A high-quality car code reader will provide accurate diagnostics for any car built after 1996.
Instantly know if something is wrong with your car and save money on mechanic fees and vehicle maintenance.
Our team tested the 31 most popular car code readers on price, build quality, companion application, reliability and much more.
Updated: January 25, 2022
all listed products are shipped from:
Incredible value for money
Compact design
No hidden costs
Spots problems before they develop
Real time monitoring
Excellent companion App
Can diagnose over 7000 faults
Regularly out of stock
Fixd
Can diagnose over 10,000 "Check Engine" faults
Small and compact
Amazing companion application
On call mechanics 6 days a week
Emission testing
Shows average repair costs
Many of the best features locked behind premium subscription
Premium service is expensive
BlueDriver
Brilliant offline instruction videos
Enhanced diagnostics for many major car manufactures
Compatible with Android and Apple devices
Live reporting can be snapshot and printed out for later reference
Emission testing
No monthly subscription charge
Device sticks out of the socket a little way
Quite expensive
OBDLink
In-depth diagnostics
Overvoltage protection
Sleep mode when not in use
Works with multiple applications
Strong encryption and stealth signals prevent hacking
No dedicated companion App
Expensive device
Does not work with Hybrids or electric cars
Foxwell
Easy to read screen
Budget price
Rugged control device
Emission testing
display data in graph and text form
Retrieve target vehicle VIN number
Large device
Not compatible with hybrids or electric vehicles
UPDATE: Due to popular demand, we have secured a limited amount of 50% discount codes for the Automend! First time buyers only. A few remain, claim yours by clicking here.
Best Rated
January 2022
UPDATE: Due to popular demand, we have secured a limited amount of 50% discount codes for the Automend! First time buyers only. A few remain, claim yours by clicking here.
Table of Contents
Keeping your car on the road and in healthy condition can be a very expensive undertaking. Studies have shown that the best way to head off potential problems is to give your car a professional assessment every couple of months. Obviously paying a mechanic for an expensive procedure 5 times a year is out of the question for most people and not everyone is good with the mechanical side of owning a vehicle.
Car code readers can deliver accurate professional level diagnostics to your smart phone in seconds. Pinpoint potential problems before they become expensive disasters. The AutoMend Pro can even spot possible safety issues before you set off on a journey.
All products that made this list are the best car code readers that you can buy in 2021. They are compact, affordable and most importantly accurate. They are the latest answer to automobile diagnostics.
Finding the right product for you can be a bit of a chore. There are tons of devices available to buy online and they all make a lot of similar claims. To save you time, we have checked out some of the highest customer rated car code readers on the market.
Wondering which is the best choice for you? We have tried and tested the most popular car code readers and have reached a verdict. The AutoMend is the most effective product out there. To find out more about this fantastic device check out our full review below.
Most cars have a wide range of fault lights that can highlight problems with your vehicle. The problem with this is that they don't light up until the fault has already happened. If the fault lies in the electronics the warning lights might not even display leaving you unaware of developing issues.
A high-quality car code reader can sense problems before they reach the stage where a fault indicator will light up. This can potentially save you hundreds in repair costs and ensure the safe operation of your automobile.
It should be noted that although your car might display a "check engine" warning there is no way to tell what fault is causing the light to show up. Some cars can have up to 6000 different faults that will cause the check engine warning to appear. Using a car code reader you can find out exactly what is causing your error lights to appear without a costly trip to the mechanic.
The best card code readers will save the date and allow it to be displayed in a graph. You can take this data to your mechanic and they will be able to see what caused the fault and what your car was doing when it happened.
For a car code reader to work they need to be attached to a OBD2 port. All cars built in or after 1996 should have one of these ports. Some brands only work with Hybrid vehicles so you should check device compatibility before purchase.
Not everyone knows their way around an automobile. Sadly there are unscrupulous mechanics out there that take advantage of people and bump up the cost of parts to make more money. The AutoMend Pro not only tells you about the repair your car needs it also informs you of what other people pay for the same repair. This allows you to be more informed when dealing with mechanics.
By plugging into a OBD2 port your device now has direct access to the vehicle's diagnostic suite. Connecting via Bluetooth to your smartphone you can now get real time updates on your car's mechanical condition. Until recently this kind of technology was only available to professional mechanics.
OBD2 stands for "On Board Diagnostics 2" Simply put, it allows all the data recorded in your car's onboard computer to be diagnosed and displayed. Data tracked includes but is not limited to:
These data points can be analyzed by the companion application and used to pinpoint faults and errors that need to be fixed.
All cars made after 1996 feature a OBD2 port. It is normally placed in the same position on all makes of vehicles. Underneath and to the left of your steering wheel is where you will normally find the port.
You don't need to worry about batteries or charging up your device. When plugged into the OBD2 port the device is powered by your vehicle.
The only thing you need is a smartphone! The best car code readers connect tool free to the OBD2 port and will display all the important information on your smart device.
As long as you can download the companion application to your smartphone then the car code read will work. Use the App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android. Follow the on-screen instructions for installation.
Any good error code reader comes ready to use right out of the box. There will be a few things to do before your new purchase is ready to use.
Remove all packaging from the device. Make sure to recycle appropriately.
Read through all included documentation before use.
Locate the OBD2 port. In the vast majority of vehicles it will be underneath and to the left of your steering wheel. Plug your car code reader into the port.
Install the appropriate companion application and follow the on-screen instructions to pair your device.
That's all there is to it! Now you will be able to pinpoint errors and head off expensive repair bills without having to consult a professional mechanic.