Top 5 compared
The best OBD2 scanners
Find out why the check engine light is on, and whether it’s serious, before a trip to the mechanic.
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The top 5 at a glance
Every gas car and light truck from the 1996 model year on has the same 16-pin OBD2 port, usually under the dashboard near the steering column. Plug a scanner in, turn the key to on, and it reads what the car’s computer has stored. Basic readers show the codes and live data; a step up adds graphs and tests on parts such as the O2 sensors.
The scanners here are handhelds with their own screen and cable, with no phone needed; Bluetooth plugs that work through an app are a separate kind. Each one shows whether the emissions monitors are ready, worth knowing before a smog check. They read engine and emissions faults only, so an airbag or ABS light needs a different tool.
What matters
- Code definitions on the screen, so there’s nothing to look up.
- A backlit or color screen, easier to read under the dash.
- Live data as graphs, for faults that come and go.
#1ANCEL AD310 OBD2 Code Reader
$20–$30
It answers one question, why the check engine light is on: it reads and clears engine codes with a short definition of each, and shows live data and the freeze-frame snapshot taken when the fault appeared. Its thick cable, 2.5 ft long, draws power straight from the port, so it needs no battery of its own.
What owners say: Owners find the screen easy to read and the menus simple to work through, and say it pins down what’s wrong and turns the light off once it’s fixed, saving a trip to the shop. For a few it wouldn’t talk to their car, while others have used it on every vehicle they own.
A closer look: Plug it in with the engine off, then turn the key to on when the screen asks. ANCEL notes it covers emissions-related faults only, so an airbag or ABS light is beyond it, and a code is best cleared after the repair: if the fault’s still there, the light comes right back.
- Checks smog-test readiness
- Freeze-frame snapshot of the fault
- No batteries or charging needed
- Thick 2.5 ft cable
Best for: Diagnosing a check engine light
- Screen
- 2.4 in
- Reads
- Engine and emissions
- Live data
- Yes
- Code meanings shown
- Yes
- Service resets
- No
#2MOTOPOWER MP69033 OBD2 Scanner and Code Reader
$20–$30
Plug it in, turn the ignition on, and it shows the fault code with its meaning from a built-in library, then clears it once the job’s done. The 2.8-inch backlit screen can draw live data as a curve, from engine speed to coolant temperature, and two of its six buttons jump straight to the codes and the VIN.
What owners say: Home mechanics find it straightforward and accurate at spotting what’s wrong, and some count it among the tools they couldn’t do without. It suits many Fords well, but on some cars it wouldn’t connect or read the codes.
A closer look: The codes come up with just the ignition on; start the engine to watch the live data. The curve view earns its keep on a sensor that only misbehaves once the engine is warm, since a single reading can miss it.
- Shortcut buttons for codes, VIN
- Smog-test readiness check
- Menus in six languages
- No batteries or charging needed
Best for: Live data on a bigger screen
- Screen
- 2.8 in, backlit
- Reads
- Engine and emissions
- Live data
- With graphs
- Code meanings shown
- Yes
- Service resets
- No
#3VDIAGTOOL VD10 OBD2 Code Reader
$10–$20
A small reader for the glove box that reads generic and maker-specific engine codes, pending ones included, and looks up their meaning in a built-in library of more than 3,000 codes. It also shows live sensor data and the freeze frame.
What owners say: Owners are surprised how much it does, find it easy to operate and handy to keep at home, and say it tells them exactly what’s going on; where it shows only a code, a quick search fills in the rest. A few found it wouldn’t link up with every car.
A closer look: Its two-line screen is backlit with adjustable contrast, which helps under a dark dashboard. It also reads out the car’s VIN and calibration IDs, a useful check that the engine computer matches the car when buying used.
- Reads pending codes too
- Library of 3,000+ codes
- Shows the car’s VIN
- Adjustable screen contrast
- Menus in six languages
Best for: Checking a used car before buying
- Screen
- 2.1 in, 2 lines
- Reads
- Engine and emissions
- Live data
- Yes
- Code meanings shown
- Yes
- Service resets
- No
#4Autel AutoLink AL319 OBD2 Scanner
$20–$30
Autel keeps this one to the basics, on a color screen: it reads and clears engine codes, looks up what each one means, and shows live data and the freeze frame, and one button runs the I/M readiness check before a smog test.
What owners say: A simple tool that saves on repair bills, owners say, one crediting it with hundreds of dollars of repairs avoided; it lays out the fault clearly and resets the light. Not every car is supported, a few found, and the manual gets mixed marks.
A closer look: Press the I/M button before a smog check and it reports whether the emissions monitors have finished their self-tests, which they won’t have right after a battery change or a cleared code, so drive for a few days first. The menus come in seven languages, and Autel offers free lifetime updates.
- One-button smog-test readiness check
- Built-in speaker and LED
- Free lifetime updates
- Menus in seven languages
- No batteries or charging needed
Best for: A first code reader for the garage
- Screen
- 2.4 in color
- Reads
- Engine and emissions
- Live data
- Yes
- Code meanings shown
- Yes
- Service resets
- No
#5FOXWELL NT301 OBD2 Scanner
$50–$75
The step up from a basic reader: as well as reading and clearing engine codes and showing live data as graphs on a 2.8-inch color screen, it runs O2 sensor and EVAP system tests, and a one-press I/M readiness key with a red, yellow and green light shows whether the car is ready for a smog check before you schedule one.
What owners say: A quality tool, owners say, easy to find your way around from the first time it’s plugged in, with readings accurate enough to track down a problem at home. Compatibility varies with the car: it suits some older trucks well, but others wouldn’t connect at all.
A closer look: Plug it in and it reads the VIN by itself, so there’s nothing to type, and its updates come through a Windows program over the USB cable (not Mac). The O2 sensor test is the one to run when gas mileage has crept down with no light on: FOXWELL pitches it as a check on the air-fuel mix, which a basic reader can’t do.
- Checks the air-fuel mix
- Red-yellow-green smog readiness light
- Reads the VIN itself
- Lifetime free updates
Best for: Readiness checks and sensor tests
- Screen
- 2.8 in color
- Reads
- Engine and emissions
- Live data
- With graphs
- Code meanings shown
- Yes
- Service resets
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1ANCEL AD310 | #2MOTOPOWER MP69033 | #3VDIAGTOOL VD10 | #4Autel AL319 | #5FOXWELL NT301 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $50–$75 |
| Screen | 2.4 in | 2.8 in, backlit | 2.1 in, 2 lines | 2.4 in color | 2.8 in color |
| Reads | Engine and emissions | Engine and emissions | Engine and emissions | Engine and emissions | Engine and emissions |
| Live data | Yes | With graphs | Yes | Yes | With graphs |
| Code meanings shown | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Service resets | No | No | No | No | No |
| Best for | Diagnosing a check engine light | Live data on a bigger screen | Checking a used car before buying | A first code reader for the garage | Readiness checks and sensor tests |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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