I have started to get a cracking/creaking noise from the top dash. It happens when the inside of the car is cold. Usually when it’s below 40 deg outside. I get in the car and start her up. After 2-5 mins once the heat starts I hear the noise. It sounds like some kind of plastic is expanding from the heat. After 10 mins the noise is gone. I can stop get out for an hour then get back in and it does it again. It makes the noise faster since the car is already warm. I dropped it by the dealer and they said they padded the dash/windshield area. When I picked it up that day it still did it. Back again I guess.

 

Mine does this as well, and it doesn't bother me. My previous car also exhibited this behaviour. I think it's pretty much unavoidable with all of the plastic in today's cars; as the plastic heats up, it will expand, and there will be some noise.

 

I cant wait for summer!!!! No more heat.....

 

Yes I am hearing the same thing, definitely cold weather related.

 

Same here. I wait until the window clears then switch to another setting (vents) and it stops. It's only with the defroster on that I hear it.

 

When its hot out I get it when I turn the airconditioner on .

 

I'm going back to the dealer (jan 2) and raising hell....lets see how much foam its going to take to stop the noise.

 

I have a feeling that the locations causing the noises don't have enough clearance to fit foam.

 

I'm hoping they can do something to stop it. I go by the cost, if i brought a 12k car i would understand that there will be items like this since they are cutting costs. But my Mini cost 35k and issues like this are unacceptable. So far the car has been in over a week repairing issues like rattles and so on. And I can handle it to a point since the dealer is trying to fix the issues. But the last time I had the car in they didn't fix any of the rattles. When I got in the car they were still there. This really pissed me off since they said it was all fixed. I love the car, its great on gas and has a little get-up to it. But, I'm starting to regret giving up the Subaru for the Mini. Some people can live with the rattles, humming, knocking and cracking noises but I cant.
So lets hope Mini steps up.

 

At night time when it's consistently cold my 2007 Mini's dash rattles like crazy. However during the day when a tech can look at it the rattle goes away. I called mountain view mini and I was basically told to go pound sand. So I guess it's up to me to now solve the issue.

I also get the sounds of expanding plastic when I turn the heater on with the vent. As funny as it sounds that also seems to solve the rattle, but I agree with you that a top dollar 'premium' small car should not have these issues.

 

yeah i get the expanding sound too...idk how much i can blame MINI tho because materials expand and contract, its science....but i do get the rattle (in particular when im driving slower or when then engine hits a low note - usually while driving slow haha) that i do want to take in to get fixed...but i almost dont want to take it in in fear that it might get worse

 

I have the same problem and I think that is not possible,especially because is a very expensive car. My parents have cheaper cars and they don't have that creaking noise when they turn on the heater.
I think that the best solution is to write directly to Bmw-Mini customer service in order to have them informed on how many(ALL) Minis have the problem.
Maybe they realize that is the case of making a modified part.

 

I'm dropping the Mini off today at service. Then I will voice how pissed I am about the build quality. I have had many issues like this with this car..materials expand and contract..yes but the other new cars I have had addressed this issue and dont make the noises from the start

 

The service manager said I was ****-retentive about the rattles. He said the car will rattle and I cant keep bothering them...wtf?? Im calling miniusa, he also said bmw quality has nothing to do with Mini.

 

WOW!!! what dealer do you use?

 

I figured this was what was going on tonight in the below-37-ding-there's-the-warning weather. I don't think it's a problem, just plastic parts expanding.

 

This is Princeton Mini/BMW in NJ. I have been there many times for varying issues. Everything from faults in the sagging hood scoops to stained wheel arch moldings and water on the inside of the front windows(still happends everytime the windows are wet).

They have had to keep the car a bunch of times, the longest was a week. I would always wait till I had a few issues. This time it was a crack in the armrest and a big gap in the dash trim. I also let him know that I was hearing an air leak from the drivers door (amplified when wet out).

I also asked him again to look at the headliner and rear hatch area of the car. From day one there has always been what I say are allot of rattles from these locations. I asked again if they could looking to the pass. door speakers. Listing to BBC and other talk radio vibrate the door. If I place my had were the rattles come from they stop. There was a 2nd request to look at the dash creaking from HVAC system this is not normal on any car. They have been making cars with plastic for a long time. There are ways to design the system not to create cracking/popping noises. I know my Mazda, Subaru, Honda, Nissan and Toyota didn't do it.

MSA: Mini Service Adviser

There also was the cold start rattle. I had brought this up before and he said it was direct injection noise. I voiced again how it sounds like its not and he told me I'm not a Mini tech.

MSA: If I don't like what "his" techs said I can go to a different dealer.

MSA: Proceeded to tell me I was picking the car apart. Being ****-retentive in regards to the rattles.

MSA: The car is not a quiet one and it has allot of plastic and will rattle.

Me: At a cost of over 35k it should not rattle this much.

Me: BMW owns Mini and I would think they would make a product to there standers.

MSA: Mini has nothing to do with BMW. Thats like comparing Rolls Royce to BMW.

MSA: I am wasting his techs time looking for rattles, this is an enthusiasts car and part of owning it is the rattles.

I said if they said that when I was going to buy the car I would said see ya. I didn't sign a contract that said: Your car will rattle. If you bring the car in and ask them to correct them the MSA will call you names and ask you to stop bothering them. They would rather make $150 an hour doing out of warranty work.

I think it comes down to this. The Mini I have is not a base model S its an option out 35k car. That is mid level luxury car area. IS250, C class, 3 series and so on. I would expect the car to be as quiet as possible in regards to rattles. Some rattle will happen...but some should be addressed. I would only ask them when I had the car in for other issues, never bring it in for just a rattle. Most of the time they would just ignore my request to look at the noise and never list it as an item. It would still be there when I got the car back so they never looked into the issue and there time was never wasted like the MSA said.

I also called MiniUSA and they gave me the same crap. Saying if the car is in specs then its fine. I said are rattles specs? Is the car design to rattle?. He would not answer the question. Saying We can call the dealer and ask them to look again. I said they have and they want me to leave and go to a different one and thats not an option since I work only 5mins from this one.
No help there!!!!

Bad build quality, bad service, lack of dealer support network, bad customer support and great gas MPG= perks of owning a stylish Mini

Thank God it will be my last!!

 

I get some creaking in the heater vents when it's cold out, too, but (since it doesn't get all that cold in Texas) it goes away quickly...like under a minute. Never had a problem w/ the dash rattling, though.

Now on my '03 Cooper the vents did not creak (go figure) and the dash rattled. All in all, the vent-creaking is easy to live with.

 

In Nj you can have long stretches of 40 deg and below days. The creaking can last 10mins and is there 9 out of 10 times. plus its not only dash rattling its the whole inside of the car.

 

In my mind, a MINI is not a $35,000 car. Yes, you can spend $35,000 on a MINI... but it's more like a $20,000-$25,000 car (with $10,000 in options, in your case).

 

To each there own....

 

Well, that's just the thing, right? Your $35k MINI is the exact same car as my $27k MINI, or someone's base-spec $21k MINI. It's not going to be built any better or worse. I expect mine to be nice and all, but I know that, even for a "premium" hatch (it's a LOT nicer of a car than a lot of what's out there), it's not going to be perfect... as much as I want it to be.

 

I have had a Mercedes and a BMW both worth more than 35 Gs. Guess what they had problems too, real problems that affected drivability, safety and my overall satisfaction. My MINI (R56) has the usually issues like the creaking dash and rattle rattle engine tick, but thats just what a MINI does. I traded both the more expensives and bought a $30 G MINI, its fun enough to drive I kinda just accept the little "quirks" as part of the car.

 

I still have many unresolved rattles, creaks, and wind noise that I have been learning to accept as I am busy with mods. Helps I only spent $23K total on my MC. Whether you option $40K or $20K, Mini quality is unfortunately the same. The mods are adding up, though.

Don't think I'm going to get another Mini next time around, but I will probably keep this one till it can't move anymore.

 

Your optioned out $35K MINI has the same dash as a $18K base model. In my honest opinion and not trying to an a-hole, you should sell the car. You will never be hapy with it. It's not worth the agrivation your having.