I have a 2006 corolla, had same problem, just bought a new denso starter and no more troubles. Very easy to put the new one on actually, remove the fan on the front first for more space
Mine did this, it was the contacts internally in the starter motor, they wear down and make poor contact, I replaced it with a denso branded one, it never missed a beat
Finally decided to commit and replace my noisy startup starter with a Denso Reman. No the starter wasn’t dying, I purchased the car already making the noise, and have had it now for 3 years. I was just getting tired of hearing that grind noise when I start the car mostly in the winter.
This sounds like a cheap Amazon or AutoZone starter was used. Replace it with a Denso or OEM Honda part.
Denso starters last forever, it's the motor contacts that die. You can get a set from a Toyota dealer for a massive fraction of the cost of a OEM Reman ( the only way to go if you don't have time).
I bought the Denso off RockAuto and it has been fine for a year now.
According to Amazon I bought this [Denso ](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J61RORQ)starter in 2018
No problems since
They want $514 for an oem so I went with a Denso hopefully it works, it was around $330
A reman Denso starter is a reasonable compromise.
Mine did the same thing recently. I would turn the key and everything would light up, car would act normal, but the starter wouldn’t engage. I replaced the starter with a reman Denso unit off of RockAuto and I’ve been good to go since.
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What we know about Denso starter motor
The brand is registered in Japan.
In March 2026, PartReview users have a positive opinion of Denso starter motor.
PR Score — 85 out of 100, based on 60 reviews and 183 votes. 50 positive reviews, 3 neutral reviews, 7 negative reviews. Average rating — 4.1 (out of 5). Vote balance: 156 up, 27 down.
In the ranking of the best starter motor this part is at position 1 ahead of Bosch and OEM Honda.
Users also evaluated the qualities of Denso starter motor:
- Cranking - no crank or very slow cranking - rated ambivalently. 3.4 points out of 5.
- Sounds - clicks, squeal, or grinding during start attempt - rated ambivalently. 2.6 points out of 5.
- Multiple attempts - engine only catches after several tries - rated positively. 3.8 points out of 5.
Starter motor Denso in car-specific ratings
See which car brands and models owners choose Denso starter motor for. Below are car-specific ratings where this part is in the Top-3:
- Denso ranked #2 for: Honda Accord .
- Denso ranked #3 for: Volkswagen Passat .
Starter motor Denso in comparisons
There are 9 comparisons of Denso starter motor with other manufacturers on PartReview.
In particular, see which starter motor are better: Denso or AC DELCO, Denso or VALEO, Denso or Duralast, Denso or OEM Volkswagen, Denso or OEM Subaru .