This paper conducts an investigation on the static mechanical properties and failure behavior of self-piercing riveted joints in aluminum alloy 5A06 after being subjected to the aging process. The study involves three distinct categories of joint specimens: original specimens, 1-year aged specimens and 1-year aged specimens that have been additionally heat-treated at 200 °C. The research findings affirm that strain aging is responsible for a reduction in the peak strength of the joints. Furthermore, the weakest failure chain within the self-piercing riveted joint shifts towards the upper sheet due to a more significant reduction in internal stress experienced by the upper plate. This leads to a failure model characterized by upper sheet pull-off. Through Weibull distribution analysis, it has been established that the 5 % lower limit value for the strength of the SPR joint experiences an 86 % decline following 1-year aging. In practical terms, this means that for a vehicle structure with 7000 riveting points will lose an overall structural strength equivalent to the initial strength of 1000 riveting points within one year. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd