I don't think people are confused by this in their initial solutions, but rather this after-the-fact problem modification happens to match the incorrect intuiti

I don't think people are confused by this in their initial solutions, but rather this after-the-fact problem modification happens to match the incorrect intuition people have. The instinct is strong that "I am right" so "I must have just solved the wrong problem", thus "the problem was confusing". Rather, I think you will find that most people don't expect the host will ever pick a door with a car until after you tell them that switching is better, and rationalization begins. Additionally, it's on the solver to realize that a problem is under-constrained, and to ask for more constraints. That means that even if you were earnestly confused by the question, you presented a solution to an under-constrained problem. This is like answering "what is the square-root of four" with "it's negative two".