When Jose Ortiz of Ypsilanti, Mich. bought his 2010 Toyota Matrix at Dunning Toyota in December 2013, he didn’t realize the historical implication of his purchase. Ortiz’s decision enabled Toyota to become the first brand to sell 4 million certified pre-owned vehicles in automotive history.

The record-breaking sale was part of a banner year for Toyota, which sold more than 370,000 certified pre-owned vehicles in 2013.

To commemorate the milestone, Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Division at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., presented Ortiz with a check equal to the total cost of his Matrix. The ceremony took place at Dunning Toyota in Ann Arbor, Mich., the dealership where he bought his vehicle. 

Toyota also marked occasion with a check presentation of the same amount to Alpha House Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), a local non-profit that Dunning Toyota has sponsored for many years.

Located in Washtenaw County, IHN is an emergency shelter for children and their families experiencing homelessness. Through IHN’s ongoing support and advocacy, families remain securely housed, better able to cope with ongoing challenges and more connected to community resources.

“Driven by great teamwork, Toyota’s certified used vehicle program has been a tremendous success not only in terms of units sold, but also in building customer loyalty,” said Fay.  “Toyota was the first manufacturer to have a certified used vehicle program and there is no better way to celebrate this milestone than to buy a Toyota certified for our 4 millionth customer.  On behalf of Toyota, I’d like to thank Jose Ortiz for being part of the Toyota family.”