In this paper, a robust fault detection problem is investigated for a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). By using the adaptive control and the sliding-mode control strategies, an observer is presented for estimating the amplitude demagnetization fault problem under inductance disturbance. The proposed method can effectively attenuate the inductance disturbance of the PMSM by the sliding-mode strategy. And the adaptive control estimation algorithm is adopted for guaranteeing that the real-time detection of demagnetization flux can be realized. The convergency is obtained by the Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, simulation is given for demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.