US Toyota customer Victor Sheppard was so satisfied with the reliability of his 2007 Toyota Tundra that even after he had safely driven one million miles (1,609,344 kilometres), he kept driving it.
Serviced and maintained exclusively with genuine parts, the million miler truck still has its original engine, transmission and paint job.
Sheppard is the sole owner of the truck and has put an average of 125,000 miles (201,168 kilometres) a year on the odometer, regularly driving long-haul trips from his home to North Dakota, Wyoming and Virginia for his job.
Sheppard logged 117 dealership service visits over nine years, ranging from timing belt replacements, oil changes and the manufacturer’s regularly scheduled check-ups.
Genuine parts are made or selected by the vehicle’s maker and rigorously tested by that maker as an integral component of the vehicle to meet high quality, safety and performance standards. Genuine parts ensure vehicles will drive, function and protect the way they were intended.
“My truck looks great and, except for a few little dents, it’s almost like new,” Sheppard said. “Even the seats look just as they were when I bought it. They’re not as clean, of course, but they’re not busted or worn out.”
In recognition of this achievement Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. swapped Sheppard’s 2007 Tundra for a new 2016 Tundra at a Toyota dealer in Mr Sheppard’s home town of Houma, Louisiana, in a brief ceremony.
High-mileage vehicles help validate the quality of the manufacturing processes Toyota employs. For Toyota’s engineers, the truck’s longevity offers invaluable insight for future products. They are particularly interested in how the engine and transmission as well as other components and parts, such as the seats, have held up.
“Most people can’t believe how much on his truck is original,” said Ron Weimer, general manager of Greg Leblanc Toyota. “Victor has been loyal to his maintenance and kept it up.”