* Bent or damaged flexplate teeth: If the flexplate teeth are significantly damaged (perhaps from a previous issue or a failed torque converter), they *might* interfere with the starter's ring gear, preventing it from disengaging smoothly. The starter bendix gear could be binding or jammed against the damaged teeth.
* Vibrations and misalignment: A badly damaged flexplate can cause excessive vibration in the engine. This vibration could put extra stress on the starter solenoid and its components, potentially causing a failure that leads to the starter staying engaged. It's not a direct cause of disengagement failure, but a contributing factor to a secondary failure in the starter system.
* Torque Converter Issues (related to flexplate): Problems within the torque converter (like a failing clutch pack) *could* indirectly manifest as excessive resistance on the crankshaft, making the starter harder to disengage. A severely warped or damaged flexplate could exacerbate this pre-existing issue.
In short: The flexplate itself doesn't directly control starter engagement/disengagement. But if it's significantly damaged, the resulting vibrations, misalignment, or interference with the starter ring gear could contribute to the starter's failure to disengage properly. The actual problem causing the starter to stick might be within the starter motor (solenoid, bendix gear, etc.) or the wiring. A faulty flexplate only adds another potential layer to the issue.
