XA50 clutch problem

[MikeSaraf]

I was really happy with my AWD 6-speed RAV4 until now, and I've already driven it for over 35000km since September 2021, but our relationship is becoming a bit cloudy nowadays... The clutch was really weak from Day 1 for this quite heavy and powerful car, and overheated and got really smelly when I tried to climb my parking ramp in reverse. After almost 20k miles, it really got worse and gets smelly immediately when you try to park on an uphill. Does  anyone have similar experience with the same car? 

 

[philip42h]

28 minutes ago, MikeSaraf said:

I was really happy with my AWD 6-speed RAV4 until now, and I've already driven it for over 35000km since September 2021, but our relationship is becoming a bit cloudy nowadays... The clutch was really weak from Day 1 for this quite heavy and powerful car, and overheated and got really smelly when I tried to climb my parking ramp in reverse. After almost 20k miles, it really got worse and gets smelly immediately when you try to park on an uphill. Does  anyone have similar experience with the same car? 

This is a (mostly) UK forum; UK RAV4.5s are all hybrid - so 'CVT' automatics - so you might not find many (any) with similar experiences here.

That said, where are you? I thought in geographies where traditional ICE powered 4.5s were sold they were fitted with 6-speed auto boxes - so torque converter rather than clutch. Is yours a manual gearbox?

[MikeSaraf]

Thanks for the information Philip, I was hoping that the RAV market in UK is different than the US market (hybrid with CVT or non-hybrid with 8-speed auto) but it seems I was wrong. I am in Athens - Greece, XA50 RAV4s are not too many here, and mine is one of the very few AWD with a 6-speed manual instead of CVT. 

Maybe I should start learning German or French 🙂