How much does a Toyota Tundra with a million miles worth? Well, for Tundra owner Victor Sheppard, it was worth a brand new truck, courtesy of Toyota.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. swapped trucks with Sheppard at Greg Leblanc Toyota in Mr. Sheppard’s hometown, Houma, La., in a brief ceremony. For Toyota’s production engineers and team members, the truck’s longevity offers invaluable insight for future products.
Since he bought the truck, Sheppard has been the only owner and has put an average of 125,000 miles (201,168 km) a year on the odometer, regularly driving long-haul trips from his home to North Dakota, Wyoming, and Virginia for his job. The truck still has its original engine, transmission and paint job. The Tundra, when it was built in 2007, was powered by a 4.6-litre V8 engine.
“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.”
Owner Sheppard Victor said, “My truck looks great, and, except for a few little dents, it’s almost like new. 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.”
Toyota’s engineers are interested to find out how the engine, transmission, as well as other components, such as the seats, have held up for so many miles. Toyota’s chief truck engineer from Toyota Technical Center, Mike Sweers, and his team want a chance to get a better look under the hood and everywhere else to learn how the vehicle holds up after so many miles and rigorous use.
“Having a million-mile truck in as pristine condition as this one with original parts is a truly rare find,” said Sweers. “Our team plans to tear down the entire truck, bumper-to-bumper, top-to-bottom to evaluate how the quality and safety we designed, engineered and built into the Tundra has held up to over one-million miles of real-world driving and help us continue providing ever-better vehicles for our customers.”
The disassembly process is expected to consume several months as engineers examine each part of the engine, chassis, body, and other components. With the experience and knowledge gained, the engineers will apply it to future trucks.
As for Sheppard, his million-mile truck has been replaced by a new 2016 Tundra. Ironically, the 2016 Tundra is also his 16th Tundra. “I believed [reaching a million miles] wouldn’t be a problem,” said Sheppard. “These trucks are safe and dependable. I think, if you see a Toyota on the side of the road, it might be a scam because they just don’t break down very often.”
