The OBD-II port is the 16-pin trapezoidal socket that every car sold since the mid-1990s must have. It is where you plug in a scan tool or code reader to pull the diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) that this site explains. If you cannot find it, you cannot read your codes — so this guide shows the standard locations, then real owner photos of the exact port on specific models.
The rule that tells you where to look
The connector is standardised by SAE J1962. On passenger cars it must be within reach of the driver — the practical rule is within about 60 cm (2 feet) of the steering wheel, and it must be accessible without tools. So it is almost always low on the driver’s side of the dashboard. Mandated fitment: US cars from 1996, EU petrol from 2001 and EU diesel from 2004.
Common places to check
- Driver’s footwell — low on the dash, above the pedals, left of or below the steering column (by far the most common).
- Below the dash near the fuse panel — sometimes behind a small clip-off cover marked with a connector symbol.
- Centre console — under a coin tray, ashtray or a small lid ahead of the gear lever.
- Behind the lower dash trim on the driver’s side, occasionally tucked up out of direct sight.
Whatever the spot, the socket is always the same shape: a 16-pin, D-shaped (trapezoidal) connector. If a panel looks like it might hide it, most of these covers simply unclip by hand.
