What does a bad starter sound like?

According to Popular Mechanics, a bad starter motor makes either a clicking sound or a high-pitched screeching noise when the ignition key is turned. A vehicle's engine cannot turn over or start properly without a functioning starter.

A starter motor uses electrical power to rotate the pistons and values of an internal combustion engine prior to ignition. Vehicles that have a bad starter are unable to start, and turning the key often produces only the rapid clicking sound of firing spark plugs or the high-pitched mechanical grinding or screeching noise caused by a starter that cannot engage with the engine's flywheel.