A pre-purchase inspection you run yourself. 15 minutes, at the seller's car.
Plug an OBD2 adapter into the car, follow the app for 15 minutes, and get a 0‑100 score, a Buy, Negotiate, Caution or Walk Away verdict, and what the repairs should cost.
€24.99 one-time, final price. No subscription.
- Credit used only when it completes
- Free 30-second compatibility check
- Free app · iOS and Android
The free compatibility check runs in the app. Get the free app
What you need
- The free Skanyx app, signed in
- A Bluetooth ELM327 adapter, about €25-60. On iPhone it must be Bluetooth LE (or the OBDLink MX+). Wi-Fi adapters don't work
- About 15 minutes at the car, with a passenger to hold the phone and a quiet road for a short drive
What you get
A 0-100 score and a verdict: Buy, Negotiate, Caution or Walk Away.
Example: 70, Negotiate
Every engine and emissions fault code the car reports over OBD2, in plain language, with a repair cost for each confirmed fault.
Example: P0299 turbo underboost, €300-900
Whether the codes were cleared before you arrived, and whether the VIN and the odometer match what you were told.
Example: fault codes recently cleared
Negotiation numbers from the repair costs, the car's market value when you enter the asking price, and a PDF to share.
Example: target reduction €1,403
Every report states its data confidence. Example: 90%.
How it works
- 01Today · 2 min
Buy here, install the free app, sign in with the same email. The credit lands on that account.
- 02Before the viewing
Get a Bluetooth ELM327 adapter, about €25-60. Any Bluetooth type works on Android; iPhone needs a Bluetooth LE one (or the OBDLink MX+). Wi-Fi adapters don't work. It plugs in under the steering wheel and stays in the car.
- 03At the car · 15 min
First a free 30-second check that the car will talk to us. Then the guided drive: codes before and after, 90 s idle, 75 s cruise, 45 s acceleration, then the tamper checks.
- 04Right after
Score, verdict, repair costs, negotiation numbers and a PDF. Only now is the credit used.
The walk-around: 28 checkpoints, optional
After the drive, the app can walk you around the car: 28 checkpoints with a quick question each. Add photos where something looks off, and a visual AI agent reviews up to 10 of them with the scan data: rust on rockers and frame, panel alignment, tyres, glass, lights, damp or smell inside, visible leaks.
Front 6 · Side 6 · Rear 5 · Interior 6 · Underneath 5
What it sees, and what it cannot
It sees
- Stored and pending fault codes, before and after the drive
- Live engine data at idle, cruise and under acceleration
- Recently cleared codes, unfinished readiness monitors, a VIN that doesn't match, a higher odometer reading than claimed (on cars that report it)
- Repair-cost ranges, negotiation leverage, market value against asking
- The optional 28-point walk-around
It cannot see
- Brake and suspension wear, or anything needing a lift
- ABS and airbag modules, and gearbox faults the car does not report over standard OBD2
- Mileage stored in control modules, so it cannot prove odometer rollback
- EV and plug-in hybrid battery health
- Structural condition behind the panels
Many buyers do both: this for the electronics and everything you can photograph, a garage for the lift work.
€24.99 per inspection. No subscription.
A garage pre-purchase inspection runs $186-273 at a shop in the US (RepairPal), or $220 for Lemon Squad to send someone.
In the example above, the findings are worth €550-1,650 in repairs. Many cars show none.
Sources: RepairPal estimator and the Lemon Squad price list, checked September 2026.
Looking at more than one car? Credits never expire.
Final price. Prices in euros; your bank converts at checkout.
- You pay when you buy. The credit is used only when the inspection completes; a failed drive keeps it.
- Credits never expire. No subscription, yours forever.
- Unused pack? Refundable within 14 days in the EU. Refund terms
Pay with the email you use in the Skanyx app; the credit lands on that account.
Questions before you buy
Do I need an adapter?
Yes: a Bluetooth ELM327 OBD2 adapter, about €25-60, plugs into the socket under the steering wheel. Android works with Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth LE adapters. iPhone needs a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) adapter, or the OBDLink MX+. Wi-Fi adapters don't work with the app. We list three recommended ones on the adapter page. No proprietary dongle.
Does the seller have to agree?
Ask before you plug in. A small adapter and a 15-minute drive are a normal part of viewing a used car, and nothing is changed on the car. If a seller won't allow a 15-minute check, treat that as information.
What if the car isn't compatible, or the inspection fails?
First we check that the car will talk to us, free, about 30 seconds. If it won't, no credit is used. A drive that fails or is interrupted keeps the credit too. In the EU, an unused pack is refundable within 14 days.
How does the credit get to my app?
Pay with the email you use in the Skanyx app, or create your account with the checkout email within 3 days. The credit is matched to that email and appears in the app under Pre-Purchase Inspection. Used a different email? Email support with your order number.
Does it work on diesel and older cars?
Petrol cars sold in the EU from 2001 (US from 1996) and diesels from 2004 have the OBD2 socket it needs. Diesel analysis adapts automatically, and hybrids work. Fully electric cars can't be inspected, and hybrid battery health is not covered.
Is this instead of a mechanic's inspection?
It reads the electronics: stored and pending codes, cleared-code tells, live data under load, repair costs, negotiation numbers, plus the optional walk-around. It cannot put the car on a lift or measure brake and suspension wear. Many buyers do both, for different halves of the car.
Buy one now, use it the day you go and see the car.