contacted Chrylser customer support and they ended up backing the dealer. I ended up with a new van with a "bumper to bumper" warrenty that the company would not back up. I found it easier to sell the van, rather than fight with Chrysler and the dealer. Thank you Chrysler, I took your advice and bought a different van and was treated very nicely by the GM corporation and dealerships. American Honda has been very good to me, as well. Youre right, there are other cars out there.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Phillip Merlino - August 18 - 10:00 am

  This Vehicle has been absouloutely wonerfull for the last 25,000 miles we looked at the Pontiac, T&C , And Honda. They didnt compare at all to the Gran Caravan Ex. We have it all fully loaded with leather power doors and liftgate 3.8 liter 215 horsepower engine 4 disc CD player etc. For only $26,678 an excellent value! Also we have 0% APR For 60 months this car has amaizing excelleration for a minivan the engine is much more refined than the honda. and feels alot more peppy than the pontiac.

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  good - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By MONKEY - August 18 - 2:00 am

  itis very good car but really not an everyday car.its just a toy.

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  Roomy, good looks and pep - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Skyflyin - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car about 9 months now and enjoy it very much. It is very roomy with a extremely large trunk, drives well and gets good gas milage (I have averaged 26 mpg). The car tends to overstear a bit and the road noise is quite loud on rougher roads, but the excellent handling and peppy engine make this a fun car to drive. I agree that the low front end makes it harder to judge distance while parking, but I have not had a problem getting in and out of the car (Im 61") as some others have said. Overall this is a good car and the price is reasonable. I would not hesitate to get another one.