To design and prepare long-life tool coating used for high speed cutting the difficult-to-machining materials. In this paper, using three target magnetron sputtering technology, V-Al-C-N nano-composite coatings with different C content were prepared by changing the sputtering power of graphite target and adjusting the ratio of different lubricating phases. The mechanical and friction properties of the coatings were tested by a nanoindentation instrument and a high-temperature friction tester. The microstructure and friction and wear surface morphology of the coating was observed by transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope, and its wear mechanism was analyzed. The V-Al-C-N nanocomposite coating had excellent mechanical properties. When the content of C was 29.40at.%, the hardness and elastic modulus of the coating was as high as 36.3 GPa and 370.5 GPa respectively and had good tribological properties in a wide temperature range from RT to 650 ℃. RT friction conditions are mainly in the form of abrasive wear, with very shallow wear marks. The coefficient of friction (COF) is 0.43. When working at 300 ℃, compared with VAlN coating, the structure of amorphous wrapped nanocrystals reduces the COF by 14% to 0.72 after C doping. The wear mechanism includes abrasive wear and oxidation wear. At 650 ℃, a large number of furrows appear in the wear marks, and a large number of wear debris are compacted on both sides of the friction track. At this time, the oxidation reaction is obviously intensified, V2O5 lubricating phase is formed on the coating surface, and the friction coefficient is stable at 0.35. Using the preparation method of three target magnetron sputtering technology, introduction of C can improve the mechanical properties of VAlN coating, reduce the friction coefficient of the coating at the range of the medium to high temperature to a certain extent. The change of friction coefficient of different coatings is related to the wear mechanism of the coating.