2010 Prius radio showing garbled text and ejecting CDs

If it really is just one month after the warranty ended, you may want to ask if the toyota dealership will help you anyway. You may be surprised.

 

Ugh...bad timing.

I would say that the first easiest step might be just to talk to your Toyota Dealership Repair Center. If you're lucky, maybe you could get some support, so close to warranty expiration...or if you are lucky, maybe they have seen the problem before and it's a cheap and easy fix..."maybe".

If not, you get the "Fun" of investigating replacement options. If it can't easily or cheaply be repaired, I'd definitely take the opportunity to upgrade.

Every vehicle I have owned for an extended period of time, I have taken the approach that I enjoy the OEM audio system as long as possible, but I take breakdown as a sign from the universe that it is time to upgrade.

If you like the system as is? You hope to get a few years beyond the expiration of the warranty. That's bad luck.

The other option of course is simply to live with it as it deteriorates. Kind of takes CD's out of the loop.

Here's hoping you get some good luck.

 

I'm like The Electric Me. Wait for anything to break past its warranty and use it to justify the upgrade. I understand that not everyone can afford to spend more on their car. If you're the latter, I wish you luck with the dealer and hope they'll consider your situation. Otherwise, another OEM from ebay or junk shop might be your next option.

 

Try running a cleaning disc through it and see if that helps. I assume this only happens when a disc is in the drive?

 

How about answering the question:
Does this only happen when a CD is in the drive? If so, try the cleaning disc option. You could be looking at an error with reading the disc, was my point. Recordable discs are well known for giving fits to players. If it happens with no disc in the drive, then yes you might need a new unit.

 

As the car is 3, check the 12v battery, weirder things have been know to happen when the 12v is low on umph and 3 years is about it's tour of duty

If you truly do need a new head unit, crutchfield isn't a bad place to start

 

Yeah my radio does this too but I suspect the voltage from my amp has some effect on this.

 

Surely another option is to seek a second hand unit from a wreckers? I'm past 100k and my audio unit is still same as new. You can't predict how these things last.

 

Unfortunately the same thing happens to me minus the CD ejection, right when it was 3 months out of warranty. The radio works fine but the display is either blank or garbled from time to time. Seems to be worse in extreme temperatures above 80 degrees with high humidity. When it's garbled I turn it off then on, seems to help fix it. When it's blank I lightly tap the upper right hand corner of the radio and it lights up normal. I'll just live with it till it dies then replace it with a used one or after market.

 

I had this happen with mine before as shown in the video below. It eventually worked itself out and hasn't occurred again. It's been almost 2 years and hasn't had any issues.

 

my experience in short terms is that these radios are garbage and yes im speaking from personal experience.

 

I have to same thing happening to my 2010. I live in Mass so I first stated noticing it in the Cold weather, not Hot. My remedy is to turn the defrosters on and that seems to warm it up in about 10 minutes and it works again. I can use the Steering wheel controls to listen to the radio because all the radio buttons just seem to turn the unit on and off. I'm skeptical about the battery voltage suggestion but will put a voltmeter on it and keep and eye on it.

 

This is happening to me, very intermittent - frustrating and not covered under my warranty. I don't really use any info on the screen so I don't really think it's worth paying $400+ to repair.

Sucks nice person though