Toyota Corolla owner drives 20 lakh kms on the original engine-gearbox: Car still driving strong

We all might have heard the saying, “If you take care of things, they last” right? But how many of us actually abide by it? Not a lot. Although this particular gentleman is one of those people who lived by this quote and has shown us that if taken care of properly, things do last a lifetime. Recently, a 72-year-old resident of New Zealand by the name of Graeme Hebley was found to be driving a 1993 Toyota Corolla station wagon with a mind-boggling mileage of 20 lakh km. This story was recently published by the New Zealand Herald, and Hebley told them everything about his journey so far with his 20 lakh km Corolla.

According to the Herald, Mr. Hebley has been employed as a contractor for newspaper delivery services since the 1960s. When he bought the vehicle in 2000, it had just 80,000 kilometers on the odometer. The gentleman revealed that 6 days in a week, he makes the trek from Wellington to New Plymouth and back which is an almost 218 mi (351 km) drive. The result of this much driving according to the owner is that he has to take his Corolla for service every two weeks. According to the New Zealand Herald, the Corolla, which still has the original engine and transmission, has been getting maintenance at Guthrie’s Auto Care in Whanganui every two weeks for the past 22 years.

Also read: Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar”s car fined for overspeeding

While speaking to the publication, Mr Hebley stated,

I broke down one morning in one of my vans. I rang John Sherman from Guthrie’s and he came out and helped me. I have been getting all of my servicing done here since. It was used to deliver chippies in Tokyo before I got it. 

Mr. Hebley took good care of the automobile, which allowed it to reach the milestone, said Mr. Sherman, who does routine maintenance on the Mr Hebley’s vehicle. The most mileage Mr. Sherman has seen on a vehicle prior to this Corolla was somewhere around 700,000, he added. The technician also revealed that so far the cambelt which has been replaced 20 times, and the wheel bearings are the only significant parts that have been changed throughout the vehicle’s two-decade voyage. The outlet said that the automobile is original aside from these components.

Summarizing his experience with his beloved automobile Mr Hebley stated that he still hasn’t got sick of his Corolla. He said that he still uses it and he believes “The car might outlast me at this point“.

In a similar story, a 1991 Volvo sedan owner from the USA also reported logging more than 10 lakh kilometers on his vehicle. The Volvo dealership and Volvo Cars USA presented Jim O’Shea, the owner of the Volvo vehicle, with a 2022 model Volvo S60 luxury sedan as a token of appreciation for his accomplishment. He received the Volvo S60 vehicle as a present, and he may drive it for free for two years as part of the Volvo all-inclusive auto membership. The package included insurance, maintenance, protection against excessive wear, and tyres and wheels. Jim is willing to put another 10 lakh miles on his new Volvo since he was really astonished by the brand’s overall dependability.

Also read: Skoda celebrates sedans with new TVC for Slavia