Honda Accord turns 50 with 25 million cars sold — but the sedan's future is uncertain

The Honda Accord is marking its 50th anniversary this year, and the numbers behind that milestone are hard to ignore. Since its 1976 debut, the model has sold over 25 million units across 160-plus countries, according to Honda. In the US alone — the Accord's most important market — more than 13 million have found buyers. That longevity puts it in rare company for a mid-size sedan.

The record

Honda used the anniversary to restate a piece of automotive history that often gets forgotten: in 1982, the Accord became the first Japanese car to be manufactured on American soil, at the Marysville, Ohio plant. Eleven generations have followed since. The current 11th-gen model sold 150,196 units in the US in 2025, per CarFigures — up 1.5% year-over-year, a quiet win in a segment that keeps shrinking.

A sedan holding its ground

The Accord's modest sales growth masks a tougher story. The US mid-size sedan segment is under real pressure: SUVs and crossovers now account for more than half of all new car sales, financing rates hovering around 4–5% are pushing buyers away from $35,000 sedans, and rivals like the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima are fighting for the same shrinking pool of buyers. Honda also quietly cut Accord production in 2024 by consolidating to a single line at Marysville — a move tied to preparations for an EV rollout, with future production earmarked for an Indiana facility with 250,000-units-per-year capacity.

The celebration

Honda is marking the anniversary with a special exhibition at the Honda Collection Hall inside the Mobility Resort Motegi complex in Japan, open through June 30. Visitors can trace the model's design arc across all eleven generations. A documentary video is set to release on May 26, and limited anniversary merchandise is available. The festivities are centered in Japan, which reflects where Honda's institutional pride in the Accord runs deepest — even if the car itself does most of its commercial work in Ohio.

Fifty years in, the Accord is still selling. Whether the mid-size sedan format has another fifty in it is a much harder question.