Abstract: The carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRP), as a new type of lightweight material, has got a lot of attention in its connection with metal. To analyze the performance of joint, a sample structure of CFRP/Al four-riveted joint was designed firstly. Then, a comparison of experiment and simulation was carried out to find out failure forms and displacement-load curves of single-lap joint and T-joint, and to validate the effectiveness of a 3D progressive damage finite element model. And the effects of different joint sizes on mechanical properties of four-rivet joint were compared with simulation. The results show that the shear strength is largest when the rivet diameter is 5 mm, and the peel strength is greater the larger diameter of the rivet. When the rivet row pitch is 25 mm, the shear strength is the largest, and the peel strength increases with the row pitch. When the array pitch is 15 mm, the shear strength reaches a maximum, and the peel strength increases with the array pitch. Therefore, the rivet joint can effectively solve the connection problem between the CFRP and the aluminum alloy, and selecting the proper joint size can improve the mechanical properties of the joint.