This past Wednesday, Toyota issued a press release highlighting the story of Victor Sheppard, a Louisiana man who drove his 2007 Tundra to one million miles...and kept driving. Sheppard's story is a testament to the importance of keeping to a regular maintenance schedule. Over the course of nine years, Sheppard logged 117 dealership service visits.
“My truck looks great, and, except for a few little dents, it’s almost like new,” said Sheppard. “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.”
When Toyota saw how well-kept Sheppard's truck was, the automaker asked him how much he thought it was worth. For Toyota, the truck represents an opportunity to gain valuable insight that can be applied to future products. For Sheppard, it was worth a new truck. Toyota exchanged vehicles with Sheppard during a brief ceremony at his hometown dealership.
“Having a million-mile truck in as pristine condition as this one with original parts is a truly rare find,” said Mike Sweers, Toyota Technical Center's chief truck engineer. “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.”
What Is a Million-Mile Toyota Tundra Worth? https://t.co/jCKXGHTmjp pic.twitter.com/2vs96vMFu3
— Toyota USA (@Toyota) May 11, 2016
