Selling a dead or junk Dodge

Below: where Dodge came from, what owners have reported to NHTSA about each model, how the Ram trucks fit in, and a list of all 39 Dodge models we have pages for.

From two brothers' parts shop to a Stellantis brand

Dodge began on December 14, 1900, as the Dodge Brothers Company. Its early business was supplying other carmakers. According to Wikipedia, the brothers turned down a second contract from Oldsmobile in 1903 so they could retool their plant to build engines for Ford. Later, the Dodges sued to protect annual dividends of about one million dollars, and Ford ended up buying out his shareholders.

In 1911 the Dodge Main factory went up in Hamtramck, Michigan, where it stayed until 1979. The first Dodge cars carried features the Model T lacked: 12-volt electrics when six-volt systems stayed the norm into the 1950s, a 35-horsepower engine against the Model T's 20, and a sliding-gear transmission. Even so, Dodge slipped from third-best-selling automaker in the US to seventh as the 1920s went on.

Dodge has been a division since 1928. It built panel delivery models for years, but its first purpose-built van was the compact A Series for 1964, built on the Dart platform. Today Dodge's parent is Stellantis North America, and the brand is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Which Dodges draw the most complaints

Owners have filed 111,471 complaints with NHTSA across the 39 Dodge models in the EPA list, counted as of October 10, 2026. Eight models account for most of them:

These counts measure how often owners wrote to the agency. Nobody has confirmed each report, and the tally is no reliability score. Three things shape these numbers:

• Long runs pile up reports. The Grand Caravan was sold for 37 model years in the EPA list, and it was the minivan millions of families bought. The 1980s cars, by contrast, mostly predate online filing: the Aries shows 37 complaints and the Diplomat 7.
• Trucks add up. Counted together, the three Dodge-badged Ram pickups come to 21,874 complaints, close to the Grand Caravan alone.
• New models have had less time. The Hornet, sold from 2023, has 103. That is a short window, not a clean bill of health.

Open any model's page for its year-by-year split.

The Ram split: why your pickup may still be a Dodge

Wikipedia says Dodge was long known for both its cars and its trucks, and that after almost a century the trucks were spun off into a separate Ram brand, named after the top-selling Dodge Ram. For a seller, the model year decides which name is on the title.

In the EPA list the Dodge Ram 1500 runs from 1994 to 2014, and the Ram 2500 and 3500 from 1994 to 2012. Older Dodge trucks have their own pages too: the D/W Pickup and Ramcharger through 1993, the small Ram 50 and Raider, and the Ram Van through 2003. The Dodge Sprinter van appears from 2003 to 2009.

A dead pickup is heavy and often sits where a car carrier can't easily reach. Tell us if it is in a field, behind a barn or on a flat tire, and the truck is matched to the job. Our junk truck guide covers the rest.

Selling a dead Dodge whole

You don't need to pull the engine, sell the wheels or fix anything first. Parting out a car takes space and time, and what's left is still a hulk someone has to haul. Our part it out or sell it whole guide walks through that choice.

What helps when you ask for an offer:

1. The year, model and mileage, from the title or the door sticker.
2. Can the engine turn over? Do the wheels roll? Note any damage and anything already pulled off it.
3. Whether the title is in your name. If it isn't, start with selling a car not in your name.
4. The spot the Dodge is parked in now, say a carport, a gravel pad or a mechanic's lot.

The truck comes to you, and pickup is free anywhere in the US. Afterward, deal with the plates and paperwork.

Rather talk to a person? Call (877) 421-6008.

Every Dodge model we cover

All 39 Dodge nameplates in the EPA list since 1984, with the model years shown there and the complaints owners have filed with NHTSA. A model shown ending in 2025 or later may still be on sale.