Here is video of the noise right after startup :
https://youtube.com/shorts/WtMFdmhqs9U?feature=share
-> The noise is coming from near the 2 middle vents ; I don't think its the blower motor since it still makes noise when I have the fan off.
Also another thing -> whenever I slap the middle of the dashboard, the noise either goes away completely or gets worse
I only hear a slight vibration. -25F is extremely cold. Parts made of different materials contract at different rates. It not surprising for a vibration to appear in a 14 year old car in those conditions. I would not hit the plastic dash when it's that cold because it could easily crack.
Does the noise go away once things warm up?
Same thing applies to -25C in my book
temp was -25C btw ; the noise does tend to lower down when things warm up; so is this purely due to the weather? I had an old 2002 civic and it didnt have a rattling issue like this
I can not definitively say it only is from the cold. The cold might be making an existing situation more noticeable. I can't hear anything I would consider alarming in the video. If the noise doesn't appear until sub zero temperatures I think weather is a logical conclusion. Some cars just rattle more than others especially in extreme cold.
I don't mean to down play your concerns. I would be overly cautious in that kind of weather but if there is nothing more than a vibration that changes with temperature I would just monitor the situation for now.