If you’re on the lookout for a truck that’ll be sturdy and dependable, hitting a million miles makes it a straightforward promote; it doesn’t simply take a cautious and frequent driver to hit the massive numbers, it takes a automobile that has been engineered with precision and experience to final so lengthy with out main failure. Toyota is a type of producers that’s famend for constructing vehicles that fortunately hold driving by the years with out fail. They is probably not probably the most thrilling vehicles at instances, however there’s no arguing towards the sheer practicality of a truck that can carry on driving even when the odometer stops ticking over.

There’s one instance of impeccable engineering that has stood the take a look at of time, pushing nicely previous the million miles and all the best way to 1,625,000 earlier than being parked on show as a testomony to each driver and producer; a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. Its proprietor managed the feat in simply 16 years, a formidable tempo given the highest-mileage car in the world took 52 years to hit double that quantity. Reaching previous the a million miles mark takes loads of dedication, loads of driving, and an nearly mind-blowing quantity of upkeep, and Mike Neal is the shining instance of all three.

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The 1.6 Million Mile Toyota Tacoma

When you consider vehicles that can attain a million miles, you in all probability aren’t fascinated about a truck, and also you nearly undoubtedly wouldn’t be picturing a Tacoma, however that simply provides to how spectacular a feat it was for Mike Neal to achieve the milestone in his 2008 mannequin.

Toyota has been constructing unbreakable vehicles for many years, however the Tacoma Access Cab clearly stepped that up a notch, managing to repeatedly put down spectacular numbers till 2023 when Mike sadly handed away. In his honor, and really fittingly, the Tacoma is now completely parked at Fred Anderson Toyota in Raleigh, North Carolina, the place Mike had bought it 16 years earlier.

What One Million Miles Looks Like In Numbers

One million appears like an enormous quantity, however while you truly break down how far and the way typically it is advisable to drive to achieve the million it turns into clear how spectacular it’s to really get there. Driving to 1.6 million miles in 16 years, other than being a pleasant quantity to finish up on, meant Mike was placing down (usually) round 425 miles of freeway driving a day to achieve the 100,000 a yr he was driving within the Tacoma.

Given that there isn’t any present official Guinness report for highest-mileage truck, it was factor Mike was so exhaustively monitoring his mileage in a log guide; as soon as the odometer hit the restrict of 999,999 miles it merely stopped and he needed to depend on his two journey meters and detailed notes to make sure he knew the operating complete.

Mike additionally saved up with the mileage utilizing stickers on his tailgate to point out different drivers simply how far he had gone; beginning at 670,000 miles he would replace the tally each 10,000 – except some fascinating numbers got here alongside! Here are a few of the spectacular numbers that got here together with over a million miles of driving.

• Original Engine Miles: 880,000
• Second Engine Miles: 845,000 (it had 100,000 when changed)
• Transmission Fluid Changed: 486,000 Miles
• Transmission Replaced: 1,300,000 Miles
• Spark Plugs Changed: 704,000 Miles
• Oil Changes: 192
• Laps of Earth: 65

Mike Neal’s Incredible Journey

“I really don’t know why anybody else would buy another vehicle but a Toyota Tacoma” Mike Neal, 2015

Unlike the record-holder Irv Gordon, who reached his 3.2 million miles by non-business miles, Mike’s million miles have been pushed delivering nuclear treatment to most cancers sufferers. As the deliveries have been very time-sensitive, Mike’s job was an important one for lots of people. A job so essential wanted a truck that wasn’t going to let anybody down – himself, or the sufferers he was delivering for – and when he purchased the Tacoma it was identified to be robust and reliable (which turned out to be fairly an understatement).

The elephant within the room is that Mike did exchange the engine within the Toyota Tacoma at 880,000 miles, though it wasn’t one thing he determined to do calmly. It had began to point out a difficulty the place the warmth would run chilly, and after getting it recognized as having a head gasket difficulty, Mike discovered that the Tacoma couldn’t merely be repaired with out the whole engine popping out.

Rather than threat treatment not attending to the individuals who want it, he determined that it was much more essential to maintain the automobile on the highway than it was to get that engine to the a million miles; particularly as nobody would guarantee the restore for him. This exhibits the dedication Mike needed to his profession and the care behind the miles he was touring, so regardless of the engine not being the unique within the automobile, it was for the perfect causes that he changed it.

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Tough And Reliable, Toyota’s Best Truck

Mike did his analysis earlier than buying his Tacoma in 2007 and truly purchased it from YouTuber Jeff Teague, as seen within the video above. He checked Consumer Reports, and on-line opinions, and browse by all of the specs earlier than realizing the selection was simple; he was nearly afraid of shopping for something apart from a Toyota. There’s a wealth of knowledge accessible on the web now to slim down precisely what car is going to be the most reliable and sturdy, and strong analysis needs to be your first step when you’re hoping to purchase a automobile as spectacular as Mike’s Tacoma.

According to J.D. Power analysis, the Toyota Tacoma remains to be sitting on the prime of the checklist for reliable midsize pickup vehicles with the Toyota Tundra the second most reliable giant light-duty pickup. This is supported by Consumer Reports’ findings that Lexus and Toyota are probably the most dependable manufacturers, so clearly Toyota remains to be doing the precise issues to maintain their vehicles at the forefront of durability and reliability. As such it may be indicator of a automobile’s sturdiness if somebody has managed a million miles in a mannequin, as a result of what higher take a look at is there for a automobile’s long-term efficiency than that?

Excellent Engine, Simple But Effective

The 2008 Tacoma sat within the candy spot earlier than laws and expertise began to extend the complexity of engines, which in flip elevated the variety of components that might fail or put on down over time and miles. Late 2000s Toyota vehicles have been constructed to final, and it is not simply the Tacoma that managed large mileage; two Toyota Tundra vehicles have hit the million miles as nicely, with one other not far off. Were these vehicles merely constructed that robust from the manufacturing unit and subsequently might deal with much more put on and tear, or does freeway driving actually make that a lot of a distinction to an engine’s sturdiness?

Performance Specifications

(Source: Toyota)

It’s no secret that Toyota is thought for constructing a large number of legendary engines, so you might fairly assume that you just’re in secure fingers with the 2TR-FE discovered within the 2008 Tacoma. Given that the transmission fluid in Mike’s truck lasted over 400,000 miles and the spark plugs over 700,000 miles, it’s clear Toyota went the additional mile with this engine as nicely. Despite that, there have been some issues with the 2TR-FE engine; primarily that it’s underpowered and can suffer from oil and coolant leaks, though these points will be handled shortly when you’re maintaining on prime of your upkeep.

What It Takes To Reach One Million

Unlike drivers corresponding to Irv Gordon who have been meticulous about maintenance and preventing issues forward of time, Mike was extra laid again about engaged on his Tacoma. He would change the oil when the upkeep gentle got here on, each 7000 to 10,000 miles, nevertheless due partly to the power of Toyota’s engineering, different points he would merely resolve as they got here up. Some of the distances he managed with out having to exchange components are phenomenal, stretching components to lots of of 1000’s of miles and not using a drawback.

While he had changed his alternator a number of instances, the inventory Toyota ones lasted 400,000 miles every, his valve cowl gasket was changed as soon as at 600,000 miles, and his inventory transmission lasted an unbelievable 1.3 million miles. The Tacoma’s steering rack and suspension are nonetheless the originals too, demonstrating simply how robust Toyota’s engineering is, and the way nicely the automobile held up over very lengthy distances.

Mike managed an unbelievable 704,000 mileswith out altering the spark plugs, primarily as a result of he didn’t know the right way to get to them. Even extra amazingly, when he did lastly change them over after some energy points, they weren’t welded, rusted, or broken in any manner.

Another main issue at play is The Toyota Way, the now-legendary guiding rules behind how Toyota manufactures its vehicles, specializing in respect for individuals and steady enchancment. This strategy ensures that everybody concerned within the manufacturing course of has the chance to be heard and corners aren’t reduce which will scale back high quality for the sake of velocity. Not all vehicles are constructed fairly in addition to the Tacoma, nevertheless, there may be one other Toyota mannequin that’s reduce from the identical fabric and is simply as spectacular at touring lengthy distances.

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The Tundra, Multiple Million Miler

The million-mile Tacoma is a formidable piece of engineering, nevertheless, there’s one other mannequin that achieved arguably a larger milestone – a million miles with a inventory engine and transmission. As a testomony to Toyota’s engineering, not simply one among these vehicles hit the seven figures, in actual fact, two managed the feat with a 3rd closing in quickly.

The 2007 Toyota Tundra with its 4.7-liter V-8 flew by a million miles within the fingers of a person who places down as many miles a yr as most truckers do of their semi-trailers, after which a good friend of his managed the identical feat in the identical mannequin just a few years later – it doesn’t get way more spectacular than that.

Performance Specifications

(Source: Toyota)

Victor Sheppard, The Man Of Many Miles (And Many Tundras)

Mike Neal managed 1.6 million miles in his Tacoma, and Irv Gordon cracked 3 million in his Volvo P1800S, however Victor Sheppard is a reputation that must be included when you’re speaking highest-milage drivers. Not solely did he handle a million miles in his 2007 Toyota Tundra, however he has pushed over two million miles complete in Tundra vehicles over time and at the moment owns a 2014 and 2016 mannequin.

The former of which can be set to pass a million miles this year. As a hotshot driver, Victor spends generally 13 hours a day transporting time-sensitive components throughout very giant distances. Like Mike Neal, his driving is nearly fully freeway miles which helps hold his vehicles operating easily and persistently.

When he first hit the a million after simply 9 years – sure, meaning he drives over 110,000 miles a yr – Toyota gifted him a model new 2016 Tundra in trade for taking his 2007 mannequin again to the manufacturing unit to assist discover what went proper and the right way to enhance future fashions. Now driving a 2014 Toyota Tundra Double Cab, he’s heading in the right direction to hit one other million miles by October 2024, an unbelievable achievement for a man so devoted to the Tundra.

At the 2014 Tundra’s expected highway gas mileage of 17 miles per gallon, by the point Victor crosses his subsequent million miles he would have used 58,832 gallons of gasoline, and at three {dollars} a gallon that’s simply over $175,000 in ten years.

The Second Million Mile Toyota Tundra

In the identical line of labor, with the identical mannequin of Tundra, and even has his truck serviced on the identical dealership as Victor Sheppard, the second million mile 2007 Tundra is owned by Aaron Morvant from Louisiana. Aaron, additionally a hotshot driver who travels anyplace from 65,000 to 100,000 miles a yr transporting components, cruised his solution to a million miles with none main points together with his truck.

Despite commonly carrying 3,000 kilos behind a truck rated for 1,435, his Tundra has solely had one water pump changed, two new alternators, and a transmission rebuild at 792,000 miles after third gear began to shudder – a rebuild that Aaron believes he might have prevented with a full flush of the transmission fluid. Not solely did he handle to squeeze such an unbelievable variety of miles out of his truck, however his tires lasted 100,000 miles on common too.