SUMMARYBased on the multi-objective optimization strategy and linear matrix inequality approach, the problem of reliable guaranteed cost control with multiple criteria constraints is investigated for a class of uncertain discrete-time systems subject to actuator faults. A fault model in actuators, which considers outage or partial degradation in independent actuators, is adopted. The quadratic stability is proved to be independent of the disturbance and the upper bound of a quadratic cost index is improved. The reliable feedback controller is designed to minimize the upper bound of the quadratic cost index, place all the closed-loop poles in a specified disk, constrain the H ∞ norm level of the disturbance attenuation into a given range and guarantee the magnitudes of control inputs less than the given bound, as well. Thus, the resulting closed-loop system can provide satisfactory stability, transient behavior, disturbance rejection level and optimized upper bound of the quadratic cost performance despite possible actuator faults.