THE HIGHEST MILEAGE FORD IN THE WORLD

Joining the high-mileage club demands a rock-solid vehicle, and a driver who doesn't mess around when it comes to routine maintenance. That, and time. It takes awhile to put seven figures on your odometer, which is why many of these stories involve someone who's been driving the same truck for the same job for fifteen, twenty years.

The world record for the highest-mileage Ford is actually a two-way tie. There's a 2013 Ford F-350 Super Duty with a 6.7-liter turbo-diesel engine, and a 2000 F-350 with a 7.3-liter diesel under the hood, and both models have packed on an estimated 1.3 million miles (the odometer actually stops ticking up at 999,999). If we have to call it a winner, the 2013 F-350 still has its original engine, but the 2000 F-350 still has its original engine and transmission, making it the more impressive of the two. Of course, crossing a million miles is amazing, no matter how you get there.

What Makes The 2000 Ford F-350 So Special?

The engine found in the 2000 diesel-powered Super Duty is the first of the Power Stroke family, and the first diesel engine to reach 500 lb-ft of torque. Also known as the Navistar T444E, built by Navistar International, this was a flagship engine from 1994 to 2003, when it was discontinued as a result of California's noise regulations. A direct-injection diesel engine with a dry weight of 920 lbs and a power output of 235 horses in 1999. By the time the engine was retired, it could produce 275 hp when paired with a manual transmission.

This engine's legendary durability is owed to a few key factors. The cast-iron engine block and cylinder heads don't crack easily, especially when you consider that this engine is rather underpowered by modern standards, and probably works hard for most of its life. The 7.3's relatively modest output means they weren't trying to push this engine to its absolute limit. Forged steel rods and crankshaft no doubt helped to keep the 7.3 going, as well. It's important to note that these rods were replaced with less robust powered metal rods in 2001, which makes it one of the 7.3L Power Stroke's years to avoid.

You've likely noticed that, when you're reading about high mileage, it's usually a work truck, right? The 7.3L Power Stroke has no place in a production sedan, so the fact that this engine primarily made its way into the hands of working men and women has no doubt helped to contribute to its reputation. When your vehicle is your bread and butter, you're less tempted to put your oil changes off or keep riding with a dirty air filter. A dirty air filter is especially detrimental to a diesel's health, as it causes the engine to run hot.

As reliable as the 7.3 Power Stroke may be, it's not entirely without issue. Sensor failure has been known to result in engine stall, the fuel filter housing has been known to crack and cause fuel leaks, the turbocharger up-pipes can leak from the joints, and the exhaust back-pressure valve was known to close up in the cold. Navistar continued to troubleshoot these issues throughout the 7.3's lifetime.

Meet The Eighty-Something Black Belt Who Maxed Out The Super-Duty's Odometer

The record-holding F-350 belongs to John Freeland, an eighth-degree black belt in his eighties, and a "hotshot driver" by trade. That means that he's a delivery man who specializes in time-sensitive jobs. Where a long haul trucker delivers a full trailer of cargo over long distances, a hotshot driver might only have a day, or just a few hours, to deliver a smaller load. So, it's not hard to imagine how he put all those miles on his truck. Hotshot drivers are typically on call, like specialized surgeons, ready to hit the ground running at the drop of a hat.

Freeland's truck is still running on the original engine and manual transmission, and even the rear axle and suspension are stock. The biggest repairs in the first twenty years of ownership included a new clutch and pressure plate. Freeland has been through his share of hoses, alternators, batteries, and starters, but major repairs have been remarkably few.

If you want to know how Freeland can verify that he's actually put 1.3 million miles on the truck, when the odometer only reads 999,999, he keeps paper records of every work trip. This means that 1.3 million is likely a conservative estimate, as he might not be counting every single trip to and from the auto parts shop or the gas station.

The F-350 Might Have Some Competition From A 1983 Lincoln Town Car

Some years back, we highlighted a 1983 Lincoln Town Car owned by Chet Belisle, who did not actually put those miles on the car by running a limo service or driving it as a company car. He simply enjoyed making coast to coast road trips, and after making that run enough times, he eventually maxed out the odometer, relying on his own logs to keep track of the total mileage. Belisle had done an engine and transmission rebuild before reaching that number, but, beyond that, it's just routine maintenance that keeps the car going strong.

Chet first paid just $2,200 for this car, brand-new. Adjusting for inflation, that would be around $7,100 in 2024 dollars. He first drove it off the lot with just 53 miles on the odometer. Sometimes when people talk about the good old days, you can chalk it up to nostalgia. But a new Town Car for seven grand sounds like a really sweet deal.

We first reported on this car back in 2018, and the story actually dates back to 2008. We haven't been able to find any updates since then. For all we know, Belisle has crossed the two-million-mile mark by now. Whether or not that's the case, we're willing to bet that it hasn't gone totally kaput just yet, whether that means it's in Chet's hands or it's been passed down to a family member, because there's no way Ford isn't calling once a week to see if they can get this car for display at their Dearborn, Michigan headquarters, or the Henry Ford museum. There's no way it's still running its original engine and transmission, but if anyone out there can correct us, we'd love to know where this Town Car is now.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk

2024-12-01T09:09:47Z