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I’ve tested over 200+ OBD2 scanners and diagnostic tools. This guide shows you exactly which scanner to buy for your car and what you actually need.
- Avoid the most common “I bought the wrong scanner” mistakes.
- See which tools I personally use and recommend for different budgets.
- Understand which scanner features matter for your car and use case.
- Learn how to use an OBD2 scanner like a pro, not just read and clear codes.
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Start with the guides that visitors read the most on Car Hacker.
Latest OBD2 scanner reviews
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Vdiagtool D200 Tested | Owner’s review
I tested VDIAGTOOL D200 myself on my Volkswagen Touareg. I already reviewed several VDIAGTOOL scanners before. This one uses Xtool-style software, which is one of
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Carly OBD Review – Subscription Trap & Useless Scanner | 2025/2026 Update
I bought Carly OBD twice, tested it on multiple real cars, compared it to more than 100 other scanners, and even made a viral YouTube
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I Tested OBDeleven 3 vs OBDeleven 2 | Owner’s review
I tested OBDeleven 3 on my VW Golf 5 and compared it directly to the old OBDeleven 2 adapter and the old VAG-only app. Scan
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Kingbolen S608 TESTED | Owner’s review
The Kingbolen S608 is marketed as a mid-tier diagnostic tool with bidirectional control, service resets, and 4-system diagnostics (Engine, Transmission, ABS, SRS). I spent several
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XTool A30M is amazing | Owner’s review
Xtool A30M is one of the most impressive tools I’ve tested so far. I spent days testing it on my Alfa Romeo test rig, Touareg
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Kingbolen K7 | Owner’s Review
The Kingbolen K7 OBD2 scanner is one of the most impressive mid-range scan tools I’ve tested this year. It’s a wireless full-system scanner with ECU
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YOUCANIC UCAN-II full-system OBD2 scanner | Owner’s Review
The Youcanic UCAN-II OBD2 scanner seems to be perfect solutions for DIY mechanics who doesn’t want to spend thousands but also don’t want to sacrife
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Topdon Artidiag 600 Pro | Owner’s review
I tried this affordable full-system scan tool and even though it isn’t bad, there are better options for same amount of money. Scanner itself works
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Dollarfix DF65 | Owner’s review
Dollarfix DF65 is one of cheapest scanners coming built-in tablet which makes it good pick for DIY home mechanics. It can scan engine but also
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Mucar BT200 Max | Owner’s review
Mucar BT200 Max is perfect OBD2 scanner for DIY mechanics. It is extremely cheap but it is hiding software from professional scan tools with full-system
