Any recommendations as to which OBDII scanner is best? Moderately priced so under $200.
Welcome!
IMHO, you definitely want a scantool setup that gives you control of the software and the hardware. Assuming you agree with that premise, the most-capable software for Ford vehicles is
FORScan.
That page is a good introduction but also has a subsection titled "
Supported adapters". On a modern Ford, where the (Medium Speed) MS-CAN protocol is used (i.e. in addition to the [High Speed] HS-CAN protocol used on older Fords like my 2004 Ranger), you'll certainly want hardware that supports the MS-CAN protocol, preferably automatically (i.e. not by using an external toggle switch to manually switch between HS and MS).
There's also this FORScan forum thread with more details, but it seems rather cluttered to me:
ELM327-compatible adapters - how to choose
If you follow the FORScan site's recommendations, you should probably get the
OBDLink EX (wired, USB) scantool if you want to run FORScan under Windows. Similarly, you should probably get the
OBDLink MX+ (wireless, Bluetooth) scantool if you want to run FORScan under Android or iOS, i.e. using a smartphone or a tablet. I only run it under Windows, on a laptop, because the Windows version has considerably more power and features than the smartphone/tablet "FORScan Lite" versions.
Torque Pro is also useful software (for Android and iOS devices) and can be used with lots of OBD2 hardware, but it doesn't inherently "know" any Ford-specific PIDs like FORScan does. And Torque Pro takes an extra step or 2 to use a rather limited list of manufacturer-specific PIDs whereas FORScan has tons of them built right in with no user intervention required.
I have very limited exposure to Torque Pro, but from what I've seen of it versus FORScan, FORScan is just more capable overall. For example, you want to be able to query
non-emission-related DTCs (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) for things like the transmission, the ABS, the airbags, and various other vehicle modules. FORScan knows how to do all that (it's all in the
software, as long as your hardware supports the appropriate protocols). Torque Pro does not, from what I've seen.
On the other hand, if you want a stand-alone, all-in-one (hardware + software together, inseparable) OBD2 scantool, I never went down that path, so I have no useful recommendation, other than "Don't do it!".
Sorry for the verbosity, but I hope that's somewhat useful. Feel free to ask more if you're interested. I bought my 1st scantool hardware over a decade ago (a wired USB version that's no longer sold but I still use it frequently). I own 4 scantools now, including the OBDLink MX (not the newer 'MX+' version). And I've been happily using FORScan for over 6 years now (and various other pieces of software for even longer). FORScan is simply the best overall combination of "capability" and "low-cost", IMHO. That's why I think your choice of hardware should be centered around first choosing the right software.
Whatever way you go, I wish you good luck with future diagnosis and your wife's new vehicle!
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