The deformation and failure behaviors of dissimilar metal joints between SS400 steel and STS316L steel were investigated. The dissimilar metal joints were fabricated using the tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process with STS309 steel as a filler metal. The microstructures of the dissimilar metal joints were investigated using an optical microscope and EBSD technique. The mechanical properties of the base metal (BM), heat affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal (WM) were measured using a micro-hardness and micro-tension tester combined with the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The HAZ of the STS316L steel exhibited the highest micro-hardness value, and yield/tensile strengths, while the BM of the SS440 steel exhibited the lowest micro-hardness value and yield /tensile strengths. The grain size refinement in the HAZ of SS400 steel induced an enhancement of micro-hardness value and yield/tensile strengths compared to the BM of the SS400 steel. The WM, which consists of primary δ-ferrite and a matrix of austenite phase, exhibited relatively a high micro-hardness value, yield /tensile strengths and elongation compared to the BM and HAZ of the SS400 steel. † (