Very-high-cycle-fatigue (VHCF) strength properties are of interest to several technical applications assessed globally at different laboratories with long-life fatigue testing capabilities. Also, VHCF failure mechanisms are a scientific topic with remaining open research questions. Herein, three automotive bar grade steels are studied with respect to VHCF strength and initiation mechanisms. A microalloyed ferritic-pearlitic steel (38MnSiV5, 870 MPa tensile strength), a quenched and tempered martensitic steel (50CrV4, 1410 MPa tensile strength), and a carburizing steel (16MnCr5, 1180 MPa core structure tensile strength) are studied to reveal characteristics regarding initiation and VHCF failure mechanisms. A 20 kHz ultrasonic fatigue testing instrument is used to obtain fatigue lives up to and above 10(9) load cycles in uniaxial loading. Hour-glass specimens, smooth or notched, are tested at R = -1 and R = 0.1. Fatigue strength and stress life (SN)-diagram data are achieved, and crack initiation and growth mechanisms are studied using primarily field-emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). Fatigue strengths are explained by a modified life-dependent Murakami-expression, the Haigh diagram, and notch sensitivity. Interior and surface crack initiations by surface defects, triple points, and inclusions are found. The fine granular area (FGA) to fish-eye crack growth transition conditions are explored and schematic descriptions are given.