Anyone else out there try the Crutchfield’s DIY approach and, like me, found it way, WAY harder than you were expecting? Two whole days - yikes! Now I am the first to admit that I am not very handy at this sort of thing. But it seemed like every single step had some unexpected wrinkle that I had to improvise my way through, and/or call them for help. And mine was probably the single most common scenario - 2010 Prius, replace the stock head unit and door speakers, and add a small power amp. Didn’t even add a sub. The few times I called, they were extremely good at explaining the steps, despite sounding quite bored (it was obvious they get asked the same questions over and over and over again). I did end up doing some steps differently than what they recommended, after browsing the web.

In the end, I’m proud to say I got everything working, it looks and sounds fantastic, and probably cost less (money) than if I had someone do it. But man, my hands are all sliced up, my back hurts, and I’m paranoid that my car is going to suddenly catch on fire.