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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  Lets be honest... - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By jelenap - March 2 - 2:00 am

  Lets be honest: this car is fun to drive ony when it is not in the shop (and bills are not fun at all). And it is a reliable only after you replace a transmission, engine and brakes.

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  Chrysler is falling down! - 2003 Dodge Caravan
  By Richard E. Lysek - March 2 - 2:00 am

  Just returned the rental to Payless. The dash lights didnt work, no auto-down function on the drivers door window, very hard drivers right arm rest, no auto-remote for opening of the doors, 12 mpg overall.

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  Dodge dont know transmissions - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By chrissbrother - February 28 - 2:00 am

  Dodge needs to start buying their four speed transmissions. Only buy this car if you want to buy a new transmission every 40,000 miles. This car was in the shop for repairs 17 times in the first three years, then it got worse.

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  Nice looking but many little problems. - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By redbird - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I love the look of the Intrepid and its a fun car to drive. However, I have had many little problems during the cars first 3 years of life, including replacing the motors to the power windows, replacing parts in the steering column (apparently a BIG problem with dodge/chrysler cars), and now my battery died, I replaced it, and the new one died. They cant figure it out. I love the look but it wasnt worth the money. Its only 3 years old and is already becoming a hassle.

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  NOTHING BUT TROUBLE - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By BERNAMANSO - February 24 - 2:00 am

  THE SAME DAY I BOUGHT MY CAR THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON! THROUGH THE NEXT 2MONTHS THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED.THEN A ALTERNATOR/POWER STEARING PULLEY!!. WOULDNT BUY ANOTHER OR TAKE ONE GIVEN TO ME.

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  Never again - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By Pic - February 21 - 2:00 am

  Never again will I own a Dodge. My car was a pre-owned but had less than 30,000 miles. Since Ive purchased my car in 1998 I’ve replaced the water pump twice. New breaks, new ignition, new computer, etc, etc. Every time I turn around I’m spending money on it. Last summer the air conditioner started making noise but since I was out of work I just went without air. Now the heater is making a strange noise. Plus everything rattles and the dash is warping where the air bag is. Someone please take this lemon off my hands.

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  Waste - 2002 Dodge Viper
  By spazmonic - February 20 - 2:00 am

  Sold immediately. The impracticality of the car is NOT worth the price, OR the performance. Yes, its fast, but so is a Porsche, and Porsches are 20x the machine that this is.

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  Good Looks, Bad Brakes & Gas - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Pmcd - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Had Chevy before and Dodge rides rough compared to GM truck. Springs squeak when making sharp turns at low speeds and brakes seem to grab from time to time. Looks great but rides luck a dump truck.

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  Plan to keep it! - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By circpro - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Not a bad price with rebates, but does not hold its value. Looks really sharp. Electrical problems with flashers 3 times. Eats way to much gas. Engine runs rough at idle (currently 14k miles) Has appeal for a young crowd!

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  Money Pit - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Upside-Down - February 14 - 2:00 am

  2.7L engine has a knock and needs to be replaced. Mechanic thinks its a bad rod/wristpin. Air conditioning wont hold freon and after $1200 in parts and labor I give up. Brakes required every 30,000 miles, power windows constantly need repair. Resale on this POS is so bad that I owe 2X what its worth. I wish id spent the extra couple of grand on a Honda.