FAQ's

Carista offers an innovative App and OBD2 Scanners, allowing Audi, BMW, Cupra, Infiniti, Ford, Lexus, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mini, Nissan, Scion, SEAT, Skoda, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia and Genesis owners to diagnose, customize, and service their cars.

Simply visit Supported Cars, choose your car’s brand, model, and generation, and discover all the available features for your car.

Yes, the Carista app can display readings for some real-time data parameters. For more info, please see: supported cars

Purchasing Scanners on Carista's website and through our partners ensures high security. We utilize Stripe to ensure the utmost protection of your financial transactions, and we do not have access to your data. Additionally, we partner with trusted payment processors to safeguard your transactions.

Carista offers various payment methods depending on where you purchase the products:

Amazon (UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, France, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands, USA, Mexico, Canada): Payment methods accepted by Amazon (credit/debit cards, Amazon Pay, etc.).

Official website (UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Germany): Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Other Distributors: Payment methods may vary based on the distributor's policies.

Ensure to check the specific payment options available during the checkout process on each platform.

Yes, we provide a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases, allowing customers to try our Scanners risk-free. If for any reason, you are not satisfied within 30 days of purchase, you can return the product at your own expense for a full refund. Additionally, our Scanners come with a 2-year warranty for added peace of mind.

Yes, using the Carista App and Scanners is safe.

Our company, certified with TISAX, achieved TISAX level 2 certification in January 2024, ensuring the highest information security standards. Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange (TISAX) is a collection of information security policies we adhere to. We strictly follow them, utilizing advanced encryption and security protocols to protect your vehicle data, ensuring it remains confidential and secure at all times.

By implementing security measures, Carista ensures that using our App and Scanners is not only convenient for vehicle customizations and diagnostics but also safe and secure for your personal data.

Contact us directly at support@caristaapp.com or tap on the gear icon in the App's bottom navigation bar and use "Customer service".

You can contact the Carista support team in your native language. We strive to provide assistance in multiple languages to ensure effective communication and support for all our customers worldwide.

We offer two scanner options: Carista OBD and Carista EVO, each with distinct features and capabilities.

See the technical comparison table below for full specs.

Want to unleash your car’s full potential? Pair the Carista App Pro with our advanced Scanner, Carista EVO. Designed for drivers who want in-depth diagnostics and expanded customizations, it continuously evolves to support more car brands and features with every update.

Prefer the basics? Use the Carista App Pro with the Carista OBD Scanner, a reliable option that covers essential functions for a core list of popular brands.

Note: While the Carista App is also compatible with certain third-party OBD2 scanners, these devices may have limited functionality and reduced vehicle compatibility.

Carista OBD Scanner – Reliable basics for popular brands

The Carista OBD, compatible with the ELM327 v1.4 standard, is a reliable OBD2 Scanner for diagnostics and customizations on the following supported car brands: Audi, BMW*, Cupra, Infiniti, Lexus, Mini, Nissan, Scion, SEAT, Skoda, Toyota, and Volkswagen models made up to 2019.

Carista EVO Scanner – Аdvanced power & broader compatibility

The Carista EVO Scanner, built on the ELM327 v2.2 standard, is designed to unlock the full potential of the Carista App Pro — our car diagnostic App trusted by over 2 million enthusiasts worldwide.

With support for multiple protocols, the Carista EVO Scanner goes far beyond the brand compatibility of the Carista OBD. In addition to core brands like Audi, BMW, Cupra, Infiniti, Lexus, Mini, Nissan, Scion, SEAT, Skoda, Toyota, and Volkswagen, it seamlessly supports Ford, Land Rover, Mazda, Volvo, and more.

The EVO Scanner provides access to in-depth, licensed diagnostics for certain models of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dacia, GMC, Holden, Opel/Vauxhall, Renault, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Saab. It also unlocks SFD for all VW Group vehicles made up to 2023, offering broader compatibility and deeper feature access than the Carista OBD Scanner.

Final take:

Choosing Carista EVO over Carista OBD and third-party scanners ensures wider brand compatibility, lightning-fast connection, superior Bluetooth connectivity, stable communication, and a robust design.

*Feature availability and compatibility depend on your vehicle's make, model, year, and the scanner used. For example, BMW F-series customizations and service tools are compatible with the Carista OBD, Carista EVO, and select third-party scanners such as OBDLink MX, OBDLink LX, OBDLink CX, vLinker FD, vLinker FS, vLinker MS, and vLinker BM. However, only the Carista EVO supports customizations and service tools for BMW K-line models (BMW E-series up to 2007), making it the most comprehensive and reliable option for full BMW functionality.

We recommend checking your car's compatibility here before purchasing.

To access your car’s hidden features and save on expensive dealership visits, you'll need a compatible Android or iOS device, a supported OBD2 scanner, and the right app.

For the best experience, we highly recommend pairing our paid Carista App Pro with the advanced Carista EVO Scanner.

Carista App device requirements:

• Any iPhone, iPad, or iPod running iOS 16.4 or later
• Any Android phone or tablet running Android 9.0 (Pie) or later with Bluetooth support

While the Carista Scanners work most efficiently with the Carista App, they are also compatible with:

• All ELM327 apps on Android
• A variety of partner apps on iOS

The Carista App is designed with an open architecture and works with both our official Carista Scanners and select third-party car code scanners. The features you can access and the range of supported car brands depend on your vehicle and the scanner you use*.

For the optimal experience, we highly recommend pairing the Carista App Pro with our advanced OBD2 Scanner — Carista EVO.

Carista EVO:

• supports a wide range of brands
• unlocks SFD protection for all VW Group vehicles made up to 2023
• provides advanced compatibility with models like Ford, Land Rover, Mazda, and Volvo
• enables in-depth, licensed diagnostics for certain models of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dacia, GMC, Holden, Opel/Vauxhall, Renault, and Saab.
  These features are NOT available with the Carista OBD Scanner and third-party supported devices.

Below is the complete list of compatible scanners:

Official Carista Scanners

• Carista EVO Scanner (Android and iOS)
• Carista OBD Scanner (Android and iOS)

Third-party compatible scanners:

• OBDLink CX (Android and iOS)
• OBDLink MX+ (Android and iOS)
• OBDLink MX Bluetooth or LX (Android only)
• vLinker FD (Android only)
• vLinker FS (Android only)
• vLinker MS (Android and iOS)
• vLinker BM (Android only)
• Kiwi 3 (Android and iOS) (note: Kiwi 4 is not supported)

Note: Kiwi 4 is not supported.

• Generic ELM327 v1.4 scanners (Android only)

WARNING: Beware of fake or defective scanners that falsely claim ELM327 v1.4 (or even v2.1) compatibility — many do not function properly.

NOTE:  “Micro Mechanic” scanners are not supported. These devices do not comply with ELM327 standards, despite marketing claims.

* For example, BMW F-series customizations and service tools are compatible with the Carista OBD, Carista EVO, and select third-party scanners such as OBDLink MX, OBDLink LX, OBDLink CX, vLinker FD, vLinker FS, vLinker MS, and vLinker BM. However, only the Carista EVO supports customizations and service tools for BMW K-line models (BMW E-series up to 2007), making it the most comprehensive and reliable option for full BMW functionality.

Just plug the scanner into your car and start using the app. There’s no prior setup, pairing, or connecting necessary. Just make sure your phone/tablet’s Bluetooth is turned on. When the Carista app asks you what kind of scanner you’re using select Carista.

In most cases, you don’t need to do anything special in order to connect to your ELM327 Bluetooth device with Carista: the app automatically detects your device and connects to it. If this is the first time you are connecting to the ELM327 device, Carista might take some extra time to find it and connect to it (up to a minute) and you may be prompted to enter a PIN code (try 1234 or 0000 or consult your device’s manual). If Carista doesn’t automatically find your device, you can pair with it from your Android Bluetooth settings like you pair with any other Bluetooth device.

Yes, each Carista Scanner includes a 2-year warranty.

If you suspect the Scanner is faulty, double-check that it's securely plugged in, your car's ignition is on, and it's connected to the Carista App via Bluetooth. If the problem remains, find the gear icon at the bottom right of your Carista App screen and select "Report a problem." Our experts will help you troubleshoot or guide you through replacing the faulty scanner.

Using an OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics) scanner to monitor your vehicle's performance, diagnose issues, or gather data should not void your car's warranty. The OBD2 port is a standardized diagnostic interface that allows external devices to read information from the vehicle's computer system.

Our OBD Scanners are of high quality and are designed to work seamlessly with your vehicle’s computer system.

However, checking your vehicle’s warranty terms and conditions is important to see if using a particular OBD2 device or modification would impact your warranty coverage.

The safety of leaving the Carista Scanner plugged in varies depending on the type you're using.

The Carista EVO Scanner can be safely left plugged in due to its low-power sleep mode, while it's advisable to unplug the Carista OBD Scanner when not in use.

Carista "beta" is a version of the app in which we test new features such as new customizations, new service tools, diagnostics, or overall support for new vehicle models before releasing them in the official version of the app.

Here are the rules of the beta:

• Nothing is guaranteed to work. It’s experimental. Don’t judge Carista by the beta. Use at your own risk.
• Beta-only features are free to use, and you don't need any purchases to use them; regular (already-released) features are still paid, even in the beta.
• "Debug data" from your car is necessary so that we have a backup of your car’s data (coding, etc.) in the unlikely event that something goes wrong. If you switch phones or delete & reinstall the app, you’ll have to resend debug data.
• We require that you always use the latest version of the beta. Testing with an old beta is of no use, as we're constantly making improvements. There's a prompt in the app that will tell you when you need to update (and keep in mind, that may happen often - even every day in some cases).

We are currently looking for beta testers with the following vehicles:

• All (supported) Ford cars
• All (supported) General Motors cars
• All (supported) BMW cars
• All (supported) Mini cars
• All (supported) VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, and Cupra cars
• All (supported) Toyota/Lexus cars
• All (supported) Nissan/Infinity cars
• All (supported) Lincoln cars
• All (supported) KIA, Hyundai cars

1. Read the rules of the beta and make sure you're fine with them.
2. Check if your vehicle is currently eligible for beta-testing.
3. Download the beta app:On Android: Visit the following link and click "BECOME A TESTER": https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.prizmos.carista (but make sure the Google account displayed in the upper right-hand corner is the same account with which you're logged into Google Play Store on your Android device). Soon after that, you should get an update to the beta version of Carista through Google Play Store, just like you get any other app update.On iOS: Visit https://testflight.apple.com/join/gIveBHOs and follow Apple's instructions to download TestFlight (which is Apple's App Store for beta apps) and then download the beta version of Carista from there.
4. Open the app and press CONNECT. The app will ask you to send "debug data" from each car you connect to (just once per car). It usually takes between 15 and 40 minutes to collect debug data.
5. All beta-only features are free. All released (non-beta) features are still paid. You don't need to make any purchases at all in order to try the beta-only functionality.
6. Do NOT delete the beta app if you run into issues - if you delete it, you're also deleting the history of what you've done in the app, which makes it harder for us to help you with any issues.

NOTE: Do NOT send debug data in advance. We're now using a new self-service beta process where the app asks you to send debug data when appropriate. You don't need to do it in advance, just follow the instructions above.

Welcome to Carista Beta!

Here's what the beta gives you access to:

• Experimental (beta-only) customizations, tools, live data, and diagnostics; these are features that haven't been released yet and haven't been confirmed to work in all cases. They are marked with a "Beta" label on the right. Try them :)
• All beta-only features are free to use. The officially-released features are still paid, even in the beta.

Here's what we expect in return:

• Feedback! We can't stress this enough: we really need you to tell us whether our new features work. We need feedback if something is not working, and we also need feedback when everything is working fine. 
• For customizations, service tools, and live data, use the "Send feedback" button next to the item you just tried.

No. Beta-only features are free to use and you don't need any purchases to use them; regular (already-released) features are still paid, even in the beta. If you already have an active subscription from the regular version, it will also work in the beta.

Note for iOS users: due to the way Apple does things, we're not able to offer purchases through the beta. In order to make a real purchase (which would unlock all functionality in the regular version and the beta), you must do it through the App Store or through the regular (non-beta) version of Carista. We're working on ways to improve this process.

If you're just testing new beta features, you don't need to make a purchase at all.

If you'd like to use the regular (non-beta) features of the app, then you do need a purchase. Temporarily, there's no way to make a purchase in the iOS beta. You'd have to delete the beta app, get the regular app from the App Store (not TestFlight), make a purchase in the regular app, and then get back to the beta. We're working on making this process easier.

IMPORTANT: If you have any outstanding issues with your vehicle due to the beta, email support@caristaapp.com before leaving the beta and before deleting the App! Regardless of having an issue or not, please open the More section (the gear icon in the bottom navigation bar) and use "Report a problem" before deleting the App!

To get out of the beta and return to the official version of Carista:

On Android: visit https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.prizmos.carista and press "LEAVE THE PROGRAM". Then delete Carista and download it again from the Google Play Store.

On iOS: Delete the App and download it again from the App Store (not from TestFlight).

“Debug data” refers to technical information about the modules in your car and their current and/or supported settings. Here’s how to send us debug data:

1. Open the More section (the gear icon in the bottom navigation bar) in the Carista App.
2. Pick "Debug menu" -> “Collect debug data”.

The process of collecting debug data can take up to 40 minutes. When it’s done, you’ll be prompted to send it in a report; please follow the on-screen instructions to send it. Thanks for helping out by sending us debug data!

Yes! We're actively working on this and we're currently beta-testing different customizations and developing support for more BMW F models. Join our beta to find out what we have for your car.

Note that we already support advanced (BMW-specific) diagnostics, live data, and service tools for BMW F cars.

All of the above manufacturers use a proprietary variant of the “K-line” communication protocol for their older models. Unfortunately, due to the proprietary nature of their variants, they are not compatible with the OBD2 scanners that we use. So at this time it is not possible to implement support for those models

We’re looking into ways to expand our support into other brands. 

We will announce any further development on our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as in our newsletter (subscribe from the bottom of any page).

The Carista Affiliate Program lets creators, publishers, mechanics, car enthusiasts, and automotive communities earn commission by referring customers to Carista products.

The program is open to relevant creators, websites, bloggers, YouTubers, TikTokers, automotive communities, newsletters, comparison sites, and partners with an audience interested in cars, DIY diagnostics, vehicle customization, or car maintenance.

No. You just need an audience that cares about cars. Mechanics are welcome, but so are creators, reviewers, everyday drivers, and car nerds with suspiciously strong opinions about warning lights.

Submit your application through the affiliate sign-up page: affiliate.carista.com. Once reviewed, you’ll receive access to your affiliate dashboard, tracking links, and promotional materials if approved.

Commission rates may vary depending on the campaign, partner type, and approved terms. You’ll see your commission details in your affiliate dashboard once your application is accepted.

Yes, a minimum payout threshold may apply. You can find the current threshold in your affiliate dashboard.

You can promote Carista on approved websites, blogs, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, newsletters, communities, and other relevant channels, as long as your content follows the program rules.

The Carista referral reward lets you earn free access to Carista PRO when a friend makes an eligible purchase through your referral. Once your friend’s order is approved, you receive one free month of Carista PRO, which you can claim on your next purchase.

You earn a free month of Carista PRO by sharing your Carista referral link with a friend. When your friend places an eligible order and that order is approved, your reward becomes available.

When your referral is approved, you receive an email with a one full month of Carista PRO for free. This gives you access to advanced features such as diagnostics, customization, service tools, and supported vehicle features, depending on your car model.

Yes. You can keep sharing your referral link and earn more rewards when additional friends complete eligible approved orders. More referrals = more PRO time. Tiny capitalism, but friendly.

Yes. You can share your Carista referral link with multiple friends. Each eligible approved referral order can help you earn more rewards.

Referral rewards are not issued instantly. After your friend places an eligible order, the order needs to be reviewed and approved first. The minimum turnover time is 15 days, so your free month of Carista PRO may take at least 15 days to appear.

Yes. To refer a friend and receive a referral reward, you need to have at least one purchase on your Carista account.