<p>Pre-hole self-piercing riveting has been proven to effectively connect high-strength materials. However, the effects of key parameters, rivet hardness and riveting force, on riveting quality remain unclear. In this study, 590DP steel and 6063 aluminum were selected to investigate the non-monotonic effects of rivet hardness and riveting force on static and fatigue performance. The critical force ranges were identified through numerical simulation of forming, revealing the transition mechanism of fatigue failure modes under different riveting forces. Micro-hardness testing, static mechanical and fatigue testing were performed to evaluate the forming quality, mechanical response, and fatigue life. Through energy spectrum analysis, microstructural scanning, and developed shear numerical model, the fatigue failure mechanisms were comprehensively explored. Results indicated that with increasing rivet hardness, the undercut, load-bearing capacity, and energy absorption of the joints initially increase and subsequently decrease. The joint with a rivet hardness of H4 exhibited the best performance. Increasing the riveting force resulted in a significant enhancement of all evaluated performance indices. With the increase of rivet hardness and riveting force, the fatigue life showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. J4-75 joint exhibited the best fatigue performance. Under static load conditions, the joints mainly experienced interlocking failure. Rivet hardness did not affect the fatigue failure mode of PH-SPR joints. However, variations in the riveting force altered localized stress concentration and fretting wear, resulting in four distinct failure modes: steel sheet fracture, aluminum sheet fracture, rivet fracture, and rivet detachment.</p>