Will Head Unit 51824 work in Base Prius?

Hi folks I'm new to this forum. Bought a 2007 base Prius in Jan 09 and really like it. BTW its a buyers market out there (dealers will go to great lengths to move inventory). I am aware from reading this forum the base Prius radio (51830) does not have an Aux input and cannot read MP3s. I can add an Aux input with a variety of devices (e.g. Dice, Aux2Car, etc) but I would still not be able to use MP3 disks in the CD player. After searching around I realized I can buy a used radio (51824) thats found in Package 1 (and others) for less than $200. That would theoretically give me Aux and MP3 capability. I realize I would have to install my own 3.5mm Aux input jack and run wire to the back of the radio.

My question is: if I swap out the radio will all the functionality be present and work correctly with the MFD? In other words will the MFD recognize the new radio and allow its added features to show up and work. If anyone has tried this I would sure be interested in knowing how it turned out. Even if you haven't tried it, if you care to speculate on this I would like to hear what you have to say. Thanks.

 

Thanks for your input. I'm thinking it will work too. Head unit 51824 (as shown on front of the radio/CD player) is not the JBL unit. 51825 is. A used non-JBL unit can be had in the $165 - $185 range from various internet sellers. There are also ebay auctions for this. My wife is very concerned about me going into the dash and doing something to void the warranty - so I dont know if I'll pull the trigger on this just yet.

 

The 51824 was designed for 2007 thru 2009 (maybe 2006 also) Prii. I doubt it would work in a 2004. It would also be a step down since its not a JBL. It sounds to me like you need to replace your radio with an aftermarket unit to get all the features you want. Hopefully some of the experts on this site can chime in with some ideas. Good luck!