My daughter has inherited a 2002 Gen I Prius, and is complaining about the stereo...says the speakers sound distorted and rattle when she turns up the volume. The car is hundreds of miles from me, so I don't know if it's bad speakers, poor speakers, bad amp, underpowered amp, or just general malaise from age. Can anyone enlighten me about options for upgrading or replacing the stereo system? As I recall, the stereo may not be as integrated as on the later generations, but it sure isn't easily replaceable with a 3rd-party unit. Help?
I agree that it is not easy to replace the stereo unit since it is integrated into the dashboard and doesn't fit within a standard DIN rectangular slot. I would suggest that your daughter start her upgrade efforts by replacing the speakers which are mounted in the doors and the package shelf below the rear window. Maybe that will be sufficient.
