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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  Beyond disapponited - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By broc212 - October 31 - 4:35 pm

  4 speed transmission in a 2010 vehicle Not very good gas mileage for a 4 cylinder engine Shifts rough Not very comfortable or roomy Very underpowered motor

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  Stay Away!!!! No quality at all!! Money Pit!! - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By wes41 - October 29 - 12:45 pm

  I bought it w/ 171000 miles on it. it didnt run for long cause it needed some sensors. the previous owner had already replaced the spark plugs and wires,fuel filter,fuel pump,timing belt,and supposedly the transmission in order to fix the problem. i replaced the crankshaft position sensor, and the throttle position sensor. then while i was driving it home i noticed that it wouldnt shift gears, the brakes sucked, the a/c didnt work, the front windows wouldnt role down, and the radio didnt work well. i also found out that the radiator fans would never turn on so the engine never cooled down. after i got it running good, the engine started cutting out again and needed a camshaft sensor..

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  Bad Purchase - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By mfinley - October 7 - 8:56 pm

  This was a more expensive car purchase for me when I bought it in 2008. It only had 23,000 miles on it. I have had to replace both front ball joints, tires, battery, alternator, brake lights, and only a year after getting those ball joints fixed, they are going again. My mechanic said that Dodge used shoddy parts throughout and to keep expecting these same problems. I am going to unload this car as fast as I can and I will never buy another Dodge again! The interior is difficult to clean and stains easily, also.

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  Lemon - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By xhelbi - October 2 - 9:21 pm

  I have spent more time at the dealership than I have at home. I think I bought a lemon. I have had so many problems with this car, I have had more Dodges in the past but this will be the last. I think if enough people fill a class action about the vehicle they will have to do something. I am going to see what I can do. I am paying for a electrical piece of crap. Dont know from day to day what is going to be wrong.

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  Not too bad....but dont trust it - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By asmareverett - September 23 - 10:46 pm

  I bought this car with the intention of paying it off very fast and using it as a spare. Well, 6 years later I just paid it off and its been my only for 105k miles. It was previously a rental and Im imagining it got dogged out before I bought it because a head gasket blew within 6 months. The used car warranty covered it and Ive been rolling ever since. Ive had minor issues such as sensors having to be replaced, brakes, lights, and the auto window went out, but other than that I cannot complain. Still picks up well between 50-80 mph and is decent on gas. The paint on the passenger side is oxidized, but hey, its 6 yrs old.

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  Dodge journey is a Lemon - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By molly32 - September 17 - 9:58 am

  The worst car ever! I have had three sets of brakes and rotor under 25k I have had squeacky windows repaired several times radio has a mind of its own. I am at 27k now and brakes are bad again! now when I start it it makes a clicking noise and I have no idea what that is. the tires are bald and they some wierd brand of tire that costs $250 per tire plus installation and they are on backorder everywhere! I tried to get them take it back and they wont and not to mention that the car is work a fraction of what I paid I have the crew and it is now valued at 14,000 dollars so I cant even get rid of it. I called an attorney who said I have a good case but turns out I dont Chrysler only offered 25k

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  What crap! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By heather42 - September 11 - 10:43 pm

  I bought my 07 Caliber in 09. It had 54,000 miles and was told it was a one owner. Ive had this car not even 3 years and I hate it! I have replaced the battery, headlight bulbs, tail light bulbs, the break calipers on both sides, the coil on both sides, had to change transmission fluid and filter, both wheel bearings, and now my "Brain" is going out and have to buy 4 new tires! I would not recommend that anyone buy this vehicle. Its been nothing but a money pit and the parts are not cheap.

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  Whatever you do DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By katatomic - September 9 - 3:03 am

  I purchased this car used in 2010 and I loved it at first mainly because it was the first time I had owned a car! My grandmother liked it so much that she bought one also about 6 months later. After that her transmission blew out after only 30,000 miles! She replaced the transmission costing her thousands and guess what? The second transmission started having problems. I thought it was just her car, but then today my calibers transmission also died and now I have to get a whole new car because it isnt worth having this car anymore. Plastic covers keep breaking off, the AC unit has alway been terrible, had to replace the accelerator. Save yourself the time and money and look elsewhere.

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  RUN FROM 2010 DODGE JOURNEY - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By nojourney - September 4 - 4:43 pm

  I have owned many dodge vehicles over the years, about 20, and I have never had so many problems with any vehicle like I have had with this one. Brake system is terrible. Replaced pads and rotars twice in 10 months. Chrysler aware of brake system problem, unwilling to take responsibility. They made car model knowing it could only take 1 type of tire, no snow tire. Tires run over $220 per tire. There are many recalls. Car can cut off because of the the key fob system can easily slip from on to acc, this is very dangerous, loss of power steering and brakes, and other recalls. Spoke with Chrysler about issues, denial is their best defense. Needless to say, I will not be revisiting dodge.

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  Worst Car Ever - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By tyxty1 - August 30 - 7:56 am

  This car was a complete nightmare for me. I traded the car as soon as I could, which was 4 years later, due to it being so upside down. I purchased my Caliber in 2007 with 20,000 miles on it. The looks and features are what initially drew me in. I was in a small accident 2 months after I purchased and boy was it downhill from there. In 4 years, I put 120,000 miles on it, but what I had to do within those 4 years was ridiculous. Replaced: 4 sets of tires, 2 batteries, 1 ENGINE, 2 alternators, and its been a year, but countless other things I cannot remember. This car was in the shop ALL the time.