Federal law required all vehicle manufacturers to meet On Board Diagnostics, Second Generation or OBD II standards by 1996. In order to meet this standard, the automobile's on-board computer must monitor and perform diagnostic tests on vehicle emissions to ensure that the vehicle is operating at an acceptable (legal) emission level. The maximum allowable emission level is set by the Federal Test Procedure (FTP).
All vehicles are OBD II compliant. All OBD II vehicles have the same 16-pin diagnostic connector or DLC. This eliminates the need to have a manufacturer specific connector to plug a scan tool into your vehicle.