Abstract: Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) has become an indispensable key material in the aerospace field due to its light weight and high strength. In this paper, the effects of laser ablation damage on the bending failure mode and bearing capacity of carbon fiber/epoxy matrix composites were studied by combining experimental and numerical simulations. In terms of testing, a four-point bending test was carried out on the sample after laser ablation (the heat flux density was 4 000 kW/m²; the radius of the heat source was 20 mm; the heating time was 7 s), and the experimental results show that the failure process was be roughly divided into three stages: stage I is the type I delamination damage that occurs after the fiber failure in the pyrolysis region; stage II is the continuous expansion of fiber fracture and delamination failure along the thickness direction; stage III is the delamination damage induced by buckling due to compressive loading on the upper surface. The bearing capacity of the composites decreased significantly after ablation, and the flexural strength decreased by 45.04% compared with that before ablation. In terms of numerical simulation, combined with the heat transfer equation, Arrhenius equation, continuity equation, stiffness matrix, Hashin failure criterion and stiffness degradation criterion, the Hashin failure criterion and stiffness degradation criterion affected by ablation factors were proposed. The load displacement curves corresponding to the first stage of failure of the samples with laser ablation damage are obtained, and the simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. This study can provide a reference for the evaluation of the failure mode and residual strength of materials containing thermal damage under mechanical loading.