Periodically I will try and start my car and the engine will not crank. The starter or solenoid makes a whining noise and does not engage the engine. The noise is a spinning noise that starts at a lower pitch and then climbs higher as long as you hold the key in the start position. Then spins down to a stop when you release the key. Usually only does it once and then the next try everything works just fine.

So basically do I need a new starter or is there anything else that could be causing this?