Reaching million-miler status on an airline puts you in the stratosphere for life compared to other frequent fliers. To reach that level, you sit in a jumbo jet — albeit many, many, many times — but you have no part in keeping that jet airworthy. What about those special cars that reach 1 million miles? Think about that: You get to see a full row of nines turn to zeros on the odometer.
Having a vehicle join the million-mile club is more challenging. While plenty of cars are built to be tough, easy to maintain, and reliable, it takes maintenance and special care to keep one running for that long — er, that far. We’ve seen stories of the Toyota Hilux (the global small Toyota pickup) and Land Cruiser in some harsh landscapes, workaday Chevy Silverado trucks, Lincoln Town Car chauffeurs, the VW Beetle with a wanderlust, classic Volvo cars, and more that have hit that magic number. It takes some love, too, because, at some point, maintenance could cost more than the value of the car. Here are five examples of million-milers.
1. 1994 Chevrolet Suburban
Ben Welch, from Lincoln, Nebraska, bought his Suburban new and decided to see how far it could go with proper maintenance. He worked with Randy Bloom, an ASE-certified mechanic, and consistently used the same brand’s lubricants and fluids throughout the Suburban’s lifetime. Even after having no choice but to drive for two hours with a broken serpentine belt — at a measly 400,000 miles — the engine survived. The Suburban reached 1 million miles in 2023.
Bloom’s advice for engine maintenance:
- Change the oil at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals
- Change the coolant every three years
- Fix any cooling system leaks ASAP
- Keep the engine properly tuned
- Use quality fuel
- Stick with a shop you trust
2. 1990 Honda Accord
Joe LoCicero racked up a million miles the hard way — in Norway. Norway, Maine, that is. It isn’t that other Norway, but its average lows are actually colder than in Oslo. Joe wanted a car that could handle the rough roads in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It wasn’t just the cold temps, snow, and freezing rain the car needed to manage; there were also plenty of potholes in summer. He bought the ’90 Accord in 1996 with 47,000 miles on the clock. He drove more than 55,000 miles per year, inspecting cars. LoCicero was a trained mechanic. As with the Suburban, Joe carefully followed the maintenance schedule. He also checked the fluids every week and performed oil changes every 5,000 miles with the same fuel.
And in 2011, when his car hit the million-mile landmark, Honda surprised him with a parade in the city of Saco, Maine. The company also gave LoCicero the keys to a new 2012 Accord.
3. 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Of course, there’s a Toyota on this list! Mark Miller, from Bonita Springs, Florida, is another vehicle owner who put a lot of miles on his vehicle for work. He bought his Highlander Hybrid brand new, using his first-ever new car as a mobile office and towing trailers for his paving business. According to Toyota’s press release, “I’ve probably done about 8,000 trips across Alligator Alley in that Highlander,’ said Miller, referring to an 80-mile stretch of Interstate 75 that cuts through the Florida Everglades.” Maintenance was a priority from the first day of ownership, and he regularly took the Highlander in for service with the same mechanic at Germain Toyota in Naples, Florida. Miller said, “That vehicle was so dependable, I think I took it for granted at times. After 17 years, only a catastrophic flood could kill it.”
And one did. Hurricane Ian hit Florida in 2022. “Our house is fairly new, with good windows and an elevated driveway, so we thought we could ride it out at the house. Well, the storm surge was bigger than anything I’d ever seen or heard of. By the time the water receded, we had someone’s floating dock in our backyard.” His house flooded, and his SUV was destroyed. But there’s a happy ending to this story: Once Miller told his local Toyota dealership what happened, they replaced his ’06 model with a 2023 Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition.
4. 2007 Toyota Tundra
When Toyota was preparing its next-generation Tundra for the 2022 model year, Victor Sheppard’s million-mile Toyota Tundra became a source of information. Sheppard was a longtime driver in the oil and gas industry and carried heavy equipment in the bed. When the truck hit seven digits on the odometer, the only item not working was the driver-side sun visor detent. Oh, and the odometer stayed stuck at 999,999.
Mike Sweers, the executive vice president and chief technology officer for Toyota Motor North America, Research and Development, wanted to tear down this specific truck to see how the components fared over time. Here’s one example of what they found. According to Toyota’s press release, “Just as Sheppard’s million-mile Tundra was no ordinary truck, Sheppard was no ordinary driver. At 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 425 pounds, he was built like an NFL lineman. Naturally, that piqued Sweers’ interest in the condition of the driver’s seat, which he discovered was remarkably unbowed. Not only was the frame unbent and the foam unworn, but the seat itself, consistent with the rest of the truck, showed only light wear and tear.” The engine, a 4.7-liter V8, performed almost as good as new on the dyno. There was no rust on the frame. And the springs were in excellent condition.
5. 2008 Toyota Tacoma
Mike Neal from North Carolina used his 2008 Tacoma to deliver medicine for cancer patients to hospitals along the East Coast. He racked up over 1.6 million miles on his 4-cylinder Access Cab. Mike bought it because he wanted a reliable truck with good fuel economy. He did have to replace the engine at 880,000 miles, but that seems to be a reasonable amount of time for an engine to live. After Mike passed away, Fred Anderson Toyota in Raleigh, North Carolina, bought the Tacoma from the family and has it on display in the showroom. You can read more about it and see the video here.
