The faded pink car wheezed as it made its way up the steep hill brimming with potholes.

Which word in the sentence best clarifies the meaning of the personification in the phrase “car wheezed”?

a. Faded
b. Steep
c. Brimming
d. Potholes

When I searched for this on there were two Verified answers, explaining:

"To wheeze means to produce a whistling or rattling sound when breathing, typically due to a medical problem, but it's also used to describe the noisy breathing from exhaustion during a physical effort. In this sentence, the personification in the phrase "car wheezed" illustrates the idea that the hill was so steep that climbing it was physically demanding for the car engine."

This explanation seemed reasonable, so I ended up choosing b. However, I ended up missing this question. When I asked my teacher why, she said this:

"Question 8 was missed because you marked "steep" as your answer when the correct answer choice was faded. Just like a car might wheeze, a wheeze a person might experience also fades or escapes, personifying the car. "

I personally felt this was a bit of a stretch. Could someone please tell me which of these answers is correct?

Will give Brainliest!