With vehicles like the Journey, Caliber, and Nitro all appearing to be rather affordable on the used market you may be considering a Dodge as your first car. These SUVs have attractive American styling and the prices seem far too good to be true, so one has to ask themselves if Dodges make good first cars.
Related: Dodge Journey test drive: make sure to check these features out.
From as little as R100 000 you could get yourself a 10-year old Dodge Journey but does that make it a bargain or will you be in for more trouble than it's worth? We dug deep to find out why these models are so affordable and what it means to you, the first time car buyer.
Dodge left South Africa
Back in 2016 it was announced that the Dodge brand, along with Chrysler, would cease sales of vehicles in South Africa. This came as a result of the decision to stop producing right-hand drive vehicles on a global level. This saw the likes of the Nitro, Caliber and Journey all fall by the wayside. With no vehicles to sell, Chrysler and Dodge summarily left the country but not before handing over the controls to FCA SA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles South Africa) who has Jeep, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Alfa Romeo, Mopar, and Abarth in their portfolio.
This means that should you choose to go with a Dodge, you will still be able to have them repaired and services through the FCA network of dealers.
Dodge reliability
No really, they did. Dodge does not have the best reputation for reliability and would frequently rank towards the bottom of the reliability surveys. Dodge as a brand seemed to have a less-than-ideal quality control department and many vehicles were released with problems from the factory. Some of the known issues with Dodge offerings:
- The 2.4-litre TigerShark engine consumes a large amount of oil during regular operation.
- Premature brake component wear on the Journey.
- Tyre pressure monitors, causing valve stem corrosion on the Journey.
- 2.7-litre engines suffered from oil sludging.
- Electrical issues as a result of the faulty Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM), resulting in fuel pump failures and even random airbag deployment.
- Power steering pump issues.
- Moisture in the cabin due to poor seals.
Dodge vehicles were also amongst the vehicles affected by the Takata airbag recall.
Does a Dodge make a good first car?
Simply put, no, they don't. The reliability issues and lack of bespoke support can make a Dodge a rather frustrating and expensive vehicle to own. Most models were fitted with large engines and these were also not known for their frugality, running up rather large fuel bills and requiring regular services.
It's easy to see why the Journey was discontinued globally and while a Caliber or Nitro may seem to avoid these problems, they too were hexed with numerous faults and reliability concerns.
