In this work, the Al-20Si-5Fe-2Ni/ZrB₂ composites with 0–20 wt.% ZrB₂ were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. Effects of ZrB₂ content on the microstructure, mechanical properties and high temperature tribological behavior of the composites were investigated. The results indicate that Si, Al₅FeSi and ZrB₂ particles are uniformly distributed in the aluminum matrix. The density, hardness and compressive strength increase with increasing ZrB₂ content. The friction coefficient and wear rate are dependent on the ZrB₂ content and test temperature. At a certain temperature, the friction coefficient increases with an increase in ZrB₂ content, while the wear rate shows a reverse trend. Because of the improvement of thermal stability and high temperature softening resistance, the composite shows an improved wear resistance and increased transition temperature from mild wear to severe wear.