Abstract: Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is a composite material formed by embedding carbon fibers in a resin matrix. Owing to its lightweight, high strength, corrosion resistance, and fatigue resistance, it is widely used in numerous applications. However, as an anisotropic material, CFRP rods are difficult to connect effectively to metal parts in practice. In this study, the gripping failure of a bimetallic cladding applied to the surface of a CFRP rod by extrusion is investigated through theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experiments. An extrusion deformation model of the bimetallic layer is developed to analyze the gripping failure process and to reveal the interfacial stress distribution. The critical gripping stress and the associated failure mode of the bimetallic cladding are established. Experimental tests confirm the actual gripping performance of the bimetallic cladding on CFRP rods. The results indicate that the clamping stress level at the completion of extrusion is the critical value for interface failure.