Stainless steel structures, owing to their excellent corrosion resistance and favorable mechanical properties, have garnered increasing attention in the engineering field. A thorough investigation into the performance evolution of stainless steel structures under the coupled effects of corrosion and loading is a crucial prerequisite for advancing their application in engineering. This study provides a comprehensive review of both domestic and international research on the mechanical properties of stainless steel in corrosive environments, highlighting corrosion characteristics such as pitting, stress corrosion, and fatigue corrosion. It also summarizes and analyzes the degradation patterns of steel structures" mechanical properties in corrosive environments and outlines methods for the life assessment of steel structures exposed to such environments. Finally, the study identifies existing gaps in the current research framework and, based on existing methodologies, proposes future directions and strategies for corrosion research on stainless steel.