Solenoids absolutely go bad, frequently.
A good friend owns an auto electric shop specializing in starters and alternators. He sees a lot of the japaneese starters with
the integral solenoid (even the never break Toyota's) with the internal contacts beat out of them. Pull them apart, replace the contacts and they are
good. When this is a problem, you get a strong thump when you turn the key, but nothing more.
The windings that create the electro magnet can also fail. This will produce a clicking or no response. It acts just like a very weak or dead battery.
