The rolling contact fatigue (RCF) failure prediction of the coating Fe-Cr alloy coatings was investigated. The acoustic emission (AE) technique was used to monitor RCF tests of the coatings. The failure mechanism was investigated. Results showed AE signals sensitively detected the initiations and propagations of the fatigue cracks within the coatings before the obvious surface material losses. AE signals also reflected the cumulate damage procedure. So the coming RCF failures can be predicted by AE signal responses. Moreover, the micro-defects within the coatings were considered to be the fatigue crack origins. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.