How Do I Know Whether My Car is OBD-II Compliant?

OBDLink® Vehicle Compatibility Chart


**Please Note: OBD-II compatibility is not related to where the vehicle is manufactured where your vehicle was bought when new. To read the chart below, choose the country where your vehicle was sold new. If you do not see the country below, check your vehicle manual, research online, or consult with your dealership to confirm OBD-II compatibility.

**Please Note: Hybrid and Electric vehicles are low or zero emission vehicles, our scan tools may not work. Check your vehicle manual, research online, or consult with your dealership.

Country of Sale Model Years Notes
United States 1996
European Union (Diesel) Full OBD-II Compliance for 2007 and onward Limited Compliance from 2004-06
European Union(Petrol) Full OBD-II Compliance for 2002 and onward Limited Compliance from 2001
Canada 1998
Algeria 2014
Argentina (Domestic) 2008
Argentina (Imports) 2009
Australia (Diesel) 2007
Australia (Petrol) 2006
Bahrain Full OBD-II Compliance for 2018 and onward Limited Compliance from 2017-18
Brazil (Petrol) Full OBD-II Compliance for 2007 and onward Limited Compliance from 2005-06
Brazil (Diesel) Full OBD-II Compliance for 2015 and onward Limited Compliance from 2013-14
Chile (Diesel) 2013
Chile (Petrol) 2014
China (Beijing - Petrol) 2008
China (Country - Diesel) 2011
China (Country - Petrol) 2010
Costa Rica Limited Compliance from 2017 onward
Hong Kong 2006
India Full OBD-II Compliance for 2017 and onward Limited Compliance from 2013-16
Iran 2012
Israel 2003
Japan Full OBD-II Compliance for 2008 and onward Limited Compliance from 2003-07
Kuwait Full OBD-II Compliance for 2018 and onward Limited Compliance from 2017-18
Mexico 2007
Morocco 2010
New Zealand (Diesel) 2007
New Zealand (Petrol) 2006
Nigeria 2015
Oman Full OBD-II compliance for 2018 and onward Limited Compliance from 2017-18
Peru 2003
Peru 2017
Philippines 2016
Qatar Full OBD-II Compliance for 2018 and onward Limited Compliance from 2017-18
Russia Full OBD-II Compliance for 2012 and onward Limited Compliance from 2010-11
Saudi Arabia Full OBD-II Compliance for 2018 and onward Limited Compliance from 2017-18
Singapore 2014
South Korea Full OBD-II Compliance for 2010 and onward Limited Compliance from 2005-09
Taiwan 2008
Thailand 2013
Turkey 2013
United Arab Emirates Full OBD-II Compliance for 2018 and onward Limited Compliance from 2017-18
Vietnam 2017
Yemen Full OBD-II Compliance for 2018 and onward Limited Compliance from 2017-18

1996 or newer model year vehicle sold in the United States

United States legislation requires all cars and light trucks model year (MY) 1996 and newer to be OBD-II compliant. More information is available on the EPA's website. Our scan tools work on all 1996 and newer cars and light trucks sold in the United States, including:

Acura
Alfa Romeo
Ariel Atom
Aston Martin
Audi
Bentley
BMW
Buick
Cadillac
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Citroen
Daewoo
Daihatsu
Daimler
Dodge
Ferrari
Fiat
Ford
Geo
GMC
Holden
Honda
Hummer
Hyundai
Infiniti
Isuzu
Jaguar
Jeep
Kia
Lamborghini
Lancia
Land Rover
Lexus
Lincoln
Lotus
Maserati
Mazda
McLaren
Mercedes
Mercury
MG
Mini
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Oldsmobile
Opel
Pagani
Panoz
Peugeot
Plymouth
Pontiac
Porsche
Regal
Renault
Rolls-Royce
Roush
Rover
Saab
Saleen
Saturn
Seat
Scion
Shelby
Skoda
Smart
Subaru
Suzuki
Tesla
Toyota
Triumph
TVR
Vauxhall
Volkswagen
Volvo
Yugo

2001 or newer model year gasoline vehicle sold in the European Union

Commission Directive 70/220/EEC, Annex I:

8.1. Vehicles with positive-ignition engines
With effect from 1 January 2000 for new types and from 1 January 2001 for all types, vehicles of category M1, except vehicles the maximum mass of which exceeds 2500 kg, and vehicles of category N1 class I, must be fitted with an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system for emission control in accordance with Annex XI. [...]

Note that here "European Union" means countries which were members of the EU in 2000.

2004 or newer model year diesel vehicle sold in the European Union

Commission Directive 70/220/EEC, Annex I:

8.2. Vehicles with compression-ignition engines
Vehicles of category M1, except
- vehicles designed to carry more than six occupants including the driver,
- vehicles whose maximum mass exceeds 2500 kg,
from 1 January 2003 for new types and from 1 January 2004 for all types, must be fitted with an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system for emission control in accordance with Annex XI.

Note that here "European Union" means countries which were members of the EU in 2003.

Other vehicles

If your vehicle does not fall into any of the above categories, look under the hood and try to locate a label (Fig. 1) that explicitly states that the vehicle was designed to comply with OBD-II legislation.

obd label

Fig. 1 - Vehicle Emission Control Information Label

In this case, OBD-II is used as a general term and can mean any of the following:

  • OBD II (California ARB)
  • EOBD (European OBD)
  • JOBD (Japanese OBD)

You may also consult your vehicle's owner's manual and perhaps contact your local dealer. However, be aware of the fact that many dealers do not know the difference between OBD and OBD-II.

If the vehicle is not OBD-II compliant, you cannot use a generic OBD-II scan tool such as ElmScan to obtain diagnostic information from your vehicle.

But my car has the 16-pin OBD connector, shouldn't it be OBD-II compliant?

No, not necessarily. A lot of European and Asian manufacturers equipped their vehicles with D-shaped 16-pin connectors long before they began installing OBD-II systems on those vehicles. One curious thing to note here is the fact that most non-EOBD compliant vehicles had a DLC that does not fully conform to SAE J1979. Compare figures 2 and 3, and notice the "ears" on the non-EOBD compliant Ford Focus.


Fig. 2 - Ford Escort DLC (courtesy of DigitalFriction, UK)


Fig. 3 - J1962 Vehicle Connector, Type A