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The Honda Accord — a midsize car explained

The Honda Accord is a midsize car built from 1981 to 2026 across 15 generations. Most were assembled in the United States (91.3% of the cars in our records), though 2 other countries build it too. Over that time it grew 60 cm longer and put on 563 kg.

Data · NHTSA & EPA · 1981–2026 · 46 model years · Updated Aug 22, 2026 · 4.0 ★★★★★★★★★★ ForCar Score
Quick answer

The Honda Accord is a midsize car built from 1981 to 2026 over 15 generations. Most were assembled in the United States — 91.3% of those on record. Between 1979 and 2026 it grew 60 cm longer and gained 563 kg. Engines offered: 4-cyl, Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, V6. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).

1981–2026
Years
413
Recalls
48
Top MPG
5★
NHTSA
24144
Complaints

What the Accord is

The Honda Accord is a midsize car that Honda built from 1981 to 2026 — 46 model years. Our measurements put it at 15 generations, the current one starting in 2023. It has been offered with 4-cyl, Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, V6 power. Its closest sibling in the Honda range: Clarity.

Where the Accord is built

A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 20,229 Accords on record.

FIG.02·Where the Honda Accord is built
Assembled inShareVIN starts withYears seen
the United States91.3%1HG, 5KB, 18G, 5J61984-2022
Japan7.9%JHM, JHL, JHN1981-2017
Mexico0.6%3HG2000-2007
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA records, grouped by VIN manufacturer code

Check your own: the first three characters of a Honda VIN decide which of these 15 lines your Accord belongs to. What every character in a Accord VIN means →

Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Honda Accord adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.

Accord generations, and what changed

These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the Accord's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the Accord that gives 15 distinct generations below.

FIG.03·Honda Accord by generation
GenerationLengthWheelbaseWeightvs previousWeight change
1977-1978414 cm238 cm---
1979-1980437 cm238 cm975 kg+23 cm-
1981426 cm238 cm999 kg-11 cm+24 kg
1982431 cm245 cm945 kg+5 cm-54 kg
1983421 cm245 cm949 kg-10 cm+4 kg
1984-1985446 cm245 cm990 kg+25 cm+41 kg
1986-1989453 cm260 cm1095 kg+7 cm+105 kg
1990-1997467 cm272 cm1245 kg+14 cm+150 kg
1998-2001480 cm272 cm1355 kg+13 cm+110 kg
2002-2004476 cm267 cm1378 kg-4 cm+23 kg
2005-2007481 cm274 cm1492 kg+5 cm+114 kg
2008-2015493 cm280 cm1523 kg+12 cm+31 kg
2016-2017486 cm275 cm1550 kg-7 cm+27 kg
2018-2022488 cm283 cm1480 kg+2 cm-70 kg
2023-2026497 cm283 cm1538 kg+9 cm+58 kg
ROWS 15·SOURCE Transport Canada vehicle specifications, 1971 onward

Between 1979 and 2026 the Accord gained 60 cm in length (+13.7%) and 563 kg in weight (+57.7%). Cars did not so much grow as thicken — crash structures, airbags and equipment weigh more than the metal they replaced, and on the Accord that is 563 kg against 60 cm. Full dimensions by year →

Honda Accord tire size, oil type & owner specs

The fitment Accord owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.

Wheels & tires
Wheel sizeby VIN
Tire sizeby VIN
Bolt patternby trim
Tire pressure32–36 PSI
Engine oil
Oil typeFull synthetic
Gradeon oil cap
Capacityby engine
Battery
Main battery12V · group by trim
Key-fob cellCR2032
Wiper blades
Front bladesby generation
Rear bladeif equipped
Fuses
Fuse boxeshood + dash
Diagramon box lid
Light bulbs
Headlightby trim
Tail / brakeby trim
Fogif equipped

Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.

What engines does the Honda Accord have? Power & range

The Honda Accord is offered with 4 powertrains — 3.5L 6-cyl, 1.5L 4-cyl, 2L 4-cyl Hybrid, 2L 4-cyl Plug-in hybrid. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 4 for the Honda Accord, against one or two on most rivals.

FIG.06·Honda Accord Powertrains
EngineDisplacementTransmissionDriveFuel
V63.5L · 6-cylAutomatic 6-spdFWDRegular
4-cyl1.5L · 4-cylCVTFWDRegular
Hybrid2.0L · 4-cylCVTFWDRegular
Plug-in hybrid2.0L · 4-cylCVTFWDRegular Gas and Electricity
ROWS 4·SOURCE EPA + NHTSA vPIC
570 mi
Electric range
0.7 hrs
Charge · 240V
46
MPGe combined

Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.

The Accord by the numbers

What the federal and market records say about the Honda Accord. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.

FIG.05·Honda Accord by the numbers
TopicAccordDetail
Recalls413 campaignsNHTSA, all years
Owner complaints24,144 filedWhat breaks and when
Reliability4.0 / 5Best and worst years
Crash safety★★★★★ NHTSAFrontal, side, rollover
Insurance$1,728/yrEstimated full coverage
Used value7,282 listingsWhat it sells for now
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA, EPA, HLDI and market listings
Everything on the Honda Accord
Recalls413 campaignsFuel economy48 mpg bestReliability4.0/5Common problems24,144 complaintsCheck a VINAgainst this exact buildDimensionsSize, weight, generationsCargo space34 cu ftUsed prices7,282 listingsWhat yours is worthValue by year & mileageInsurance costEstimated per yearWindow stickerOriginal Monroney labelDecode a VINWhat each character means

Frequently asked questions

What kind of car is the Honda Accord?

The Accord is a midsize car, built from 1981 to 2026 across 15 generations. Engines offered: 4-cyl, Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, V6.

Where is the Honda Accord made?

Across 20,229 cars in our records the split is: the United States (91.3%), Japan (7.9%), Mexico (0.6%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.

How many generations does the Accord have?

15 by our measurements, the latest starting in 2023. We draw the boundaries where length or wheelbase jumps between model years — a facelift moves a bumper, a new generation moves the whole car. Over its life the Accord grew 60 cm longer and gained 563 kg.

What is the Honda Accord warranty?

New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.

Is the Accord reliable?

It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.

How do I check a specific Accord?

This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.

More in Honda

More Honda models
ModelYearsRecallsBest MPGForCar score
Honda Civic1981–202641349 mpg4.0/5
Honda CR-V1997–202620740 mpg4.0/5
Honda Pilot2003–202619623 mpg4.0/5
Honda Odyssey1995–202620622 mpg4.0/5
Honda Fit2007–202094118 mpg4.0/5
Honda Prelude1981–20266344 mpg3.5/5
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA
Data sourced from NHTSA (recalls, complaints, safety ratings) and EPA fueleconomy.gov (MPG). Best/worst-year analysis is ForCar's own aggregation of complaint volume. Last updated Aug 2026. — ForCar Editorial Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.