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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  Never a Chrysler Product Again!!! - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By Edward Gin - December 29 - 2:00 am

  2.4 liter headgasket failed, 53K, $850! 3 speed tranny failed at 84K, $2,400! Suspect driveshafts and/or wheelbearings bad, vibration and grinding noises! 3rd set of tires/front pads, normal. Oil consumption 1 quart/2K, normal. Currently 85K, hope it makes it to 100K? Should have spent more on the Honda MiniVan, would bet less mechanical problems.

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  Never a Chrysler Product Again!!! - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By Ed Gin - December 29 - 2:00 am

  2.4 liter headgasket failed, 53K, $850! 3 speed tranny failed at 84K, $2,400! Suspect driveshafts and/or wheelbearings bad, vibration and grinding noises! 3rd set of tires/front pads, normal. Oil consumption 1 quart/2K, normal. Currently 85K, hope it makes it to 100K? Should have spent more on the Honda MiniVan, would bet less mechanical problems.

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  Best value sports car on the road - 1991 Dodge Stealth
  By shush - December 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought mine in metallic blue with 40 K on the clock - I had to immediately replace the clutch - its hydraulic and the previous owner rode the clutch at the lights and wore it out. The new clutch is still going strong at 120K miles. Exceptional handling and looks - get compliments everywhere I go. Great seats and driving position - but low roof and poor rear three quarter visibility. Great engine - reasonable fuel economy. Service quite high due to labor - changing spark plugs for example. Tires expensive but wide give amazing grip. You can switch from comfort mode to sports mode. Very underrated, reliable, high performance sports car.

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  great little car! - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By highly impressed - December 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in sept. 2000 with 89,000 and have put about 25,000 miles on it since then. I have to say that I have been really impressed with this little car, in the 2 1/2 years that I have had it the has been only one small problem with it..and that is that the speedometer would stop working from time to time, after talking to other Neon owners I found that it was just a loose connection in the gauge pod and it was fixed rather easily. The car gets great gas mileage and doesnt use a bit of oil. This is a great car,highly recommended

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  Ill take it! Its ready tomorrow! - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By Kaci - December 28 - 2:00 am

  I too like Bryan rented the Intrepid over the Thanksgiving holiday 2002. I was supposed to ride in a Dodge Neon but lucky for me they did not have any. I loved this car it performed well on the highway and to me it was a luxurious ride. I told my daughter to remember the name of this car. The love of my life is the Nissan Sentra but with this car buy I had to have a 6. Try it, youll like it.

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  Love it - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Caarrl - December 28 - 2:00 am

  Great truck. Lots of power. Stereo rocks. Drives as nice as an SUV.

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  Dont let my score fool you - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By MidLman - December 27 - 2:00 am

  The car was purchased used and checked out for problems before purchase. Dealership said it was in great condition. Boy were they wrong. In only one year Ive had the brakes replaced, had various seals replaced, including the rear-main engine seal, and had to replace the starter as well. Thats 3 major repairs in only a year. And thats not including all the factory- recalled parts Ive had replaced. Otherwise its an okay car. Mine doesnt have many features, but its a good size and its fun to drive. Too bad its going to cost me a fortune in repairs in the long run.

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  Disappointed - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By mom in GA - December 27 - 2:00 am

  Bought my 02 Intrepid SXT 5 months ago and it has been in the shop four times with the engine light coming on and the speakers not working. I was told that the gas cap has to be replaced firmly and clicked 3 times or the engine light will come on. My problem keeps returning even though I perform the necessary requirments for replacing the gas cap. When I start the engine, the radio may or may not work. If it gives me static, I have to turn off the engine and restart for it to work. The car rides very low to the ground, so dont straddle the road kill.

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  Turd Mobile - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By SteveTheBluesman - December 25 - 2:00 am

  I own this car via marriage...my wifes car, I maintain it and deal with its probelms, which have been few. The car does burn oil, creaks like an old man, is slow as molassas running uphill in January, has horrid build quality but at 71000 miles, the car starts every day.

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  Decent - 1997 Dodge Caravan
  By chatty70 - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Since this was my first American make,I was sceptical. It turned out great. I have the 2.4L engine that pumps out 150 HP. Thats the same as the 3.0L engine. I travel from East to West and vice- versa on I-70 without any problems. Cant understand why u ppl need gas guzzlers!!