If you see multiple ugly warning lights and the user manual practically screems at you to take your car to a dealer, DON'T! I recently got ripped off $354.26 for a diagnostic test that produced nothing that I couldn't have read on the OBD. This is also how I found out that my 12v battery was flat. The dealer had completely ignored it, saying it was a mechanical matter and had nothing to do with the hybrid diagnosis! I did not get a full refund but they finally caughed up a measly $118 as a "goodwill" offering?! Here is what to do: Access the OBD (as described in Toyota Prius Controls and find out as much as you can. Go to the Internet and do some research on what the codes mean. This is not going to fix anything but will give you some idea what might be wrong. Youmay also go to a regular mechanic to see if you can borrow the gadget to read the codes. If you still feel you have to see a dealer, at least you already have an idea... If parts need to be replaced, there are good Aftermarket products around. The dealer will try to sell new parts no matter how old your car is. If worse comes to worse and you need a HV battery replacement (as I did for my 2001 Prius), there are re-built HV batteries on the market, for example at Welcome to Adopt A Part The dealer said only a new HV battery for $3,500. would do!
This is all information most of us here are already aware of. Sorry to hear about your dealer problem.
Regarding the OP's list of what to do, #1 should be to replace the 12V battery after 4 years of service. That would substantially reduce the likelihood of the car experiencing strange electrical problems.
The dealer ignoring codes from the ECU is ridiculous. Sounds like they just wanted to steal money from a customer. Sad!
According to a recent news, 42,289 Prius were sold in Canada since launch in 2001. Soooooo, it's not really a surprise that Canadian Stealership don't know what xxxx they are talking about when it's time to repair those "mystery" cars. Sad but true, I've been in a worst situation than OP unfortunately.
I thought it was more or less common knowledge, but if I can even save one person from being ripped off, I would be soooooo glad .
