Touch display inoperable; can I purchase a remote ?

I think replacement touchscreens are available relatively cheap, if you're ok with disassembling the MFD for DIYing it. This one says it fits the Gen2 Prius.

Touch Screen Glass Digitizer Touchpad For Lexus Toyota Prius MFD GS XR IS250 350 | eBay

I bought 4 of them this week and will hopefully be installing at least one this weekend to see how well they work.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by a 'remote'. Many of the controls on the touchscreen can be handled by the controls on the steering wheel.

If you end up purchasing an entire replacement MFD, you need to ensure you get the model number from the back of it and purchase an exact replacement. Most are available on ebay for a couple hundred $ or less.

 

not that i've ever heard of. check with matt at texas hybrid batteries

 

At least replacing the $17 touch screen so it works again is a known option using a part that exists.

A 'remote' for the MFD would certainly be something Toyota never sold, so it would have to be something aftermarket; somebody would have to somehow reverse-engineer the MFD and design some kind of remote that would interface with it, get that manufactured, set a price for it, and hope to sell enough of them to recoup the cost. But the only market they might be able to sell to would be ... Gen 2 Prius owners who haven't replaced their broken MFD touch screens. With a market that small, the unit price might have to be pretty high.

 

That certainly clarifies what you're looking for, and also makes the answer very easy, lol.

can I purchase a remote for a cheaper temporary fix?

There is no receiver circuitry or interface connection. Not even techstream can interface with the MFD like that.

 

I also have a touch screen in my 2009 that quit working. For a while there, if the touchscreen worked the radio did not and vice versa. To me….that sounds like a short in the wiring somewhere. The dealership wants to run diagnostics on it to the tune of $100 plus dollars an hour. They said it could take an hour or 8 or 10 hours seeing as how they have never seen one quit working. That’s quite a bill just to diagnose the issue. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I miss my backup camera, radio controls, Bluetooth etc.

 

The MFD is failing. Don't let the dealer overcomplicate it. Just buy a replacement MFD and be done with it. Make sure the model numbers match.