The Best OBD II Car Tracking and Diagnostic Devices

delivery fleet GPS tracker Tracking and Diagnostic Devices
After 30 hours of research, and months of testing eight GPS-equipped plug-in car tracking devicesalso referred to OBD II (on-board diagnostics) deviceswe think the Automatic Pro is the practical for people who want to track a car’s location, record travel expenses, identify the cause of a check-engine light, or automatically get emergency help after a crash. With its smartphone app, the Automatic Pro is one of the easiest devices to use; it also provides clear trip reports and quickly identifies an engine’s trouble codes. And unlike most models, it integrates with other apps to become even more versatile.
Like all of these devices, the Automatic Pro plugs into your car’s diagnostic port (usually located near the steering wheel). The Automatic Pro doesn’t offer as many real-time driving alerts as our other picks, but when compared with the most important things you should expect from an OBD device. It grow a most expense-tracking options, as well, and it’s considered one of only two devices this that don’t require in order to definitely pay a monthly subscription fee.
Verizon’s Hum+ will be the easiest device in order to to call for help and approach for staying together with of your car’s health, but continuing education a $30 activation charge plus a monthly subscription fee of $10. As well as to offering point core features as our top pick, the Hum+ anyone to proactively scan car for signs of trouble. It also includes a separate speaker/microphone unit that clips onto your car’s sun visor and lets you make hands-free calls or quickly contact an auto mechanic or emergency response center by pressing a button (though, like our top pick, it can automatically call for help if it detects a crash). It can also send you alerts when it detects speeding, hard braking, or rapid acceleration, and when issues leaves or enters a specific locationthough if your primary intention is in order to a driver’s behavior, the Autobrain is superior for that point.
The Autobrain is cheaper up front opposed to Hum+ (though additionally, it requires a $10 monthly fee), nevertheless it’s better for monitoring an inexperienced teen driver or a senior thanks to additional real-time alertsfor example, whenever issues starts or travels during unauthorized countless hours. The Autobrain automatically calls for help in an accident, like our other picks, but it can be the only device we tested which reminds you to envision for a baby in the car every time you turn off you can. However, it’s not just like for tracking driving expenses as our top pick, and in contrast to our upgrade pick, it doesn’t proactively scan for car problems or will include a speakerphone module to create manually calling for help easier.