Microscale fatigue damage mechanisms in various Al-Sn-Si based bearing alloys used as linings of plain automotive bearings are reported. Extensive work on previously developed alloys has concluded that secondary phase particles such as Sn and Si are potential fatigue initiation sites with a complex combination of various particle geometry parameters. A newly developed alloy contains a number of complex widely scattered intermetallics with much finer and fewer Sn and Si particles. This alloy system appears to be more resistant to initiate microscale fatigue damage compared to the previous systems.