Having a good OBDII scan tool goes a long way to help troubleshoot a vehicle issue and point to the repair needed.
There are many good OBDII scanners to use that come with different menus, features, and price ranges.
Often, what works for one person may not work for another so below we list our favorite picks for OBDII scan tools.
There is no doubt many good units with those below simply some of our favorites with many more good options available.
In full disclosure these units have been sent to us from companies to review which we have done with our own honest opinion and results.
As always be sure to read the reviews on Amazon, here, forums, or elsewhere to be sure a unit is a good fit for you.
*This site contains affiliate paid links for which a commission earned.
Our Picks for Best OBDII Scanner for the DIY Mechanic
- Actron CP9125
- OBDII KW680
- Topdon
- AUTOPHIX OM123
- ELM 327
- Innova 3150f
- FOXWELL NT510
- Launch 6001
The Actron CP9125 has been available for awhile and is a good go-to unit for any DIY mechanic when fixing a car or truck.
There is no fancy features with it getting right to the point of giving an error code and clearing them when needed.
There is new units which are better but the Actron CP9125 has stood the test of time and help troubleshoot many vehicles.
Read Full Review of the Actron CP9125
The KW680 OBD2 scan tool is a good low-cost unit that will read and clear engine codes.
It has a nice user friendly menu that makes it easy to use.
The menu has many options including Diagnostic, DTC Lookup, Review, Tool Setup, Print Data, Help, and Bat Check.
It is a good fit for home users or the part-time mechanic that needs a code reader.
This code reader from Topdon is a good unit that most anyone can use.
It has a lot of options from reading standard codes to reading O2 Sensor Data.
The menu options are well laid out making it easy to find why an engine light is on or other problems a vehicle is having.
The AUTOPHIX OM123 OBDII Scan Tool is a good low-cost unit that does what it is built to do which is read and clear codes.
There is no-doubt better more expensive units but the AUTOPHIX OM123 is a nice unit able to do most anything more costly scan tools can do.
While using it I had no problems reading and clearing basic engine codes and plan to keep testing the unit.
There is no advanced features and the build quality is low.
No list of OBD2 scan tools would be complete without the ELM 327.
This small OBDII dongles came along a few years ago and are very low-cost units.
They Pair with a smartphone and along with an App to display and erase codes.
There are many small Bluetooth units available with the ELM 327 the most widely used.
While they do work there can be compatibility problems at times with smartphones and some vehicles.
Using an Android smartphone and the Torque app works the best with the ELM 327.
The Innova 3150f is an OBDII scan tool that has ABS and SRS features.
This makes it a good unit for anyone needing more advanced features than standard OBDII.
Added features include reading ABS (Anti lock brake system), SRS, and transmission fault codes.
It does cost more and is a higher-end unit that is built for the more advanced user.
The FOXWELL NT510 is a very nice OBD2 scan tool built for the professional mechanic.
It has many features an average DIY type person will not need.
Most will be able to use a budget tool but for those looking for something better with lots of built-in options the FOXWELL NT510 is worth a look.
Besides being able to read and clear basic OBDII codes it can also read ABS, Airbag, SAS, EPB, DPF, BRT, EPS, CVT, Oil Service Reset Light and more.
It is a nice unit but does cost much more compared to other scanners.
The Launch 6001 is a nice budget OBDII automotive scanner.
It has a lot of options for such a low priced unit and one of our favorite picks.
There is a lot of features built into it such as OBD Partial Functions, Read DTCs, Clear DTCs, Read dynamic data streams, Read vehicle information and much more.
It found errors that many older scanners did not find which was impressive.
The one downside is the plastic build of the unit which keeps the price low and may not last long in a professional shop.
For the DIY part time mechanic it is a good option for a new scan tool in 2020.
OBDII Scanner Comparison Chart
| Name | Type | Read/Erase Codes | Build |
|---|---|---|---|
| KONNWEI KW680 | Stand-alone | Yes | Budget |
| Actron CP9125 | Stand-alone | Yes | Budget |
| Topdon | Stand-alone | Yes | Budget |
| OM123 | Stand-alone | Yes | Budget |
| ELM 327 | Bluetooth | Yes | Budget |
| Innova 3150f | Stand-alone | Yes | High-End |
| FOXWELL NT650 | Stand-alone | Yes | High-End |
| Launch 6001 | Stand-alone | Yes | Mid-Range |
Summary
There is no doubt many good OBDII scan tools with those above simply a few of our favorite picks.
If you are confused on which unit to get any of the units above will work on any 1996 and newer cars and trucks foreign or domestic.
OBDII is a set protocol that all car manufactures have agreed to add to vehicles for reading errors and clearing codes.
Some manufactures have added to the OBDII protocol list such as Vag-Com for Volkswagen but still have the basic OBDII protocols built-in.
As always be sure to read the reviews on forums, Amazon, here, or elsewhere to be sure a unit is the right pick for you.