Q: Car has a grinding sound when trying to start, but will not start.
My car won't start and is making a grinding noise.
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This symptom sounds to me like a broken starter gear or a broken flywheel or flex plate. In order to determine which one of the two is at fault the starter will need to be removed to inspect both of these gears. If the starter itself needs to be replaced a professional will be able to take care of this issue for you. If the flywheel or flex plate is damaged the transmission will need to be removed in order to repair this issue and it could be very pricy.
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