Dashboard is black on startup intermittently

yes... It's a known problem and there's a guy in Texas who rebuilds these and will install same day for couple hundred bucks... I think he's in Dallas. Someone will likely come along with his contact info or you can do a google search with keywords: priuschat combination meter broken repair texas

 

Yea... I know it's a long drive, but the odds against you safely driving with a dead screen for long periods of times are really super dangerous. Just find multiple reasons to drive to Dallas and get lots done ASAP.

Here's the link, or at least I think: Prius Speedometer Replacement

 

Here is the guy:
Texas Prius Battery Replacement

Here is the problem:
combination meter repair - DIY | PriusChat

It’s so common it’s a sticky.

 

When did this start?

 

Lol... I guess the $150 price in Dallas area is too low for you? You might want to do you research on these folks in Magnolia, I've read more than one person on PriusChat who were really mad at them for months and months after they had work done on their Prius there. Is spending an extra $200 just to avoid a day in the Dallas area really worth it?

 

test the new battery and connections, especially neg to ground before dropping the cash, just to be sure

 

The likely reason like my 2009 Prius dashboard not lighting up on start up is the electrical connections from the dashboard to the main computer has gotten oxidized not making a good connection. The way I fixed this was to first disconnect the 12 volt battery the negative and the positive terminals. Then I removed the air vent to the left by the driver's side. Now a screw is exposed that I removed and also removed the screw at the bottom of the panels underneath the steering column that then allowed me to removed the cover for the dashboard that exposed the two electrical connections from the dashboard to the main computer. Numerous wires seen in these two connections. Then I sprayed both ends of the two electrical connections with electrical cleaner. I allowed them to completely dry for 6 hours and then reconnected them and put the car back together and reconnected the 12 volt battery. All lights on my dashboard now light up everytime I start the car.