Basic Trope: One or more characters pretends their vehicle is inoperable to stall for time.
- Straight: Alice is trying to keep Bob from getting to his destination, so she pretends her car's engine is stalled.
- Exaggerated: Alice does damage to her car's engine to keep it from running.
- Downplayed: Alice tries to buy time by stopping for gas.
- Justified: Alice is planning a Surprise Party for Bob, and doesn't want to get home before everyone is ready.
- Inverted: Alice's car is a Sentient Vehicle, and pretends to be dead to stop both her and Bob from going somewhere.
- Subverted: Alice really is having engine trouble.
- Double Subverted: She's been having trouble getting the car to start for weeks, but now is pretending that it's worse than it is.
- Parodied: Alice pretends to look under the hood to figure out what the problem is. When Bob comes over to help, he catches her slipping the car's spark plugs in her coat pocket.
- Zig-Zagged: Alice says that the check engine light is on, but Bob says that he took the car to the mechanic last week, and he must have forgotten to reset the light. So Alice tries to start the car, but it really won't start.
- Averted: Alice drives Bob to his destination.
- Enforced: There wasn't any real reason to pretend the car wouldn't start, but the episode ran a minute or two short, and they needed to make the scene longer.
- Lampshaded: "Well, what do you know, Bob? You need to get somewhere in a hurry, and I can't get the car to start! What are the odds?"
- Invoked: Knowing that Bob is a Straw Misogynist, Alice pretends she flooded the engine because she's "just a silly woman."
- Exploited: ???
- Defied: Bob gets in and tells Alice "Don't pretend you can't start the car."
- Discussed: "If I didn't know any better, Alice, I'd say you're pretending the car doesn't work to stall me."
- Conversed: "Now, if I wanted to stall Bob, I might pretend that I'm having car trouble."
- Implied: After a few failed attempts, Bob asks Alice "The car won't start?" She looks away from him and smirks.
- Deconstructed: Bob is a mechanic, and instantly sees through Alice's stalling tactics. He asks her why she's doing it, and Alice is forced to confess.
- Reconstructed: ???
- Played for Laughs: Alice, who's been trying to buy time for the entire episode, claims that the car won't start. Bob glances over and says "It helps to put the key in the ignition."
- Played for Drama: Bob is an international jewel thief who is carrying a stolen diamond in his pocket. Alice knows this, and is trying to buy time for the police to arrive.
I'd like to take you back to Faking Engine Trouble, but this darn car won't start!
