$2,000 M5 MacBook Pro hinge starts creaking after just two weeks — Apple calls it “normal”
AppleTuesday, 25 November 2025 at 08:25
A new MacBook Pro owner says his shiny 14-inch M5 model didn’t make it past the two-week mark before developing an annoying creak in the hinge — and Apple apparently doesn’t see a problem. The story comes from Reddit, where user noss616 posted a short clip of the sound and described how it happens both when opening the lid and when pressing gently on the palm rest. Not exactly what you expect when you spend around two thousand dollars, plus AppleCare+, for the reassurance that everything should feel… premium.
Trying to get it sorted, he went to an Apple Store armed with the video for proof. According to his post, the technicians looked at it, tried opening and closing the lid a few times, and concluded that nothing was wrong. He says a second Apple Store gave him the same answer. The explanation he got there is the one that really set people off: the creaking was described as “metal on metal” contact and, in the employee’s words, “completely normal.”
What frustrated him even more was the reasoning that followed. The staff allegedly told him they didn’t want to replace the laptop because doing so could create “an endless cycle of exchanges” if another unit made the same sound. If you’ve ever dealt with inconsistent Apple Store decisions, this probably sounds familiar.
A former Genius Bar tech chimed in on Reddit, saying hinge noises are often logged as cosmetic rather than functional issues — which means stores don’t always approve exchanges unless the hinge physically fails. That matches what a lot of long-time Mac users have experienced. Still, others mentioned they had better luck: one person claimed they got a same-day replacement after escalating the issue to a manager, suggesting outcomes vary widely from store to store.
For noss616, who says this is his first Mac, the whole encounter wasn’t exactly the dream introduction. The new M5 MacBook Pro models have received a ton of praise for power and battery life, but this situation is a reminder that even Apple hardware can come with little quirks — and that frontline support sometimes follows a strict playbook before approving repairs.
Some commenters suggested giving the hinge more time, saying the sound might fade as the hinge parts settle. Others took Apple’s side, arguing that he was “requesting service for something within spec.” A different group said he should escalate the issue to Apple Support directly instead of relying on in-store decisions.
Whether he’ll get a creak-free replacement remains to be seen. For now, his experience underlines something many Apple owners eventually learn: the “it just works” promise doesn’t always apply to the small details — and hinge noises can be surprisingly subjective.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A new M5 MacBook Pro owner reported hinge and palm-rest creaking after only two weeks of use.
- Apple Store technicians allegedly told him the sound is “metal on metal” and “completely normal.”
- The customer claims two stores declined a replacement, citing concerns about repeated exchanges.
- Former Apple staff say hinge noise is often considered cosmetic unless it affects function.
- The incident has sparked debate online about Apple build quality and inconsistent support responses.
Popular News
Latest News
Loading
