M5 Macbook Pro Owner Says Apple Store 'Gaslighted' Him Over Creaking Laptop

Imagine spending around £1,530 ($2,000) on a brand-new laptop and, within three weeks, flinching every time you open the lid because it creaks.​

That is the reality facing Reddit user 'noss616', an early adopter of the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro who thought he was investing in Apple's latest premium machine, not a source of anxiety every time he flexed the chassis or rested his palms on it.​

His experience has struck a nerve with other Apple fans precisely because it collides with the company's reputation for smooth hardware, silent hinges and no‑questions‑asked customer care.​

M5 MacBook Pro Creaks Put Apple's Premium Image To The Test​

According to a recent report, the owner states that the fully loaded M5 MacBook Pro began emitting faint but persistent creaking noises whenever the lid was opened or closed, as well as when the palm rest was pressed or the chassis was gently flexed.​

He had only been using the notebook for around three weeks when the issue manifested, turning what should have been a honeymoon period with a high‑end Mac into a battle over what counts as an acceptable imperfection on a premium device.

​Apple pitches the 14‑inch M5 MacBook Pro as a powerful, professional system with the same starting price as the previous generation, reinforcing its image as a no‑compromise workhorse for creatives and power users.​

For a buyer choosing what he claims is the top‑end configuration, that price tag represents a serious commitment, not just to performance but to the idea that Apple hardware should feel rock‑solid in daily use.​

In this case, the M5 MacBook Pro owner reports that the creaking is subtle enough that you need headphones and higher volume to hear it clearly in his video, yet noticeable enough in person to make opening and closing the lid feel wrong on a device at this level.​

That tension between 'barely audible' and 'emotionally infuriating' is what makes the story resonate, because many customers feel that even minor noises undermine confidence in a product marketed as meticulously engineered.​

M5 MacBook Pro Owner Feels 'Gaslighted' After AppleCare+ Store Visits​

Compounding his frustration, the owner says he is paying monthly for AppleCare+, expecting that this extra cover would make resolving hardware concerns straightforward rather than adversarial.​

He visited two different Apple Stores, video in hand, only to be told both times that staff could not hear the creaks, something he attributes to the loud background noise on the sales floor.​

When employees took the M5 MacBook Pro into the back to examine it, they returned saying there was nothing wrong with the machine and that the sounds were normal.​

According to the owner, one employee effectively 'gaslighted' him by insisting it was simply a 'metal on metal body' and therefore expected behaviour, wording that made him feel his concerns were being minimised rather than investigated.​

The employee also gave a blunt reason for refusing to provide a replacement:​ 'We're not going to replace it because we don't want to create a precedent. If we swap it and the new one has the same noise, it just becomes an endless cycle of exchanges.'​

For a customer who has spent around £1,530 on a computer and is paying extra for AppleCare+, being told that his case risks starting an 'endless cycle of exchanges' cuts directly against Apple's carefully cultivated image of going above and beyond on service.​

Stories like this are particularly jarring because AppleCare+ is marketed as a safety net for hardware issues, even though the fine print makes clear that cosmetic problems and normal wear and tear are often excluded, creating grey areas when issues are subtle but persistent.​

M5 MacBook Pro Complaints, Persistence And Hopes For A Better Outcome​

The report notes that, in the video clip shared online, the creak is very faint, raising the question of how serious a problem it is if a user needs to lean in or boost the volume to notice it.​

Yet for many buyers, the principle matters: if you are paying top‑tier prices for a current‑generation M5 MacBook Pro, you expect the hinge and chassis to feel flawless, not merely 'within spec'.​

There is some hope for owners in similar situations, because Apple's track record shows that persistence can pay off when complaints are escalated through support channels.​

In one earlier case, a 2019 Intel‑powered MacBook Pro owner who was initially denied a battery replacement ultimately received a free upgrade to a 14‑inch M5 MacBook Pro after pressing the issue, demonstrating that outcomes can change when cases are reviewed higher up the chain.​

The current M5 MacBook Pro owner may yet secure a replacement if he exhausts every option, from follow‑up Genius Bar appointments to formal complaints and written support tickets.​

At the same time, the community is divided over whether a barely audible creak justifies a full swap, or whether it is an irritating but minor quirk in an otherwise powerful machine, especially when some hinge noises have been reported on previous MacBook generations as well.​

What this story really underlines is the emotional gap that opens up when the lived experience of a premium device does not match the expectations created by marketing, especially once phrases like 'gaslighting' start to appear in customer accounts.​

For now, other M5 MacBook Pro buyers will be listening more closely to their own hinges and palm rests, weighing up whether to push for fixes or live with minor noises in exchange for keeping an otherwise excellent notebook.​