These days, it seems like everything we buy is made to be disposable and cheap, and cars are no exception. Automakers typically don’t care about a car’s longevity, so long as it outlives the factory warranty. However, if you paid good money for your car, you probably want it to live to see an odometer reading deep into the six figures. It takes a true enthusiast with outstanding mechanical sympathy and fuller pockets than average to get a car to a million miles. A statistically insignificant portion of cars on the road will ever see anything approaching that, but in case you are the person who wants to achieve this milestone, there are a few tips you can keep in mind.
Taking on the task of getting a car to a million miles starts with the right car. It seems unlikely that you’ll make your goal if you start with something too expensive or too fragile. There’s a reason you don’t see million-mile Ferraris out there in the wild. Technically, any car can make it to a million miles, but some will eat you out of metaphorical house and home in the process.
Start with a seriously overbuilt and simple vehicle like a Honda Accord, a Lexus LS, or a Toyota Hilux, and you’ll be several steps ahead of the game. Plus, your full out-of-pocket costs will more than likely be less than the cost of a new car payment. Once you’ve settled on a long-life automobile, be as diligent about your upkeep as millions of American drivers refuse to be.
This time, baby, I’ll be bulletproof
There isn’t a single vehicle on the market today which would drive a million miles with all of its original components intact. At the very least, you’ll need to periodically replace wear parts in the brakes and suspension, for example. Manufacturers also have constraints on how tough a vehicle can be, as an overbuilt vehicle will be seen as too expensive for the average consumer due to individual component upgrade costs. It’s unlikely that any vehicle will make it to a seven-figure odometer without a complete drivetrain rebuild anyway, and it’s much less expensive to proactively commit to an engine rebuild before the engine blows up. Basically anything that moves is a potential failure point, so you’ll probably need to replace things like wheel and differential bearings as well.
In a recent video from Donut Media, above, a case study is made of the FJZ80-generation Toyota Land Cruiser, replacing a few of the vehicle’s more failure-prone components to make it as “bulletproof” as possible with the added benefit of making the truck more off-road friendly. In their case, the answer meant upgrading the Land Cruiser’s transfer case, differentials, axles, and the driveshaft. Even with these pieces upgraded to beefier aftermarket components, there’s no guarantee the truck will achieve 1,000,000 miles, though it’s worth a shot, for sure. So, start with the right car, be prepared to spend the money, take care of it with regular inspections and maintenance, and use higher quality components with fewer failure points whenever possible, and you’ll be in the right mindset for a million-mile run.