We don't see a vehicle tick over a million miles every day. Brands that have achieved this deserve a place on a very special list, and Toyota is one of them. Nine years after Victor Sheppard bought the 2007 Toyota Tundra, he shared the odometer that ticked a million miles. A record? Not quite, but definitely something worth bragging about in the automotive world.
Volvo still holds first place in the competition, with a mileage of three million miles. However, the one million is still a great achievement, especially for two Toyota vehicles. Yes, two same Toyota models achieved this ranking, and we are eager to know just how.
Luckily, Toyota's engineers were also interested in finding the reasons behind the 2007 Tundra durability. We gathered their findings and other news from the media to give you more details on this awesome truck. Today, we unveil the history and specs of Million Mile Tundra.
What Is Under The Hood Of The 2007 Toyota Tundra?
Before we take a look at the Million Mile Tundra, let's overview the specs of the 2007 model in general. When the truck first came out, automotive enthusiasts were impressed by its massive size and interior space. The 2007 Toyota Tundra offered seating for three to six passengers and a load capacity of 1,580 lbs. It was spacious and capable, although maybe not the biggest truck out there you could buy.
The Tundra was equipped with a 4.0-liter V6 engine, an overall output of 136 hp, rear-wheel drive, and other standard features. However, Toyota also added an option for a powerful 5.7-liter V8 engine, with 381 hp and four-wheel drive. Heavy, robust, and well-designed, the advanced trim was a real steal at the time. Although not a game-changer in the rapidly growing market, the model gave drivers enough to satisfy the basic needs and more.
How The Toyota Tundra Owner Reached One Million Miles
Has someone from Toyota anticipated the 2007 Tundra will go over a million miles? Probably not. Yet, the owner Victor Sheppard from Louisiana drove it up and above. Considering the odometer stops at 999,999 miles, it's hard to say how far Victor got with his Tundra. Records say he drove it for nine years from Houma to North Dakota, Wyoming, and Virginia for his job, which means he traveled around 125,000 miles every year.
What's even more breathtaking is the condition of this Tundra. Except for a few dents on the exterior, the truck is incredibly well preserved both inside and out. That made Toyota wonder, is there something special about this model that could tell them how to design future trucks?
Naturally, Toyota engineers became highly interested in something that was initially only a sensation on Facebook. They called Victor Sheppard to come over and offered a sweet new vehicle for a chance to look under the hood of this truck. Well, who wouldn't take the opportunity to start with a big zero on a brand new odometer?
The Takeaway Of Toyota Engineers
When the engineers at Toyota Motor North America Research & Development took the Shepard's Tundra in, they started rigorous testing. The vehicle was completely disassembled, the parts dismantled one by one, and carefully labeled. Engineers inspected everything from the engine to the truck bed. The first thing they noticed was the impeccable engine condition.
Believe it or not, this particular model had one of the first produced 4.7-liter V8 engines that were phased out after some time. Engineers found that nine years later, the engine works flawlessly. In fact, they couldn't find any major issues with the truck as a whole, and they did look everywhere.
Even the truck bed held the weight well, although Sheppard loaded excessive cargo on it throughout the years. With no rust and excellent frame and leaf springs, this truck could be easily called a phenomenon. Not to mention that the interior held up pretty good, with little to no wear.
How did Sheppard preserve his Tundra so well? It may seem obvious and silly, but monthly oil changes and minor tune-ups were all it took to get this vehicle over a million miles. No frequent visits to the mechanic were required.
Victor Sheppard got his reward for taking care of the 2007 Tundra. In 2016, he accepted the keys to a new Toyota model, shaking hands with Mike Sweers, a chief truck engineer from Toyota Technical Center. They were both equally satisfied with how things turned out. How wouldn't they? Considering the gathered results, we should not be surprised to see more Tundra models cruising the streets with one million miles on the odometers.