Toyota Repair: 2004 Prius Display Hung Up, assembly experience, exchange unit

Question
I own a 2004 Prius with about 50K Miles. A week or so ago, the MFD 'froze' and blanked out the mileage and outside temp. Hitting the 'Climate' button caused the screen to display "Check the connection to the air conditioner." This condition comes and goes, but most of the time, I cannot control my A/C, radio, or anything else. Is this condition a known problem? How can I repair it? I am an engineer with lots of assembly experience.
Thanks in advance,
Chris

Answer
Yes, this has become a somewhat common problem and toyota has issued a service bulletin that basically states to check the connections to the unit and if they are good then the unit should be replaced, the warranty period from the factory for the MFD is 3yrs/36,000 miles. We have no instructions to repair, there is an exchange program available from the toyota dealer which costs about $400 for the part only, labor would be additional, your dealer can help with arranging getting an exchange unit.