Extremely stiff clutch (advice wanted)

[RAV4K]

Hi, everyone. First-time owner here as of yesterday. I have a 3rd gen, 2.0l petrol from 2008. According to the V5C, the variant is ACA30(W).

The clutch is extremely stiff, to the point where it is uncomfortable to drive. It also makes an audible squeak when depressed. I took it to a mechanic before buying and he said it could be slave cylinder or the clutch itself. According to the receipts, the clutch was replaced at 50k with an LUK unit. The car now has 128k.

I just wanted some advice from owners here, please. Is this normal for a RAV4? (I know, I should have driven others first!) I did get the seller to knock £800 off the price because of this.

Thanks,

Craig

[TonyHSD]

If the car comes from London and been used in heavy traffic conditions very likely the clutch itself been overheated and the springs harden. This is the main reason why old clutches are harder to press than a new ones. 
A normal clutch operation on a new car or new clutch should be light feel and biting point middle of pedal travel or past middle. 
If the clutch pedal has a lot of free play, it is hard to press and bites very quickly down mean you likely to have hydraulic issues. Master or slave or both, or simply air locked along the system. You can ask your mechanic to double check for leaks, change the brake fluid on the clutch system and make sure there is no air lock. If the clutch continues to be hard next steps will be a new clutch kit.
Manual cars used in big cities always suffer from clutch premature wear. 

[RAV4K]

Thanks for the quick response, Tony. That's very helpful.

It is very hard to press and definitely bites quickly. I'll take all of the advice into account when I take this in to the garage.

Do you, or anyone else lurking on here, happen to know if the LUK is the clutch to buy again? Or are there other good options? I've noticed wild variations in price, likely to indicate quality to some degree.

Oh, and I am currently in London but the car has spent its life in Kent for the most part.

Thanks again.

[southsider46]

LUK make very good clutches at a reasonable price.

[TonyHSD]

LUK are one of the largest oem supplier of clutches for automotive industry around the world. Many other brands are only packaging companies and inside their boxes the clutches are made by LUK. 
However not all LUK are the same and there is a difference between LUK Europe for European cars and LUK Asia for Asian cars. 
Generally speaking Aisin are the best for Japanese cars, however in some cases  in their boxes the clutches might be made and supplied by LUK. 
The price point will show indeed the quality. 
Sachs is another well known brand , however of the last decade they had moved manufacturing in China and they does a lot of re manufactured parts which for clutches might not be ideal. 
What’s I can suggest to you is to find a good mechanic or garage you trust and request to use a well known supplier and ask for warranty details to make sure you are covered. 
Brands to use : Original Toyota, Aisin, Luk, Blueprint, Febi. 
 

[Cyker]

I do wonder if a heavy-duty clutch has been fitted, as those can be heavier.

The clutch for vehicles with the 1CD-FTV diesel engine is notorious for being quite heavy, but that's a diesel engine with a lot of torque. I didn't think Toyota fit such clutches to their petrol engine cars.

 

[Red_Corolla]

What was the date of the last clutch replacement? 78k is nothing for a clutch if it's been done in a few short years of motorway driving, but many years of town driving will take it's toll and the springs will get heavier. It's all about the number of actuations it's done.