Audio+Source+Apps Buttons Stopped Working

I have a 2015 Prius Plug-in with 41K miles. Several buttons on my radio stopped working in the sense that they do nothing. AM and FM work and BT but only when I can select the mode through the "Mode" button on the steering wheel. AM/FM display correctly on the panel but when I'm in BT mode, the screen is black. I can't tell that I'm in BT mode other than the fact that music is on. There is no ipod mode.

Hard buttons:

• Apps
• Audio
• Phone

Touchscreen Buttons

• Sound (beeps but does not offer ipod, BT choices anymore)

I took the car to the Toyota dealer this morning and they said that my radio should be replaced. It has nothing to do with a software update. It's over $800 to get a replacement!! This is obviously a manufacture defect of some sort, probably related to software. I was reasonably pleased with the tech package on the Prius up until this. Prior to this failure, the radio fails to play anything other than the "Music" app (e.g. Pandora, Spotify, Podcasts) when in "iPod" source (screen just says "STOPPED").

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

 

No. My service advisor gave me a number to call Toyota to plead my case. My advisor said that I have good chance of getting a break from Toyota because of the low mileage and my long time loyalty to Toyota. I have over 30 years of purchasing loyalty with Toyota. I called Toyota and explained my situation and within 24 hours, they got back to me with an offer of covering 75% of the radio costs and all I would need to pay is $156 plus tax. I'm okay with that.

My confidence in the quality of Toyota products is diminished somewhat but their customer service keeps me coming back. I have another horror story about going to a "Jiffy-Lube"-like place for an oil change and smog test which resulted in a replacement of my 4Runner engine at 50K miles (at 90K the replacement engine cracked a cylinder) but that's another story. Ever since that, I've been very reluctant to take my Toyota's to non-Toyota mechanics other than a smog test.