Apparently because the font has a 3d effect on it it isn’t legal. You can see it in the pic below and to me it’s just the MOT man nitpicking for the sake of it.
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The below is from the MOT Inspection manual, I’d agree with you, it’s a bit naughty of him really.
"Registration plate characters:
- may contain grey, possibly to achieve a 3D or highlighting effect (only on vehicles first used before 1 September 2021)"
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Yes. Perfectly legal if made and fitted before 1st September 2021.
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I would ask DVLA for ‘clarification’ and if they confirm it is OK then report the garage. They gave you grief so it seem reasonable to return the compliment.
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Yet another jobsworth!
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One problem with that. New plates already bought and fitted. Report the garage and they will be even more picky next year.
Are the plates BS marked? I can’t see any markings in the photo above, but may be missing it.
If they’re not marked that would be one reason for the failure.
I would not contemplate returning there so it would not be an issue.
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Checked this morning, the plates are BS marked, the markings are tiny but they’re there. I suspect he was just being a jobsworth/nitpicking for the sake of it.
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If they’re BS marked I’d stick a complaint in, as suggested previously. Form is here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65e1c0857bc3290011b8c24f/appeal-mot-test-result.pdf
Then email to: csccomplaints@dvsa.gov.uk
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I had new plates made for our Golf GTD last year, just as a refresh.
I ordered legal plates and was pleased with them and put them on inc new rear plate for our small touring caravan.
Before MOT (at VW) I had put detachable tow bar back on car ready for a trip. Went to pick up car to be told it had failed MOT on incorrect spacing on rear number plate 
They said I had spaced the characters to avoid them being obstructed by the tow bar, which was rubbish as it’s a private plate with space in correct place in middle for year (3+3) and the tow hitch came nowhere near the plate anyway, and they’d passed it every other year.
They then conceded that they had viewed the plate when car was in the air on ramps at which angle it did look like the hitch could obscure the plate, but actually it wasn’t an issue 
I thought at this point issue was resolved only to be told it’s still a failure because the gap between the two groups of characters was slightly too wide.
As I had ordered them as standard legal plates I challenged them to a measure off. We measured them on the car park and found (according to their MOT manual) the central spacing between the two groups of characters on the rear plate was about 6mm wider than it should have been.
They made me buy a new rear plate from them for the MOT pass.
I compared the ‘illegal’ plate to the front plate and the rear on the caravan, and found it was weirdly spaced slightly differently. I contact the plate supplier who couldn’t explain how it had happened, and after having me send photographic evidence sent me a new rear plate.
So, new shiny clear plates, correct font and spacing layout, but failed on a visually insignificant extra 6mm. And when you see some of the crap illegible totally illegal plates on the road that must be passing MOTs!
Here’s a photo (not the full plate) taken at the time on the VW car park. My ‘illegal’ plate still attached to the car, and me holding VW supplied ‘legal’ plate below it for comparison. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 
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I always thought that having things too close was not allowed, a 1 and 3 close together to look like a B for example. having numbers and letters further apart just makes them more easily identifiable surely? 
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I’m pretty sure that checking for a BS mark is not part of the MOT inspection.
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Fair enough - even less reason for the failure then!
…and yet the number of vehicles of “MOT age” I see driving around with tinted front driver/passenger side windows - there are a couple of local BMWs in particular that you cannot see the driver even on a sunny day. How do these get by the MOT test? Not like you can just peel it off and stick it back on post test - or maybe they do…
MOT and service day today. MOT passed with no problems.
I got the garage to do a deep service - replaced engine oil, diff oil and gearbox oil. Treated it to new brake fluid too, and had the coolant changed for good measure.
A good independent local garage, run by experienced mechanics, is worth its weight in gold!
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Great job 
i am not a lover of the colour 
Took 2 hours to get this off. Went from underneath and from the side, ended up having to butcher it. New filter lubed up and fitted hand tight.
Have a new air filter but this doesn’t look too bad so I’ll pop it in another time.
Drained the gearbox and diff too. Both looking quite fresh so wasn’t really needed (the dealer DID change it last year after all).
Now for the funny bit…Royal Mail have not delivered the new oil yet. So the car is on stands and I can’t close the garage tonight. I’m absolutely bogging so gonna crack a beer and have a shower.
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Just bought one of these for £12 online, not used it yet but I’m guessing it will work better than a screwdriver and hammer. 
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