Back in 2006, Mark Miller bought his first-ever brand-new car. Excited about his new Toyota Highlander Hybrid, he decided to take good care of it. He was so careful with it that over the next 16 years, he racked up more than a million miles.
The plan was to go even farther still. The owner of an asphalt paving business, the Highlander Hybrid was in service for its whole life, towing trailers and carrying tools up and down Alligator Alley, an 80 mile (129 km) stretch of I-75 that cuts through the Everglades. Unfortunately, the plan was cut short after 2022’s Hurricane Ian.
“Our house is fairly new, with good windows and an elevated driveway, so we thought we could ride it out at the house,” Miller told Toyota recently. “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.”
Sadly, Miller’s home in Bonita Springs, Florida, was flooded and his Highlander Hybrid destroyed. Although he tried to focus on rebuilding, he couldn’t help but miss his faithful SUV, and eventually decided to honor its memory.
Read: This 2008 Toyota Tacoma Has More Than 1.5 Million Miles
Not satisfied with letting it end up in a junkyard, Miller asked the Toyota customer service team if the company would be interested in buying the Highlander for research purposes. Daniel Nichols, who took the call, was immediately intrigued by the idea of studying the million-mile hybrid.
Nichols was also fascinated by the story, and started sharing it with other Toyota employees. The tale was shared throughout Toyota’s network, and eventually, they decided that there was only one correct course of action.
On January 21, 2023, Miller was asked to come into his local dealership, Germain Toyota of Naples. Although he didn’t quite know what was happening, he figured he might be getting a cooler, like the one the dealership gave him after he crossed the 500,000 mile (804,672 km) threshold.
When he got there, though, there was a brand new 2023 Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition with a big red bow on the front of it. Richard Germain, the dealership’s owner, handed Miller the keys and thanked him for being the most loyal customer they’ve ever had.
“This is tremendous!” said Miller. “My heart is just all over the place. I’m overwhelmed. This is just an incredible thing. It’s a massive financial burden lifted from me because I needed it and couldn’t quite afford it.”
Like his old Highlander Hybrid, though, Miller plans to use his new vehicle. Immediately after getting the keys, he said he was headed home to load up his tools. That’s not to say it won’t be taken care of, though. His first purchase after receiving the car was seat protectors. As for how he recommends others help their vehicles reach a million miles, Miller says “Never forget to change your oil!”
