Carista app is used for diagnosing car problems and customizing the car. While it lacks many important features for diagnosing, it is pretty good for coding and unlocking new features of your car.
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Carista – Quick Overview
Carista is not one versatile device for car diagnosing; it is more like a coding supplement. You can use it for coding the car, and you will need another device to diagnose problems.
Who tested product & wrote this review?
Tester & Editor for this review: Juraj Lukacko
Hello, I am Juraj (Yuri) and I tested this product to help you decide if it is something you would want to buy, and if yes, show you how to use it.
I make honest reviews based on personal testing in my own garage and If I see the product is bad, I will make it very clear in review.
Read more about how I do reviews on Iamcarhacker.com in my review policy.
What is Carista?
The Carista adapter is a Bluetooth OBDII scan tool that connects to your smartphone/tablet. The strength of this device is in diagnosing the fault codes because it can scan all of the car’s control units.
Another reason to buy is the option to unlock or customize features of your car, like the turn signals, remote keys, locking options, etc. You won’t get many options for the live data and service functions. I recommend this app for occasional 1-month payment, just do your customizations and cancel the subscription.
Which adapters work for Carista?
Carista has own 2 adapters, a classic Carista Adapter and a new Carista EVO. Other than that, it also works with other ELM327 adapters like Veepeak.
| Carista Classic | https://amzn.to/4jEDtWF |
| Carista EVO | https://amzn.to/4gBDA2A |
I tested a lot of different Bluetooth OBD scanners
I tested more than 30 different Bluetooth OBD scanners, so the review is crafted based on the level of value it can give you for money spent. Here is a list of the Best Bluetooth OBD scanners.
Verdict: Carista is best in enabling specific features but I don’t recommend paying for a subscription long-term. It is easier to just pay for one 1-month, do all the customizations you want, and cancel it. Here is a list of supported modifications: https://carista.com/en/supported-cars
How much does the Carista cost?
I am recommending Carista only for a 1-month because it lacks many diagnostic features like live data graphs and full live data, nor does it have complete engine live data. The Car Scanner app is better for diagnosing, and Carista is good only for coding and customization. If you unlock the hidden feature, it will be stored in your car, so you can cancel the subscription and keep your customizations.
| 1-month | $10 |
| 3-months | $20 |
| 12-months | $50 |
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Hi, I am Juraj “Yuri” Lukacko. I got frustrated by unhelpful and scammy mechanics, so I decided to learn everything about car diagnostics myself. I test dozens of new car diagnostic tools every month along with learning new strategies to fix and customize cars. About Juraj Lukacko (Yuri)
I ordered Carista’s OBD II adapter (arriving today), but I would like to know if I can use it and the Carista app to program a new key on my 2011 Toyota RAV4. Do you know if it supports this? Someone in a RAV 4 forum said to use it for this, but Carista support wasn’t able ti tell me if it had that capability. Thanks!
Hi scanners like this can never program a new key, they only sometimes can code new keyfob (so you can lock/unlock but cant use it to start). However I never saw any key coding option in Carista app so most likely the answer is NO.