Carista OBD - Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner and App - Car Scanner Diagnostic Tool and Code Reader with Access to Diagnostics, Customizations, Service Tools, and Live Data

I’ve been really impressed with the Carista EVO Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner from Carista — it was incredibly easy to set up, paired with my phone in minutes, and the app made everything simple to understand even for a non-expert. I’ve used it to check my car’s overall status, read and clear fault codes, and keep an eye on potential issues before they turn into bigger problems, which gives real peace of mind. I also liked how straightforward it was to change certain vehicle settings and customisations right from the app, something I couldn’t do with basic scanners before. The Bluetooth connection has been stable and reliable, and the whole experience feels polished and user-friendly rather than technical or confusing. It’s a great tool for everyday drivers who want more insight into their car without going to a garage for every little warning light — highly recommended, just make sure you check that your specific car model is supported so you can use all the features.

The Carista EVO OBD2 scanner is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to understand their car better or save time on diagnostics. Pairing via Bluetooth is effortless, and the app connects quickly without any fuss. Within seconds, it scans the vehicle and provides clear, detailed information about any fault codes or potential issues. What’s great is how user-friendly it is even if you’re not a mechanic, the layout and explanations make it easy to follow. The ability to customise certain vehicle settings is a nice bonus, and the live data readings are accurate and responsive. It’s compact, well built, and works seamlessly with both Android and iOS. Overall, it’s a reliable, professional-grade diagnostic tool that’s simple enough for everyday drivers but powerful enough for enthusiasts.

I use the Carista Evo regularly to monitor DPF Regens which occur every 200 - 250 miles. Carista enables me to tailor my journey to ensure completion of the process. The downsides - some issues with connection, resulting in frustration, but after some unplugging and rebooting it comes back online. Also had a couple of occurrences where it won’t clear a fault, but reassuring to be able to diagnose any issues. I have not embarked on the customisation features. Overall, a good product and worthwhile purchase, though subscription is expensive.

Having used dealer-level diagnostic and programming software, this device is an absolute must for the enthusiast. It makes complex programming a doddle - what would normally take 30 mins now takes around 3 minutes. Before reading this short review, a couple of must knows - check your vehicle is compatible before buying on the CARISTA website. For example, this device only had basic functions on a 2015 Mercedes E Class. But it had full functionality on a 2008 BMW 3 series, and also a 2018 VW Polo. For those who think this is the 'ONE STOP SHOP' of diagnostic scanners out there - it comes pretty damn close. It's plug and play, no need to connect to wifi (iOS ELM 327), simply launch the app and it connects to the Carista seamlessly every time. Picture shows activation of ‘Real-time MPG’ on an e90 BMW M3 which can improve your driving style helping you to understand how to save fuel when not driving these cars at their full potential. This option was activated in 2 minutes on the CARISTA and not normally activated from the factory on these vehicles. A quick lesson in On Board Diagnostics: Most cars have several 'modules' (ECU's) which control all functions of the vehicle. Do a google search of 'BMW Module Tree' to see what this looks like on paper. Your £5 - £50 scanners can normally interrogate ONLY THE ENGINE (ECU) module, as this is most commonly responsible for the 'Check Engine' light. A £50 scanner might give you live data of engine parameters with graphing etc. for fault finding, and the £5 scanner will simply give you a fault code. These scanners rarely let you code/program anything on the vehicle. The more expensive scanners £50 - £250 work to interrogate additional modules including ABS, Airbag, Transmission etc. which can also cause the Check Engine light to illuminate. Decent scanners have better compatibility with a wider range of vehicles and some explanation of the fault codes built in (google is normally best for interpretation of codes anyway). These are still 'scanners' and permit very limit coding/programming to the vehicle, unless otherwise stated (steering angle sensor, battery programming, TPMS reset etc. are common features built-in). These scanners work for 50% of vehicle problems. The expensive £400+ scanners usually allow interrogation of all vehicle modules, or atleast as many as are compatible with the device. Common faults often occur in auxiliary modules such as Footwell, Light, Car Access System, Radio etc. which normally only dealer-level OEM software can interpret, interrogate and program properly. These scanners offer varying levels of compatibility, but work for 90% of problems on cars, most independent garages use these and they often require some sort of subscription service. The amazing thing about the Carista is that it is actually interrogating several modules in the car which normally only the £400 scanners would do. In order to do complex customisations it needs access to read and write to these auxiliary modules. To enable features like real-time mpg, driver door unlock on one-click, and increasing brightness of rear lights would normally require 30 mins of downloading module data to a laptop, interpreting through dealer-level software, editing string values, and re-uploading to the module, all in a careful and timely manner. The Carista takes care of this whole process and does the coding in seconds. It's quite unbelievable (although not the first on the market to do this, it seems to be the first multi-vehicle, cross-compatible device). So in having access to all vehicle modules, Carista is able to report back detailed error codes within these modules. The caveat is it only works if the Carista scanner is compatible with the vehicle. A 2015 Mercedes E Class W212 with the 'Auxiliary Battery Malfunction' error was not picked up by the Carista, nor was it recognised by a trusty £200 scanner. It's likely that to read this error in more detail, a £400+ scanner would be required, or dealer-level software with a USB cable and laptop. The 2007-2013 BMW 3 Series E9x vehicles are very well covered, as are VAG group vehicles. Compatibility seems to be improving regularly and is already very good for a device at this price. Carista have a Beta Test Team which are constantly working to add functionality and compatibility. You can join this team from their website. All in all, an excellent little scanner, worth every penny. Hints for use: Keep a record of the customisations you carry out. Carry out customisations one-at-a-time with the IGNITION ON but ENGINE OFF. Ensure your car battery is in good order, if in doubt connect a battery charger if doing a long session as a battery failure during programming can be fatal for the module. End all other apps on your phone/tablet and disconnect all other bluetooth devices. Do not operate things in the vehicle whilst coding/diagnosing/using the Carista, modules should be idle during read/write. Opening / closing doors and windows and operating the radio can affect coding. WARNING on BMW E9x vehicles: Activating the 'Engine can be started only when car is in Neutral/Park' is for AUTOMATIC MODELS only. Activating this customisation on a Manual vehicle will prevent it from starting! - There are a number of issues like this, where the customisation needs to be carefully considered before activation. Wish list for future updates: More powerful diagnostics - adaptations, activation of ABS pump for bleeding, O2 sensor testing, live data streaming, sensor readouts, graphing, etc. Save/Restore feature - after making some customisation 'mistakes' you have to go back and undo those customisations by guessing. Increased vehicle compatibility list, especially Mercedes and other popular cars. Also fixing functionality with other diagnostic apps which are classed as compatible, could not get these to recognise and connect to the Carista. Also, some information on each customisation, quite often it's a case of guessing what each thing does. Grouping customisations into a 'custom list' would also be handy. For example, you don't need to look at customisations relevant to the sunroof when the vehicle does not have one. Thanks Carista for a device that everyone has been waiting for. Enjoy your car, your way!

Having used many diagnostic tools for years, including the USB types such as OBD11, I rate this higher for regular users as it is not pay per option, but subscription based. I also find the GUI easier to use than OBD11 and it seems quicker and more responsive. When I'm not using it with the Carista app, it can also be used as a dongle to connect to my android phone running VAG DPF app (other diagnostic apps will work in same way) so I can keep a real time eye on my DPF and its regeneration. Very easy to setup and I've recommended one to friends due to its easy ability to read and reset codes and quite easily interpret live data

Personally I think this overpriced paperweight deserves 0 stars, but we must have some moral respect for products on here. I purchased the original adapter back in June 2024. Only for them to lock all the features behind a paywall OR if you purchase the EVO variant. Was prepared to spend the few extra pennies on the Evo model in October 2024. Worked great when I got it, all diagnostics were free and easy to understand, and clear. I used it throughout 2025, even paying for a month so I could customise my car a little bit (albeit the features are no where near as detailed as OBDEleven) I’ve just gone to use the product today and… low and behold, NOTHING is free anymore for my vehicle. Everything is now behind a paywall for a mere £60 per year, on top of the £50 product. This is absurd and makes this product completely useless without a subscription. You aren’t using anything of theirs for them to charge, so I’m unsure why it’s all subscription based. Contacted Carista customer service and they defend their company by saying “advanced features require subscription” despite their website saying otherwise. Amazon have allowed me to return the product for a full refund. STAY WAY CLEAR OF THIS PRODUCT

I’m in the Motor trade and have access to diagnostic equipment. I recently purchased a four year SEAT Arona. There were a few factory “options” turned off, cornering lights being one of them. The diagnostic equipment I use would not allow me to change anything more than you can do through the infotainment system on the car. I was sceptical with Carista, but I thought it was worth a punt. You need a subscription to do what I needed to do, but to be fair that’s a given. SEAT wanted £150 just to “turn on” the cornering lights. Carista worked a treat for less than half that, even with the subscription! It really is a no brainier. Before you buy just check it does what you want. The other plus is that it isn’t VIN locked, so you can use it on any of the listed vehicles. So you could earn a couple of quid of your mates!

Poor rating not because the product isn’t good, it probably is good, but Amazon listed it as fully compatible with my car. Didn’t think to double check this with Carista as thought Amazon could be trusted. But it turns out, as advised by Carista when I contacted them: “ Most 2024+ VAG Group cars are equipped with the new SFD2 lock. We can confirm that your vehicle is equipped with the SFD2 lock. At present, our app does not support SFD2 unlock functionality. We are currently evaluating the feasibility of implementing SFD2 unlock, but we cannot provide any assurances or timelines regarding if or when this support might become available. Sorry about that.” Considered returning it but going to hang onto it and try it out on the Audi I plan to buy soon. Poor show from amazon but great service Carista