<p>The corrosion and tribological behavior of 304 stainless steel (304SS) coatings prepared by high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying (HVOF) were investigated. Results revealed that the 304SS coating demonstrated significantly enhanced corrosion resistance, evidenced by a four-fold increase in polarization resistance (<i>R</i>_<i>p</i>) and a 42.8% reduction in corrosion current density (<i>I</i>_corr) compared to the 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. This superior performance was attributed to dense microstructure and the formation of a durable passive film. Nevertheless, the presence of pores, oxides, and various molten states particles within the coating accelerated pitting corrosion, while its multiphase induced micro-galvanic corrosion. Additionally, the processes of oxide film generation, removal, and changes in oxide type during friction contributed to a transition in the wear mechanism from fatigue to abrasive wear as frequency increased, along with a rise in oxidative wear. Notably, SiO₂ formed by the hydration reaction of Si₃N₄ ball acted as a boundary lubricant under water condition. This lubrication reduced the coefficient of friction, mitigated fatigue and adhesive wear, and yielded a minimum wear rate of 0.86 × 10^–5 mm³ N⁻¹&#xa0;m⁻¹ for the 304SS coating. In contrast, synergistic corrosion-wear effects in NaCl solution significantly accelerated the wear rate.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>