more newb questions...

1. they lock the car when you leave it somewhere. press the button, the car goes "beep!" and locks itself.

2. yes.

3. search the site for "reverse beep" and you'll get detailed instructions on that. kinda a long process not easily typed from memory.

4. put the tire pressure at 42/40 for better mpg, unless of course it's winter and you get lots of snow. not too many common problems, just don't run out of gas. that's probably the most common thing. do a little browsing here and you'll see the typical complaints/questions about the car.

our mods are in my signature. there's plenty you can do to the car if you have the time and the money.

 

Tell me your mom isn't using the remote to always remotely lock and unlock the car . . . and that she is not placing the square key thingy (Smart Key / FOB) into the slot to start the car.

If she is, tell her to keep it in her purse and the car will unlock and start without her touching the key . . . and it will lock with just a touch of the black buttons on the handles and rear door.
If the Smart Key System is not working, there is a disable button under the steering wheel column . . . reset it.

Place your location in your User Profile . . .
Your question #2 may have been answered differently if you put Key West, Florida for your location . . . and future questions my have different answers depending your real location.

 

The buttons on the doors mean you have the Smart Key Entry option, which, as you probably already know, allows you to open the car and start it without using the key, as long as you have the key fob on your person. Very handy feature you will come to love.
You can leave your car key in your pocket, safe, where it won't get misplaced, and still be able to enter your Prius and drive off.

A caveat about the system, however: If you plan to leave the car unattended for more than a week, you should disable the smart key system or else you run the risk of draining down the 12v battery. The Smart Key System has a small transmitter in the car that sends out a tiny signal every 30 seconds or so looking for the fob. When it detects the fob, it opens the doors (all of them, or just the driver's door depending on how you've programmed it; see manual) and allows you to start the car. Over a period of time, this constant checking in by the SKS transmitter will drain the battery.

Under the steering wheel just above the footwell, is a button switch. Push it in and you will turn off the SKS. You can still drive the car but you need to insert the fob into the slot on the dash just as you would an ordinary car. The manual shows you how to turn the SKS on and off. Unfortunately, you can't tell by looking at the switch whether you've turned it on or off; it's a button you push in with no indication of which position is on or off. The manual has a diagram, though, which will tell you.